For many Floridians, bicycling is a popular form of transportation, exercise, and leisure. In many cases, bicyclists share the road with larger vehicles like cars and buses. When drivers and other road users are negligent, they can cause devastating bicycle accidents that result in serious personal injury and even death.

In the aftermath of a bike accident, injured bicyclists are often saddled with hefty medical bills, lost wages, and the added stress of recovery. When your injuries were caused by a reckless driver or another negligent party, a personal injury attorney could help you seek damages. With the help of a skilled Boca Raton bicycle accident lawyer, you have a much better chance of recovering these costs in a bicycle accident lawsuit.

KMW Legal Can Help With a Bike Crash Lawsuit

The lawyers of Keller, Melchiorre & Walsh have earned a reputation for excellent and compassionate service that has made us one of the top law firms in Boca Raton. We have seen firsthand how a bicycle accident injury can throw someone’s finances and health into turmoil, and we are highly motivated to protect our injured clients’ right to seek damages against the responsible party.

In many cases, insurance companies may initially be unwilling to offer you a fair settlement for your losses to protect their bottom line. With over a decade of negotiating fair settlements under our belts, KMW Legal has the prior experience and knowledge necessary to successfully pursue damages in negotiations and in court.

Reach out to our team today to request a free, no-obligation strategy session to receive personalized legal advice from our award-winning lawyers. We will work tirelessly to provide your case with the attention and resources that it merits.

Causes of Bicycle Accidents

While bicycle safety advocacy groups like the League of American Bicyclists give Florida high marks for its investment in creating safer spaces for bicyclists, Florida nevertheless remains one of the most dangerous states for bicyclists, with a fatality rate above the national average. A variety of conditions can contribute to a bicycle accident, such as unmarked or absent bike lanes, poor weather, heavy traffic, and inadequate lighting. The majority of bicycle accidents are caused by the actions of a negligent driver and not a bicyclist.

Negligent Drivers Threaten Biker Safety

Safe driving requires that the person behind the wheel fully concentrate on the road in front of them and the traffic around them so they can anticipate and react to other drivers. When their ability to see, judge, and react to events around them is impeded, a driver may fail to yield, violate speed limits, or engage in other reckless behavior that results in serious injury or death.

Negligent drivers can be held responsible for damages in a bicycle accident lawsuit filed by an attorney in Boca Raton if their actions are found to have caused the accident that resulted in the bicyclist’s injuries and damages. The following is a list of some of the ways that negligent drivers can endanger bicyclists and other vulnerable road users.

  • Drunk driving
  • Drowsy driving
  • Texting while driving
  • Eating
  • Road rage
  • Adjusting navigation or music
  • Personal grooming
  • Rubbernecking
  • Ignoring traffic laws
  • Running red lights
  • Failure to yield
  • Speeding

Bike Wreck Injuries are Often Severe and Expensive

According to data compiled by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Palm Beach County had 373 bicycle accidents in 2020, with nearly 97% resulting in injury or death. While helmets offer a certain degree of protection from head injuries, bicyclists are still left vulnerable to a variety of other injuries.

The impact of the average 4,000-pound passenger vehicle is capable of inflicting extensive trauma on the human body. For example, bicyclists may be crushed underneath tires and lose a limb to amputation, be launched from their bike and strike their head against the road, or lose teeth after being struck by a car door.

The therapies and surgeries involved to treat severe injuries like these are often incredibly expensive, which means they may exceed the limits of PIP insurance. To recover your costs, you would likely need to consider retaining a Boca Raton lawyer to file a bicycle accident lawsuit against the negligent party responsible for your injuries.

Examples of Injuries:

  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Facial and dental injuries
  • Disfigurement
  • Fractures, lacerations, and contusions
  • Severe road rash
  • Crush injuries
  • Muscle strain
  • Loss of limb or organs
  • Internal injuries
  • Neck and back injuries

Seek Out Medical Help After a Bike Accident

Having a record of your injuries can be critical in establishing the authenticity of your bicycle accident claim, which is why we always recommend seeking a professional medical evaluation as soon as it is safe to do so. You should seek medical help even if you think your injuries are easily treatable at home. Many injuries may have delayed symptoms and require a trained professional to diagnose.

This prevents the insurance company from making the argument that your delay in seeking treatment indicates you are embellishing your injury, which would potentially allow them to diminish the value of your settlement. To learn more about how to protect your right to seek damages in a bicycle accident lawsuit, seek out the counsel of a reputable bicycle accident attorney in Boca Raton.

What Damages Can I Recover in a Bike Collision Lawsuit?

As Boca Raton lawyers, we know that most bicycle accidents cause a host of costs for the injured biker and their family beyond the value of medical bills and lost wages. This can be anything from the inconvenience of having to figure out new living arrangements to accommodate a disability or the devastation of losing the companionship of a spouse or child.

We have encountered cases where injured bicyclists have sustained injuries that left them permanently disabled, forced them to change career paths, and completely rethink their lifestyle to accommodate the limitations of their injuries. It can be difficult to put a price tag on non-economic losses because they are more subjective, which is why having an advocate who is familiar with the way damages are calculated is critical to receiving a fair settlement.

Types of Damages:

  • Medical bills
  • Lab tests
  • Ambulance rides
  • Transportation to appointments
  • Surgeries
  • Hospital stays
  • Medication
  • Mobility aids
  • Home healthcare services
  • Home modifications
  • Physical or occupational therapy
  • Job-related injuries
  • Lost wages
  • Lost earning potential
  • Costs of job retraining
  • Missed promotions
  • Inability to continue career
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of quality of life
  • Wrongful death
  • Funeral and burial costs
  • Loss of consortium
  • Lost income contribution

Why Should I Hire a Bicycle Crash Lawyer?

After a serious bicycle accident, injured victims may be tempted to represent themselves to try and save on legal fees or because they assume that the insurance company will offer them a fair settlement. The truth is, if you try to represent yourself in negotiations, you will not be able to take advantage of a bicycle accident lawyer’s experience with the legal system, which typically leads to a lower settlement.

Law firms like KMW Legal handle bicycle accident lawsuits similar to yours all the time, which means that they have a base of knowledge and resources that is often invaluable when negotiating with powerful insurance companies. Bicycle accident lawyers in Boca Raton offer many beneficial services, ranging from administrative tasks to negotiating damages and proving negligence.

Insurance companies will be more likely to take your bicycle accident claim seriously if they see you have a quality bicycle accident attorney, as they have a better understanding of insurance company tactics and are therefore more likely to succeed at recovery damages.

KMW Legal Can Help With Your Bike Accident Lawsuit

Bicycle accident injuries can wreak havoc on your life. You may be struggling with medical debt, lost career opportunities, and a painful and complicated recovery. The best way to protect your right to seek compensation from the negligent party is by hiring a bicycle accident lawyer in Boca Raton with a proven record of success with cases similar to yours. KMW Legal is more than qualified to meet that expectation.

Several of KMW Legal’s lawyers, like Chris Keller, have been repeatedly recognized for their skills by their peers, which is a testament to how we operate. Rather than encourage injured clients to simply settle to close a case, we will go above and beyond to ensure that our clients are satisfied with the settlement they receive.

KMW Legal’s comprehensive services include managing communication with bill collectors and insurance companies, connecting you with a reputable medical professional for evaluation, drafting statements and demand letters, calculating the value of your damages, and shepherding you through the process of filing paperwork for your bicycle accident lawsuit.

KMW Legal is Proud to Serve Injured Bicyclists

Boca Raton is a picturesque Floridian coastal city with a population of 97,422 residents. It is located just south of West Palm Beach, the county seat for Palm Beach County. KMW Legal has aided many injured bicyclists in filing bicycle accident lawsuits to recover the true value of the financial, physical, and emotional costs associated with their injuries.

As a KMW Legal client, your needs will be our priority. Our Boca Raton attorneys have spent the past decade working to restore financial stability and peace of mind to injured bicyclists by relentlessly pursuing fair settlements in bicycle accident lawsuits.

Contact a Boca Raton Bicycle Accident Attorney Today

At KMW Legal, our lawyers have over thirty years of combined experience leveraging our expertise to secure injured bicycle accident clients the compensation they deserve. Our clients benefit from our results-driven approach and strategic mindset that allows us to effectively navigate negotiations with powerful insurance companies.

Our Boca Raton bicycle accident lawyers are experts at maximizing the value of our client’s settlements and anticipating attempts to undermine the value of your settlement. We will take your bicycle accident lawsuit to trial if we have reason to believe that your claim for damages is worth more than the insurance company has offered in negotiations.

Reach out to our Boca Raton office at your convenience to take advantage of a no-cost, no-commitment strategy session with our legal team. KMW Legal has experience going toe to toe with powerful insurance companies. Our team is prepared to dedicate our time, effort, and resources to ensuring that your losses are compensated.