In this day and age, when gas prices are constantly on the rise and roads are jammed with traffic, bicycles offer a healthy, environmentally conscious alternative to motor vehicles. Unfortunately, for all of their benefits, bicycles offer nothing in the way of external protection to riders. As a result, even bicyclists who are outfitted with the state of the art in safety gear are at particular risk of injury in the event of a collision with a car, truck, or other motor vehicle.
In many cases, such collisions occur due to the negligent actions on the part of the operator of the motor vehicle. Although drivers of cars and trucks owe a duty of care to smaller vehicles with which they share the road, these drivers often fail to look out for bicycles. Too often, the negligent drivers walk away from such accidents unscathed while the innocent bicyclist is severely injured.
The New Orleans personal injury attorneys of Harrell & Nowak, L.L.C., have the resources, skill, and dedication to handle even the most complex bicycle accident claims. If you have been injured, or if a member of your family has been injured or killed, due to being struck by a car, truck, or other motor vehicle while riding a bicycle, our New Orleans bike accident attorneys can help. We can fight for the full measure of damages to which you are entitled, including compensation for your medical bills, rehabilitation expenses, and other losses and expenses resulting from the accident.
Bicyclists have rights, and we are here to ensure that those rights are protected. For an evaluation of your potential bicycle accident claim, please contact our personal injury law firm in New Orleans today.
Bicycle Accident Litigation
In order to present a successful bicycle accident case, our New Orleans auto accident attorneys must be able to show that the driver of the car, truck, or motorcycle behaved negligently and that the accident was a result of this negligence. Basically, we must build an argument backed by evidence that demonstrates that:
- The driver of the motor vehicle owed the bicyclist a duty of care
- By behaving in a manner unlike that of a reasonable person in the same circumstances, the driver breached that duty of care
- In breaching that duty of care, an accident was caused, thereby injuring the bicyclist
- The bicyclist experienced demonstrable losses and expenses as a result of those injuries
In most bicycle accident cases, a favorable settlement can be reached before the case ever makes it to court. However, our personal injury attorneys in New Orleans will always try a case to verdict if we feel that it is in the best interests of our client.
Damages in Bicycle Accident Cases
There is no way of knowing what sorts of damages you may be entitled to without a review of your specific case. However, common bicycle accident damages include compensation for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Funeral expenses (in wrongful death cases)
- Future loss of wages, benefits, consortium, and support (in wrongful death cases)
For an evaluation of your specific case, please contact the New Orleans law firm of Harrell & Nowak today.