About 50 million Americans ride a bicycle every year, for recreation, sport, or simply riding to work. Of these, about 50,000 are seriously hurt annually. And some of those 50,000 face another obstacle in receiving compensation, even if they were blameless. In the article below, we will tell you how not to be a victim of unscrupulous insurance bureaucracy and how to receive proper compensation for the accident.
Understanding the Problem
A bicycle accident will spin your world: you can be lying in a hospital with severe injuries and giant hospital bills, never mind the emotional turmoil. The settlement of a bike accident refers to the amount of money an injured bicycle rider can claim to compensate for losses incurred due to the accident. Such losses take the form of medical expenses, lost income, damages to property, and even non-economic losses such as pain and suffering, etc.
However, it might be difficult to have fair compensation even with hard evidence of your innocence. Insurers complicate it by the use of litmus tests in order to pay less:
- Lowball offers: Your insurers are able to give you a low offer, which does not serve all your needs;
- Denial of liability: When the insurance company claims that you were partially at fault, then it might affect the level of compensation to be paid;
- Complicated regulations: The traffic regulations on cyclists wearing helmets or wherever they break the traffic rules may influence the result of your case.
In case of rejecting a fair price by the insurance company or denial of the fault by the at-fault party, the court could be the only resort. Then, you will surely require an experienced lawyer.
However, before you can do this, you must make an estimate of what your compensation should be. You can use this tool to assess the potential payout based on the data you provide. The calculator will take into account the medical expenses, lost income, and gravity of the injury. Remember, however, the result is a guess. The reality of the number may be different, and this is dependent on numerous variables that we list below.
Key Factors Determining Your Compensation
The compensation depends on several factors:
Medical Expenses
This covers everything cost-wise, including emergency care, surgeries, and recovery. As an example, a traumatic brain injury can cost even several hundred thousand dollars.
Lost Wages
Should you not be able to be functional at the workplace as a result of your injury, you are eligible to receive lost wages. An example is that a computer programmer receiving 10,000 dollars monthly could receive an impairment of 60,000 dollars over a six-month period of missed income.
Pain and Suffering
The damage that is not economic in nature is more difficult to measure; nonetheless, it is serious. As an illustration, at a rate of pain and suffering of 3, the number of medical costs would be 30,000, giving a value of pain and suffering of 90,000.
Navigating the Legal Process
In order to obtain reasonable compensation, it’s essential to get solid evidence. But the process of compensation is nearly certain to be complex if the insurance agency attempts to make lowball settlements.
Having an attorney working on your behalf will drastically alter the outcome of your case. Here’s why:
- Detailed case examination: Lawyers take into consideration hidden costs, such as health care in the future or reduced earning capacity;
- Negotiation skill: A skilled lawyer knows how to fight against insurers and negotiate for the best possible compensation;
- Contingency fees: Most attorneys work on a “no win, no fee” basis, which minimizes the economic risk to the victim.
We recommend reaching out to professionals who deal only with bike accidents and are results-driven. Their experience has helped thousands of bike cyclists get justice — and it can help you, too, if need be.
Final Thoughts: The Only Right Move
A bike accident is not just a case of bodily injury and financial loss — it’s an emotional one too, especially when you have to battle cunning insurance adjusters. But if done correctly, you can be the winner in that battle and receive what is yours. Get a free consultation at Bicycle Accident Lawyers Group and leave the professionals to do their job. Be safe on the road, and do your best to take care of yourself.
