Rockford Bicycle Accidents Lawyer

As a bicyclist, you are at a much greater risk of being injured in an accident than a motorist or even a motorcyclist. The reasons for this are obvious: 1) your bicycle lacks the protective chassis of a car and 2) the weight that both a car and a motorcycle have far exceed a bike, making impact or collision much more damaging as the bicyclist.

If you are injured in a bicycle accident, you can potentially suffer severe injuries that can have life-changing complications. You can also potentially lose your life. All of these results demonstrate the necessity of a Rockford bicycle accident attorney. Anyone in Rockford, Illinois who has received injuries in a biking accident can consult with Tuite Law today to start making reparations.

If you are injured in a bicycle accident, seek medical attention as soon as possible. It will then be important to consider filing a personal injury claim to seek compensation for your damages. You can seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages as a result of taking time off to recover, and pain and suffering damages. You are even entitled to compensation for things such as the loss of enjoyment in your life or the need for psychological counseling to work through the emotional trauma of the accident.

After you have received appropriate medical treatment for your injury, speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer about moving forward with a personal injury claim. If you have lost a loved one to a bicycle accident, you may seek compensation through a wrongful death claim.

Bicycle accidents vary widely, both in how they happen and in their severity. Our Rockford bicycle accident attorneys have experience handling claims involving all types of injuries. You can suffer a variety of injuries in a bicycle accident. Examples of these include:

• Sprains and strains;
• Broken bones;
• Cuts;
• Friction burns;
• Spinal cord injuries;
• Traumatic brain injuries; and
• Damage to your skin and other tissue.

These injuries can lead to complications like permanent disability, paralysis, excessive bleeding, permanent disfigurement, and nerve damage. Our law firm will make sure that you receive a settlement or injury verdict that accounts for the full extent of your injuries and the true value of your damages.

Immediately after the accident, call 911 if you or anybody else involved in the accident needs emergency medical attention. Take photographs of your injury and the scene of the accident. These will be important pieces of evidence for your claim later.

Then, exchange contact and insurance information with the motorist involved in the accident if a motorist was involved. If the accident was due to a poorly-designed bicycle path or a hazard in the roadway, skip this step – you will file your claim with the government entity that manages the roadway or path where your accident occurred.

File an official police report with the local law enforcement. This, too, will be an important piece of evidence to support your claim. Then, seek medical attention for your injuries. After you have received appropriate treatment, speak with a personal injury lawyer about proving the other party’s negligence through a personal injury claim.

Under Illinois law (735 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/13-202), bicycle accident victims have limited time to take legal action. These claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations. If you were hurt in a bicycle crash, you typically have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit — otherwise, your claim will be automatically dismissed by the court. You must file before the deadline.

Of course, this does not mean that you should wait months or longer to take action. The sooner you initiate the bicycle accident injury claims process, the easier it will be to recover the maximum available financial support. Call an experienced Rockford, IL bike accident attorney as soon as possible after your collision.

In general, bicycle accidents are negligence claims. To hold another party liable for your bicycle accident, you must be able to prove that their recklessness, carelessness, or misconduct contributed to your injuries. The majority of bike accident claims are brought against negligent drivers. Some of the leading types of driver negligence that cause bicycle accidents include:

• Failure to yield to bikes;
• Failure to stop and red lights or stop signs;
• ‘Buzzing’ a bicyclist;
• Opening car doors in a dangerous manner;
• Rear-end collisions with bikes;
• Distracted driving;
• Texting while driving; and
• Drunk driving/drugged driving.

To be clear, bicycle accident claims can also be filed against defendants other than drivers. It is possible that your accident was caused by a negligent trucking company, a negligent property owner, or a negligent bicycle manufacturer.

Regardless of the underlying circumstances, it is imperative that you seek immediate guidance from an experienced Rockford, IL bicycle accident attorney. Your attorney will be able to conduct an in-depth investigation of the bike accident — securing all of the evidence needed to hold all negligent parties legally accountable.

If you were injured in a bicycle accident caused by a negligent defendant, you deserve financial compensation for the full and fair value of your damages. Sadly, in practice, defendants and insurance companies rarely make the claims process easy. At Tuite Law, our Rockford, IL bicycle accident injury lawyers know how to get justice and maximum financial support for our clients. More specifically, you may be eligible to recover financial compensation for:

• Ambulance fees and emergency room care;
• Medical expenses and rehabilitation costs;
• Loss of current and future wages;
• Pain and suffering;
• Emotional trauma;
• Long-term disability;
• Disfigurement or scarring; and
• Wrongful death damages.

If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, consider filing a personal injury claim to seek compensation for your damages. Give your claim the best possible chance of resulting in a fair, appropriate settlement by working with an experienced personal injury attorney in Rockford, Illinois. To learn more, contact Tuite Law to schedule a free consultation and case evaluation with a member of our team.