Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Bicycle Accident Lawyers

Learning to ride a bike is a childhood milestone. As adults, many of us continue to ride for fun, for exercise, or for transportation. However, riding a bicycle is not without its risks: reckless drivers endanger cyclists every day. For children and adults alike, a bicycle accident is a terrifying situation to be in.

If you or your child has been struck by a motorist while riding a bicycle and has suffered severe injuries, you shouldn’t have to suffer financially too. Medical help is expensive, and victims often cannot work while they are recovering or tending to an injured child.

The skilled legal team at Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law, are your dedicated advocates in this difficult time. We provide excellent professional counsel to help bicycle accident victims get the compensation they deserve. We are a national law firm based in Houston with multiple offices around the country. We also work with affiliate law firms in most states who share our focus, compassionate approach, and dedication to excellence. Regardless of where you’re located, we may be able to help you. We are proud to offer FREE, IMMEDIATE consultations. We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-898-4877, or you may contact us now by CLICKING HERE to submit your case for review. No matter how severe your injuries are, we can put you on the path to recovery.

Bicycle Accidents Lead to Severe Injuries

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports bike accidents have been on the rise in the United States for more than a decade. Negligent motorists who hog the road and don’t watch for cyclists are responsible for many of the alarming injuries that result.

Bike accidents lead to some of the most severe injuries among all traffic accidents that we see. The NHTSA estimates almost 1,000 cyclists get killed in traffic accidents across the nation each year. Bicyclists are at risk each time they ride because they have little protection from INATTENTIVE DRIVERS. A city’s poorly-maintained biking paths can also cause bikers to crash. Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law helps bike accident victims who have suffered many kinds of severe injuries at the hands of negligent parties. Some examples of bike accident injuries that might call for a personal injury lawsuit include:

Deep Cuts and Lacerations

Cuts may seem minor at first, but they can lead to permanent scarring and nerve damage if they are deep enough. Additionally, cyclists knocked to the ground are at risk for road rash. Road rash occurs when your body slides across gravel or pavement, which burns and breaks the skin. Depending on the speed of the bike and vehicle when the accident occurs, road rash can be very severe, painful, and scarring. You deserve to be compensated for your pain and embarrassment, and we are here to help!

Dislocated Joints

Riders involved in bicycle crashes risk dislocation of one or more of their joints, especially when the opposing vehicle is traveling at a high speed. When a shoulder or hip pops out of place, the pain can be excruciating. If you are knocked from your bike and attempt to break your fall with your arms or hands, arms you can end up dislocating one or both shoulders. A dislocated joint typically means a person has torn the muscles and ligaments in their joint too. Fortunately, most dislocations heal within six months and the victim has a full recovery, especially if they are treated quickly. On the other hand, some dislocated joints cause damage to nerves and blood vessels. This damage can be permanent and cause lifelong issues for bike accident victims.

Crushed Limbs

Bike accident victims risk getting one or more of their limbs pinned under a vehicle, which can cause permanent disability and disfigurement. In worst case scenarios, limbs may need to be amputated. Although amputation causes immediate and ongoing pain and discomfort, amputees must also cope with the massive emotional trauma of losing a limb. The compassionate legal team at Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law, helps amputees GET THE MONEY THEY DESERVE WHEN BAD DRIVERS CAUSE THEM TO LOSE A LIMB.

Organ Damage

Bodies on bicycles can get mangled when a car strikes them. Broken ribs can puncture organs, causing organ damage and internal bleeding. If an accident victim does not receive immediate treatment, these injuries can cause fatal organ failure. Those lucky enough to live through a bike accident can suffer permanent organ damage, causing lifelong challenges and requiring surgeries and ongoing care

Brain Injuries

Even the safest of cyclists wearing helmets are at risk of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) when struck by a negligent driver. Mild TBIs, more commonly referred to as concussions, can be overcome. However, cyclists who suffer moderate to severe TBIs face long-term consequences that can impact their motor skills, cognitive functions, memory, behavior, and more. Brain injuries of all kinds are especially dangerous for young children on bikes. The human brain doesn’t completely develop until a person is in their 20s, so a child who suffers a TBI potentially faces stunted development. Mild concussions and severe TBIs can also plague bike accident victims with recurring headaches and migraines for life.

Neck Injuries

Cyclists who hit the pavement at certain angles can experience painful neck injuries. Some examples include fractured vertebrae, slipped discs, and torn muscles and ligaments. Much like a brain injury, a severe neck injury can lead to a lifetime of chronic discomfort, headaches, and migraines.

Back Injuries

The force of impact from a bicycle accident can leave victims with debilitating back injuries, such as one or more broken vertebrae and herniated discs. Back injuries are among the most painful of all injuries because for many people, the pain NEVER completely subsides. Their mobility and activity levels suffer and they may have to permanently give up certain sports or leisure activities. Even after corrective surgeries, those who suffer back injuries can have difficulty finding a position that completely alleviates their pain. This chronic pain can lead to bigger problems like surgical implants, steroid shots, or addictions to prescription painkillers.

At Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law, we understand the load of pain and discomfort that comes with a back injury. The careless parties who caused your injury SHOULD PAY when you’re left unable to sit, stand, or walk without pain!

Spinal Cord Injuries

The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) reports that most spinal cord injuries in the United States are a result of traffic accidents, and the most common injury is incomplete tetraplegia, which is full paralysis from the neck down. Tetraplegia that is incomplete means that victims have lost mobility but retain some feeling. Although today’s acute treatment and rehabilitation requirements are much shorter than previous years, those who suffer tetraplegia typically must spend at least 40 days combined in the hospital and rehab facility.

This makes spinal cord injuries among the most costly of all bike accident injuries. The first-year costs range from more than $350,000 for those with mild functional loss to over $1.1 million for those with the highest level of tetraplegia. Costs for paraplegia, functional loss from the waist down, fall somewhere in between. Negligent drivers who inflict this manner of devastating harm and financial loss to cyclists must be held accountable.

Steps to Take After a Bicycle Accident

Decisions you make in the minutes, hours, and days after your bicycle accident can strongly impact the outcome of your personal injury claim. You need guidance, and you deserve to be treated with patience and respect during this tumultuous time. The following steps will maximize your chances of obtaining a positive outcome in your case.

Seek Medical Treatment ASAP

When you’ve been in a bicycle accident, your health and safety are the top priorities. Even if you only feel a little sore, or if you don’t feel anything at all, you NEED to have a physician examine to clarify the extent of your injuries. As previously mentioned, internal injuries can be fatal if left untreated. During a traumatic event like a bike accident, many accident victims experience an adrenaline rush to their body, which can mask some or all of their pain for hours and even days. A doctor will examine you for common bike accident injuries and record their informed observations on your medical record.

Insurance companies and defense legal teams sometimes try to use tricky tactics to weasel out of payment, like blaming your injuries on a previous event. Going to the doctor immediately after a bike accident and getting your injuries on file serves as valuable proof for insurance companies and lawyers, making it more difficult for them to deny liability. We know how to help you navigate the maze of insurance companies. Don’t let them downplay your pain and suffering.

Record Driver Information

If at all possible, record driver information at the scene of the accident. Emergency response teams may come to the scene, but it can take some time. Sometimes nervous motorists flee the scene of the accident, or law enforcement makes a mistake when recording information. Record your own notes, feelings, and observations as best as you can, and make sure to gather contact information from involved parties and witnesses. You should as the at-fault driver for their name, address, phone, email, and insurance information. Also, record any information about the driver, the make and model of the car, and the license plate number.

Take Photos

Insurance companies and courts prefer photographic evidence over written crash reports. If you are physically able, use your cell phone to take video or pictures at the scene of the accident. This includes taking photos of property damage to the car, property damage to the bike, damage to surrounding signs, railings, or buildings, the entire accident scene, and any visible injuries you have.

These pictures provide your attorney, the insurance adjusters, and the court with visual representation of the scene of the accident, which can help determine liability and damages in your case. Prioritize taking photos of license plates – this can protect you if the driver tries to pull a hit and run!

Contact Our Bicycle Accident Law Firm Now

Insurance companies don’t stay in business by paying out every claim that comes their way or by paying the full amount, and adjusters are trained tricksters who try to elicit responses from victims to devalue or dismiss a claim. Hiring an experienced bicycle accident lawyer can protect you from manipulative insurance company tactics and potentially help you recover more compensation. Our lawyers and legal professionals are trained negotiators who understand the ins-and-outs of communicating with insurance companies and can make sure your voice is heard.

Bicycle accidents can result in PERMANENT disabilities, which can lead to future lost wages and expensive ongoing treatment and care. Many law firms have a network of specialists they work with to help estimate the value of a claim to provide support for your case. Most importantly, contacting our bicycle accident law firm allows you the time to focus on healing and rehabilitation while we handle the messy details of your bicycle accident claim.

Contact Stewart J. Guss’s Team Today to Get the Legal Help You Need!

The experienced bicycle accident lawyers of Stewart J. Guss, Attorney at Law have advocated for accident victims for more than two decades. If you or your child have suffered injuries in a bicycle accident, we may be able to help you regardless of where you are located. Because we take all of our personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, you will not owe us a DIME unless we win your case. We are available now for a FREE, IMMEDIATE case evaluation! We are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 800-898-4877, or you can CLICK HERE to submit your case for review online.

See what past clients have to say:

Review: 5/5
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

“As a relatively new resident of Houston, I did not know of an attorney to contact for a personal injury suit. I randomly went through the yellow pages contacting two attorneys that had rejected my case prior to me contacting Stewart Guss. Stewart took my case on and settled for far more than I had anticipated. The silver lining of this is that I will now have enough money to go back to school for retraining, so I will be able to reenter the workforce in a new capacity. The paralegal, Angela, was kind and supportive throughout the process. If I did not understand the legal jargon, I did not hesitate to ask, and was never once made to feel that I was incompetent. Thank you Stewart and Angela for giving me a new lease on live.” -Sally T.

See more client testimonials here

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