Even if you wear a helmet and follow all the traffic laws while biking, you are still at risk of injuries when drivers act carelessly on the road. If you were recently hurt in an accident caused by someone else, you have the right to hold the wrongdoer accountable for the harm you didn’t deserve.
Still, it can be difficult to take legal action on your own, especially while recovering from severe injuries. Help from a Quakertown bicycle accident lawyer is crucial to obtaining the payments you need for your medical bills and other losses. At Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers, our dedicated attorneys will be your steadfast allies throughout the legal process.
Owner and Managing Partner Rich Godshall has a long track record of winning cases on behalf of injured cyclists in Bucks County and across Pennsylvania. In a local case, our firm recovered a $3.5 million settlement for a child who was hit by a drunk driver while riding her bike. From start to finish of your case, we are prepared to fight for your rights.
Who is Liable for a Bike Accident?
Anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car, truck, or motorcycle in Pennsylvania has a “duty” to act responsibly while driving. This means following traffic laws, watching out for other people nearby, and reacting reasonably to any situation on the road.
A driver might “breach” that duty by breaking the law, getting caught up in road rage, or carelessly losing focus. If they injure a bicyclist directly due to their “negligent” behavior, they may be liable for the bicyclist’s losses. Importantly, a driver doesn’t necessarily have to run into a bicyclist to be considered “negligent.” For example, someone who swerves out of their lane and runs a bicyclist off the road is negligent—so is someone who runs a red light and hits a bicyclist in a crosswalk.
In a bike accident claim, your Quakertown attorney must prove that someone else was negligent to win compensation. If your bicycle crash lawyer can establish another person’s fault, you can hold them liable to pay for every negative effect of the accident. This includes objective financial losses like medical bills and subjective personal losses like physical pain and suffering.
Bicyclist Negligence and Liability
Importantly, a person who gets hurt in a bicycle accident can be found partly to blame for their own damages if they were also negligent—for instance, if they suddenly swerved in front of an oncoming driver or didn’t signal properly before making a turn. If the court assigns “comparative fault” to an injured person for their accident, it can reduce the value of their damage award.
Additionally, anyone found primarily to blame for an accident cannot recover any compensation through civil litigation in Pennsylvania. Representation from our winning bicycle accident lawyers in Quakertown is essential to fight against accusations of “comparative fault” and secure fair compensation from a lawsuit or settlement proposal.
Get Help from a Quakertown Bicycle Accident Attorney
Bicycle wrecks can be traumatic experiences no matter how they happen or who causes them. If you can show someone else was at fault for this kind of incident, you can make that person pay for your financial, physical, and personal losses. However, winning your case will take significant time, legal experience, and dedication.
A Quakertown bicycle accident lawyer at Ostroff Godshall Injury and Accident Lawyers has what it takes to help you make the most out of your claim. We will fight like hell to get the payments you deserve, and you won’t owe us anything until we win your case. Call today for a free, no-obligation consultation.