If you have suffered injuries in a bicycle accident in Danbury caused by someone else, you may be eligible for compensation. If a motor vehicle strikes you while you are riding a bike, you can suffer catastrophic injuries. In addition to the immense amount of pain this can cause, you could also face overwhelming medical bills, a protracted recovery and rehabilitation time, and lost wages due to missed time at work. Some bicycle accidents are fatal.
If you were bicycling and someone injured you, the seasoned bicycle accident attorneys at The Flood Law Firm will work to hold the at-fault party responsible for the losses you have suffered. Call us today or contact us online to get your free consultation and learn more about how we can help you.
Why Choose The Flood Law Firm in Danbury?
For more than a decade, The Flood Law Firm has been helping injured clients obtain the compensation they need for their accident-related injuries and losses. We protect people harmed by others and work hard to pursue the justice the law allows.
We know that after someone else injures you, the last thing you want to think about is filing insurance claims or a lawsuit. We have the resources, skills, and experience to take the entire burden of obtaining the compensation you need off your shoulders. Attorneys with especially difficult cases will frequently refer their clients to us.
Once you hire us, our seasoned team will do everything required to see your claim or lawsuit through to the end. All you’ll have to do is recuperate from your injuries.
While most cases don’t go to trial, we have skilled litigators on our team with the proven ability to win. We will be your champions throughout your case.
Let The Flood Law Firm stand up for you. Call us today for your free consultation about how we can help you.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Danbury
Some of the most common reasons bicycle accidents occur include:
Speeding drivers: Speed kills. The faster a driver goes, the less time they have to respond to the fact that they are about to hit a cyclist. When a car strikes a bike rider at high speed, the crash can be catastrophic or deadly for the vulnerable cyclist.
Motorists failing to see cyclists: If you are riding a bike on the street, you have as much right to be there as any other road user. However, many drivers ignore the presence of smaller vehicles such as bicycles. This lack of awareness can be particularly hazardous if a bike is passing through a motorist’s blind spot. If the driver fails to check their blind spot before executing a maneuver, they can sideswipe the bike rider, knocking them down onto the road.
Dooring: Another type of accident that occurs when a driver fails to see a cyclist is “dooring.” This term refers to the type of crash that happens when a bicycle rider hits a car door that someone within the vehicle has just opened.
Driving under the influence: Anyone who gets behind the wheel after consuming alcohol or drugs poses a grave danger to everyone sharing the road with them. When a driver is under the influence, they suffer from slowed reaction times and a lack of awareness of their surroundings. Impaired drivers may execute maneuvers that other road users do not expect, leading to collisions with cyclists. Furthermore, drunk drivers are more likely to lose control of their vehicles entirely.
Drowsy driving: Fatigued drivers or those who have not had enough sleep have similar challenges to those who are drunk. Their tired brains cannot react quickly enough to road hazards, putting vulnerable cyclists in danger. Furthermore, if a motorist falls asleep at the wheel, they may strike a bike rider at an incredibly high speed. The consequences can be catastrophic.
Traffic law violations: Traffic laws exist to keep road users safe from each other. Anytime a driver runs a red light, fails to yield to oncoming traffic, or neglects to use their turn signal, they put cyclists in harm’s way.
Road and weather hazards: Not all bicycle accidents are the fault of negligent drivers. Sometimes, a man-made or natural hazard can be the primary cause of a collision.
Man-made hazards include:
- Damaged road
- Stretches of road with improper lighting
- Misplaced barriers and posts
- Spilled cargo from commercial trucks
In such cases, the party responsible for fixing or responding to the hazard may be liable for any accident-related injuries it causes.
Environmental hazards may include:
- Heavy rain
- Snow or ice
- Gale force winds
Cycling in these conditions is not generally safe. However, sometimes these types of storms can occur suddenly. Road users must take proper precautions during spells of inclement weather. If they fail to do so, they can be liable for losses resulting from any accidents they cause.
Connecticut Bicycle Laws
The state of Connecticut has several laws about bicycles on the road. Some of these laws may affect your accident claim.
Bicycle Helmet Laws
Connecticut law requires all children aged fifteen and under to wear bicycle helmets while riding. Anyone older than this has no legal requirement to wear protective gear when they cycle, but doing so can save you from potentially life-altering brain injuries.
Yet if your child suffered injuries while riding their bike without a helmet, you still may file a claim or a lawsuit against the negligent driver who caused the collision. A lack of safety gear does not preclude a driver from liability.
Passing
Many motorists do not give cyclists the same amount of space they give to other cars. Yet Connecticut law requires all drivers to leave a minimum of three feet of space between their vehicle and a cyclist they are overtaking. If a driver struck your bike because they did not give you sufficient space when passing you, speak with an experienced bicycle accident lawyer who can work to recover the compensation you deserve.
Common Injuries From Bicycle Accidents
Many of the injuries people suffer in bicycle accidents are devastating. The average motor vehicle weighs twenty times as much as the average human being. When a car crashes into a vulnerable cyclist, the cyclist will experience a massive force that their body cannot safely sustain.
Some of the most common injuries our attorneys see after bicycle accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken and fractured bones
- Skull fractures
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Loss of limbs
- Lacerations
- Road rash
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Facial and dental fractures
Any of these injuries can dramatically alter a person’s life. The financial, physical, and emotional consequences can be overwhelming.
The Danbury bicycle accident lawyers at The Flood Law Firm understand how different life can be after suffering injuries in a collision. We will work to hold the at-fault party accountable for their negligence and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
How Can a Bicycle Accident Attorney Help Me?
Many people are aware that they deserve compensation after suffering injuries in an accident, but they may not understand why they need an attorney. Why shouldn’t you simply file the accident claim on your own and save yourself some money?
In fact, people who work with experienced bike accident attorneys tend to recover larger sums of money than those who file claims themselves. Personal injury law is a complicated field full of pitfalls for the uninitiated.
Our experienced Danbury bike accident attorneys will provide valuable services such as:
- Investigating the accident: A successful claim will depend on strong evidence. The evidence you have might be a good start, but an experienced lawyer will know how to investigate and document the incident in a way that makes your case crystal clear for the insurer. We can communicate with local law enforcement authorities about the past behavior of the at-fault driver, interview eyewitnesses, and analyze the police report for any evidence that does not add up with the other side’s version of events.
- Determining liability: In some cases, you might believe there is no question about who is responsible for your injuries. However, many accident cases involve multiple at-fault parties. For example, if the accident happened because of a defective automobile part or due to a man-made road hazard, you might have additional insurers from whom to claim your compensation.
- Negotiating with insurance companies: Insurance adjusters are notorious for their ability to make injured people believe they are fully or partially at fault for an accident. A skilled lawyer will know how to communicate with insurance adjusters in a way that avoids these tactics. The attorneys at The Flood Law Firm will negotiate aggressively on your behalf, and we will not allow the insurance companies to bully you into settling for a sum that does not cover your losses.
- Filing your lawsuit promptly: If the insurance company refuses to compensate you adequately, you may need to bring a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. Connecticut law allows injured individuals a maximum of two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. Those who fail to do so risk forfeiting their right to compensation. Working with an excellent bike accident attorney means you do not have to worry about missing this deadline. If a lawsuit becomes necessary, the lawyers at The Flood Law Firm will ensure that the filing happens punctually.
- Giving you more time to recover: People who suffer injuries in bicycle accidents often require lengthy recovery times. The pain, suffering, rehabilitation, and trauma you have faced may prevent you from taking on a task as challenging as battling with an insurance company or team of defense attorneys. When you hire an experienced bike accident lawyer, you can rest assured that your claim is moving forward as you focus on what you need to heal.
Compensation for a Bicycle Accident
If you have suffered injuries in a bicycle accident in Connecticut, you may be eligible to recover compensation for both economic and non-economic losses.
Economic losses include monetary expenses that have resulted from the accident, such as:
- Present and future medical expenses
- Lost wages during your recovery time
- Property damage
- Reduced earning potential
Non-economic losses redress more intangible phenomena, including:
- Mental distress
- Pain and suffering
- Disability and disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life
The monetary value of these losses can be difficult to calculate. The attorneys at The Flood Law Firm will take care of those calculations for you.
Contact an Experienced Danbury Bicycle Accident Attorney
The attorneys at The Flood Law firm have extensive experience securing compensation for people who have suffered injuries in bicycle accidents. We will listen attentively to your story and craft an individualized approach to help you recover the compensation you deserve for your losses. Reach out to a Danbury personal injury attorney.
Our attorneys go head-to-head with big corporations and insurance companies every day, and our mission is to fight for the best interests of injured individuals in our community. Our results, along with the testimonials of our satisfied clients, speak for themselves.
The legal team at The Flood Law Firm works on a contingency fee basis, meaning that you will not owe us any money until we recover compensation on your behalf. Call us today at 203) 448-2631 or contact us online for a free consultation to learn more about how we can help you.
The Flood Law Firm - Danbury Office
1 Moss Ave
Danbury, CT 06810
P: 203-448-2631
