How a Bicycle Accident Can Change Your Life
Bicycles are becoming increasingly popular as a means of transportation. Despite the fact that more and more bikes are on the road, drivers still are not aware of the best way to drive in order to make the road safe for them. This can make the road a risky place for bikes even in some of the most bike-friendly cities. If a driver is not careful and aware of his or her surroundings, he or she may cause a collision.
Even though the driver responsible for the accident should cover the costs of the accident, the truth is that it can be difficult to hold some drivers accountable. Furthermore, these collisions often have a much worse impact on cyclists than driver. Cars are larger, faster, and provide much more protection to people involved than bicycles can. That means that an accident that may only minimally do damage to a car and its occupants can be catastrophic to a cyclist. In the event of a collision between a car and a bicycle, it is almost inevitable that the cyclist will sustain some serious damage.
Many riders feel that because they are careful and follow safety laws that they can avoid a accident. Unfortunately, many can underestimate just how much damage an accident on a bike can really do to their bodies. It is almost impossible for a cyclist to avoid injury in an accident with a car. That means that even a small collision can have serious consequences both in the short and long term.
The majority of injuries that riders suffer in a collision with a moving vehicle can take between 10 and 16 weeks to fully heal. This not only speaks to the severity of the injuries, but also gives practical difficulties. In the case of some of these injuries, victims will not be able to walk or even work for months. At a minimum, victims of biking accidents cannot ride a bicycle for some time. Riders who suffer injuries like broken leg or pelvis bones may not be able to ride for double or triple the average healing time, if ever again.
During this healing time, simple daily tasks will be much more difficult or impossible to carry out. It may become difficult to do things like walk up and down stairs, care for pets and children, or even to tie shoes. Some injuries may even require weeks of bed rest. For victims who sustain serious injuries requiring hospitalization or a lengthy recovery and physical therapy, normal activities may be incredibly challenging, if not simply impossible, for months. Some accidents can even permanently disable or even kill cyclists. It is a very bad idea to underestimate the bodily injury that bicycle accidents can cause.
As discussed above, injuries caused by biking accidents are often severe. Unfortunately, this also means that victims will have large medical bills to deal with. Some medical insurance plans do not cover all the costs related to catastrophic injuries from bike accidents. All cyclists should check to make sure they have insurance that includes specific provisions for injuries related to bike accidents and the follow-up appointments and physical therapy that may be needed. Although all injuries should be compensated by the driver's insurance, if the accident is caused by another vehicle, it is important to have an assurance of financial coverage just in case.
Furthermore, cyclists should find out what their employers' policies regarding missed work are in these cases. The loss of wages due to an accident can seriously affect a victim's financial well-being. Reluctantly, victims may also need to miss more work and waste other time battling with insurance companies for compensation. Hiring a personal injury attorney to fight the case may mitigate some of this time. Often victims can sue for compensation of lawyer's fees as well as for medical bills and pain and suffering.
In any case, it will most likely be an uphill battle to secure proper compensation. Cyclists need to be aware of the potentially catastrophic nature of bicycle accidents and prepare accordingly.
~Goldberg & Osborne has provided this material to better educate viewers on the subject discussed. The law office is not responsible for any inaccuracies as it was drafted by an independent creator. Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law office, hasn't examined the content. The information is provided with no editing or modifications by Goldberg & Osborne.
Even though the driver responsible for the accident should cover the costs of the accident, the truth is that it can be difficult to hold some drivers accountable. Furthermore, these collisions often have a much worse impact on cyclists than driver. Cars are larger, faster, and provide much more protection to people involved than bicycles can. That means that an accident that may only minimally do damage to a car and its occupants can be catastrophic to a cyclist. In the event of a collision between a car and a bicycle, it is almost inevitable that the cyclist will sustain some serious damage.
Many riders feel that because they are careful and follow safety laws that they can avoid a accident. Unfortunately, many can underestimate just how much damage an accident on a bike can really do to their bodies. It is almost impossible for a cyclist to avoid injury in an accident with a car. That means that even a small collision can have serious consequences both in the short and long term.
The majority of injuries that riders suffer in a collision with a moving vehicle can take between 10 and 16 weeks to fully heal. This not only speaks to the severity of the injuries, but also gives practical difficulties. In the case of some of these injuries, victims will not be able to walk or even work for months. At a minimum, victims of biking accidents cannot ride a bicycle for some time. Riders who suffer injuries like broken leg or pelvis bones may not be able to ride for double or triple the average healing time, if ever again.
During this healing time, simple daily tasks will be much more difficult or impossible to carry out. It may become difficult to do things like walk up and down stairs, care for pets and children, or even to tie shoes. Some injuries may even require weeks of bed rest. For victims who sustain serious injuries requiring hospitalization or a lengthy recovery and physical therapy, normal activities may be incredibly challenging, if not simply impossible, for months. Some accidents can even permanently disable or even kill cyclists. It is a very bad idea to underestimate the bodily injury that bicycle accidents can cause.
As discussed above, injuries caused by biking accidents are often severe. Unfortunately, this also means that victims will have large medical bills to deal with. Some medical insurance plans do not cover all the costs related to catastrophic injuries from bike accidents. All cyclists should check to make sure they have insurance that includes specific provisions for injuries related to bike accidents and the follow-up appointments and physical therapy that may be needed. Although all injuries should be compensated by the driver's insurance, if the accident is caused by another vehicle, it is important to have an assurance of financial coverage just in case.
Furthermore, cyclists should find out what their employers' policies regarding missed work are in these cases. The loss of wages due to an accident can seriously affect a victim's financial well-being. Reluctantly, victims may also need to miss more work and waste other time battling with insurance companies for compensation. Hiring a personal injury attorney to fight the case may mitigate some of this time. Often victims can sue for compensation of lawyer's fees as well as for medical bills and pain and suffering.
In any case, it will most likely be an uphill battle to secure proper compensation. Cyclists need to be aware of the potentially catastrophic nature of bicycle accidents and prepare accordingly.
~Goldberg & Osborne has provided this material to better educate viewers on the subject discussed. The law office is not responsible for any inaccuracies as it was drafted by an independent creator. Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law office, hasn't examined the content. The information is provided with no editing or modifications by Goldberg & Osborne.
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