People ride bicycles for a variety of reasons. A bike could be an economical way to get to work or people ride for pleasure. When you share the road with other motorists, it is crucial to be aware of your surroundings. However, when accidents occur between automotive vehicles and bicycles, the bicyclist usually sustains the most serious injuries.
Bicycle injuries could be severe, resulting in extended periods of medical treatment, physical rehabilitation, and missed time at work. If the crash was another person’s fault, you are permitted to seek monetary compensation for your damages through an injury lawsuit or insurance settlement. Damages are the legal term for the losses your incurred, such as medical costs, lost income, and pain and suffering.
Our experienced Arkansas personal injury attorneys will investigate your accident and calculate your damages. Depending on the facts of your case, our office could work to reach a settlement agreement with an insurance company or litigate your case in a civil court proceeding. To discuss your damages in more detail, contact our law offices at (479) 316-0438.
Economic Damages Available in a Bike Accident Case
A bike accident case is similar to any other personal injury case. If an injured rider demonstrates that a driver or other entity was negligent and caused their injuries, they could be financially compensated for their losses. Compensatory damages are generally split into two categories: economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages are the out-of-pocket losses an injured rider suffers, while non-economic damages are intangible harm, such as pain and suffering.
Medical Expenses
If you are severely injured in a bicycle accident, a significant portion of your economic damages will likely be medical expenses. When a car collides with a bicyclist, these costs could be substantial. Common medical expenses include the ambulance ride, emergency room treatment, surgery, hospitalization, medication, and follow-up medical treatment and rehabilitation.
It is vital to understand the full extent of your injuries. If you are in a bike accident, do not assume you are fine. Some injuries are not obvious. The excitement and adrenaline following an accident could mask the damage. Furthermore, you might not exhibit actual symptoms for days depending on the type of injuries. To ensure you are fully compensated for your medical costs, whether you file a lawsuit or agree to a settlement, it is critical to be aware of the severity of your injuries.
Medical costs are not limited to the expenses you incurred up to the trial or settlement date. If your injuries require additional medical treatment, physical therapy, or home healthcare, you should also recover those costs. Our Farmington personal injury attorneys will work with your healthcare providers and other medical professionals to calculate your total medical losses.
Lost Income
Severe injuries also result in significant missed time at work. If your injury requires substantial rehabilitation, you could be out of work for months or years. No matter how much time you missed, you should be compensated for your lost wages. Just like medical costs, this is not limited to the amount of money you lost up until the trial or settlement. You could also recover future lost income. Future income includes the full salary you will lose or the difference in wages if your earning capacity has been limited. Our Bentonville personal injury attorneys will work with financial experts to estimate the amount of money you would have earned, including regular bonuses, raises, and promotions.
Non-Economic Damages Available for Bicycle Injuries
Non-economic damages encompass a wide breadth of losses. These types of damages are intangible in nature and, therefore, difficult to assign a dollar amount. Unlike economic damages, our Arkansas personal injury lawyers will not have receipts, bills, or other statements to evidence your losses. Nonetheless, an injured bicyclist is entitled to recover these more subjective losses.
Pain and Suffering
Most people are familiar with pain and suffering. However, no out-of-pocket cost represents the physical and emotional suffering a person experiences after a traumatic injury. Every person is unique and will feel pain differently. Emotional suffering could manifest in other ways, including anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fear. Our office will work closely with your doctors, family, friends, and other experts to understand how the injury specifically affects you.
Loss of Enjoyment of Life
A severe injury could result in more than just physical pain and emotional suffering. It could limit your physical abilities. If your injury prevents you from riding a bike again, you should be compensated for that loss. Furthermore, you could recover for the loss of ability to perform other daily tasks. Loss of enjoyment of life is a broad category of damages that are particular to each injured individual.
Loss of Consortium
In some cases, a serious bicycle injury will affect more than the accident victim. Your spouse could have a claim for the loss of support, care, and sexual relations. For example, if you and your spouse liked to travel to hike exotic locations and your injury prevents you from doing so, it could constitute a recoverable loss. By providing photos or videos of other vacations, you could show the jury how the injury has harmed your relationship.
Our Arkansas Bicycle Accident Lawyers are Here to Help You
The pleasure of riding a bicycle can quickly turn to horror if a careless or reckless driver strikes you. A bicyclist has no protection from a motor vehicle and will often sustain serious to life-changing injuries. Our Rogers personal injury attorneys are committed to holding negligent drivers responsible for the harm they inflict on bikers. To discuss your case and your potential damages, call our law offices at (479) 316-0438.