As environmentally friendly and physically healthy as it can be, riding a bicycle on active roadways can also be extremely dangerous if nearby drivers do not respect your rights and act responsibly around you. Unfortunately, hundreds of collisions between bicyclists and motor vehicles happen every year in Pennsylvania because of this kind of carelessness.
If you were injured in a bike wreck, having assistance from a skilled and experienced injury attorney is essential. A Harrisburg bicycle accident lawyer at Lowenthal & Abrams, Injury Attorneys can collect relevant evidence, build a comprehensive case, and help you navigate around common legal pitfalls to get the maximum possible compensation.
Building a Strong Bicycle Accident Claim
Everyone on the road owes a certain duty of care to others around them. When a driver fails to act responsibly behind the wheel and violates that duty, they can seriously injure others, including bicyclists. A driver who behaves in such a way is considered to be legally negligent. This negligence is the cornerstone of a successful lawsuit or settlement demand built around a bicycle accident.
Establishing that another person acted recklessly or carelessly can be a fairly straightforward process if there is evidence available showing they did something illegal. In many situations, though, proving negligence is a much more in-depth and intensive process that involves soliciting evidence from multiple subjective sources, like eyewitness testimony or input from medical professionals. Documentation of treatment received for injuries and photos of the accident scene can also play a key role in establishing the existence and severity of a bicyclist’s crash-related injuries. A Harrisburg bike wreck attorney can take the lead in collecting this evidence and compiling it in a compelling case against the at-fault party.
What Damages Might Be Recoverable?
Getting paid fairly for the effects of a serious bike crash is not just a matter of covering short-term medical bills and missed work paychecks, although those kinds of losses certainly can and should be factored into a comprehensive claim. It is also important to account for various long-term losses as well—for example, the costs of future physical therapy and other medical treatments or permanent loss of working capacity due to a disabling injury.
It is vital to consider non-economic forms of harm as well, including physical pain, psychological distress, and lost enjoyment/quality of life. A knowledgeable bicycle accident lawyer in Harrisburg can offer more specific guidance about what damages can be factored into a particular case.
Contact a Harrisburg Bicycle Accident Attorney Today
Being hurt on your bike because of another person’s misconduct is a frustrating and potentially debilitating experience. Even if your injuries are relatively minor, you still deserve restitution for the harm someone else inflicted on you. For more serious injuries, filing suit could be essential to protecting your long-term best interests.
Either way, a capable Harrisburg bicycle accident lawyer’s support can make a world of difference in securing the compensation you need and deserve. To get started on your case, call us right away at Lowenthal & Abrams, Injury Attorneys.