Estero Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Bicyclists account for less than 1 percent of the vehicle traffic on Lee County roads. But bicycle riders account for almost twice as many of the fatal car crash victims in the Fort Myers/Cape Coral area. During collisions, multiple safety restraint systems protect motor vehicle occupants. Bicyclists, on the other hand, are almost completely exposed to danger. As a result, these victims sustain a disproportionate amount of spine injuries and other serious injuries. More on that below.
The compassionate Estero bicycle accident lawyer at Cardinal Law understands the pain and suffering these victims must endure. Many of the people on our professional team are bicycle accident survivors themselves. This compassion motivates us to aggressively pursue maximum compensation for your serious injuries. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
Bicycle Wreck Injuries
Most fatal bicycle crash victims are children under 14. Furthermore, most bicycle collisions occur at dusk or at night. If these environmental conditions exist, it’s hard for drivers to spot small bicycle riders.
But difficulty is no excuse for negligence. If anything, poor conditions require drivers to slow down and use extra caution, especially since bicycle accident injuries are so severe. These injuries include:
- Biker’s Arm: When riders fall off their bicycles during collisions, they naturally extend their arms to break their falls. The resulting pressure often damages nerves in the brachial plexus bundle under the arms. This nerve damage, which usually causes partial facial paralysis, is usually permanent.
- Broken Bones: Frequently, bicycle wreck victims are smashed between their bicycles and a large object, like the side of a motor vehicle. Doctors must normally use metal parts to surgically reconstruct broken bones in these cases. As a result, physical therapy is much longer, more intense, and more expensive.
- Head Injuries: Florida law requires riders under 16 to wear helmets. Thin bicycle helmets provide very little protection in a serious collision. The resulting head injuries are usually permanent. Sometimes, physical therapists can train uninjured parts of the brain to assume lost functions. Sometimes, however, they can’t do so, because the brain damage is too extensive.
Helmets are also counterproductive, at least according to some research. When tortfeasors (negligent drivers) see riders wearing helmets, they subconsciously think the victim could survive a wreck, so they take unnecessary chances.
The same principle applies to concrete pillars that often separate bike lanes from other traffic lanes. These pillars reduce driver visibility. This effect often causes wrecks, mostly because many tortfeasors do not look out for bicyclists in the first place.430
Estero Bicycle Accident Lawyers and Liability Issues
Compensation is available for these injuries if an Estero bicycle accident lawyer proves negligence, or a lack of care, by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not.
The duty of care, which applies to most drivers, requires them to avoid accidents when possible. Drivers breach their duty of care when they drive aggressively or while impaired. Such driving errors cause about 98 percent of the bicycle wrecks in Florida.
If the breach of duty causes a foreseeable (possible) injury, the aforementioned compensation is available.
However, a victim/plaintiff does not have the only say in the matter. Various insurance company defenses, such as comparative fault, could reduce the victim’s compensation or even torpedo a damage claim.
So, maximum compensation is only available if a well-prepared attorney anticipates and refutes these defenses. In other words, minimum effort means minimum compensation. This effort requires time, which is why most bicycle accident claims don’t settle quickly. The alternative, which is simply unacceptable, is settling for less.
Contact a Diligent Lee County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced Estero bicycle accident lawyer, contact Cardinal Law, P.A. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.
