Have you been hurt in a bicycle accident in Dundalk, MD? If so, you should call a Dundalk bicycle accident lawyer for legal advice.
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers are experienced bike accident attorneys in the Dundalk area. We can help you fight for compensation from negligent people who are responsible for your financial and emotional losses.
Since 1977, we have been helping injured people get back on their feet, including those hurt in bike crashes. Our team of lawyers has over 80 years of combined experience and expertise to apply to your case.
Please don’t hesitate to give us a call and set up a free consultation at (410) 970-3080 as soon as possible. There’s no harm in getting more information about your legal rights.
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How Can WGK Personal Injury Lawyers Help You Get Justice After a Bicycle Accident in Dundalk
Our personal injury law firm has recovered tens of millions of dollars for our clients. This includes multi-million dollar settlements. Our team includes three generations of Dundalk personal injury lawyers that have seen it all, including bicycle accidents.
When you hire us to handle your bicycle accident case, you’ll get access to our years of experience and knowledge. In every bicycle accident case, we can:
- Investigate the cause of the crash
- Find out who is responsible
- File insurance claims and negotiate with difficult insurance companies on your behalf
- Collect evidence
- Consult with expert witnesses
- Keep track of deadlines and paperwork
- File a personal injury lawsuit, if necessary
- Prepare for and go to trial
Our goal is always to get you maximum compensation in your case. Instead of being bogged down by bills and extra burdens, we want our clients to be in the best position to move forward in life. Contact us today in Dundalk, Maryland, to get started.
How Often Do Bike Crashes Happen?
Biking is very popular around the United States, including in Dundalk, Maryland. Whether for recreation or commuting, biking is a great form of exercise and an eco-friendly alternative to driving. Unfortunately, biking can be dangerous, and accidents are common.
Each year, over 13,000 bicyclists are injured in crashes in the US. Nearly 1,000 bicyclists die on the roads. While cyclists only make up 1% of the trips around the country, they account for more than 2% of people who die in car crashes.
These statistics show that biking can be a fairly dangerous activity. All bicyclists should be aware of the risks and take adequate precautions before taking a ride. Ultimately, the bicycle rider is more likely to get seriously hurt than the driver of a car.
Common Causes of Bike Accidents in Dundalk
Bike accidents in Dundalk are caused for many different reasons. Sometimes a bicyclist falls because of biker error, and other times the bike crash is caused by a negligent party.
In our area, the most common reasons for a bike accident include the following:
- Distracted driving
- Unsafe lane changes
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Road defects and obstructions (like potholes)
- Unsafe turns
- Blind spots
- Inclement weather and slippery roads
- Intersection crashes
WGK Personal Injury Lawyers will thoroughly investigate the cause of your accident to find out exactly what happened. This will help us determine your best legal course of action for compensation.
Why Are Bicycle Accidents Dangerous in Dundalk, MD?
Bike accidents are more dangerous than car accidents, and sometimes more severe than pedestrian accidents. Bicyclists adhere to the rules of the road. That means they often bike in a designated bike lane or alongside cars. This proximity increases the chances that a bicyclist will get into an accident.
Unfortunately, bicyclists only have a helmet to protect them in the event of a crash. Helmets reduce the risk of a head injury, but they don’t protect other body parts. This leaves the rest of their body susceptible to serious injuries, even after a minor crash. The best protection that a biker has is a helmet and to wear reflective clothing to make sure that they are visible to cars on the road.
Typical Bicycle Accident Injuries in Dundalk
Bicycle accidents can result in a variety of injuries ranging from mild to severe. Most bicyclists who get into a crash will have more than one injury.
Typically, we see the following types of injuries when a bicyclist is lucky enough to survive a crash:
- Brain injuries
- Head injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Broken bones (like ribs)
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputation
- Back injuries
- Severe burns
- Neck injuries
Some bicyclists will fully recover from their injuries, but others will never be the same. They may experience permanent disability, disfigurement, and mental trauma from the crash. This can completely change the course of their life.
Pursuing Damages After a Dundalk Bike Accident
Damages is a legal term for the money that you recover in a civil lawsuit. In a bicycle accident case, damages are usually a combination of your monetary expenses and emotional trauma from a crash. These are referred to as economic and non-economic damages, respectively (more on this below).
What Is the Value of My Case?
This is the most common question that we get from our bike accident clients. The value of your bicycle accident case will vary from case to case. At the beginning of the representation, we will help you calculate the value so that we have a starting point for negotiations.
Factors that may impact the value of your case include:
- The severity of your injuries
- The extent of medical treatment and the need for ongoing care
- Whether or not your injury is permanent or disabling
- The impact of the accident on your quality of life
- Your emotional suffering
- The impact of your injury on your ability to work and earn money
- Your role in contributing to the accident
The value of your case will also go up if you are seeking punitive damages.
What Types of Damages Are Available?
Damages tend to fall into three different categories: economic damages, non-economic damages, and punitive damages.
Economic damages are monetary expenses that include:
- Medical bills (past and future)
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Cost of medicine
- Cost of rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages are emotional losses that happen after a bicycle accident. Unlike economic damages, non-economic damages aren’t tied to a specific dollar figure or a bill. Instead, the court assigns a monetary value to the emotional and psychological impact of a crash.
Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Loss of companionship
- The onset of mental illness (like PTSD, anxiety, or depression)
While economic and non-economic damages are the most common type of compensation, you can also ask for punitive damages in certain cases in Dundalk, MD.
Punitive damages are meant to punish the defendant instead of compensate the victim. This can be a bit confusing because the money is still paid to the plaintiff, even though the purpose is different.
Punitive damages are only available if the defendant engaged in gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct that caused the crash. An example may be a drunk driver or an aggressive driver that causes a bike crash.
Who Is Responsible for Paying My Damages?
The negligent party is responsible for paying your damages after a bicycle accident. Sometimes multiple negligent parties will share the responsibility for your damages. The defendants might include:
- A driver
- A pedestrian
- Another biker
- A car manufacturer
- A bike manufacturer
- The city for failing to maintain the roads
Our team is prepared to negotiate with insurance companies, drivers, or even large corporations to get you the compensation that you deserve.
How Long Do I Have To File a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit In Maryland?
You don’t have unlimited time to file a lawsuit after a bike crash. In Maryland, you have three years from the date of the accident to file in court. If you miss the deadline, you will lose your legal right to pursue compensation in court.
Three years can go by quickly. You don’t want to wait until the last minute to reach out to a lawyer to file a case. It takes time to investigate, collect evidence, and initiate the proceeding.
A bicycle accident lawyer will keep track of this deadline (and others) so that you don’t miss out on your chance to recover money.
Call a Dundalk, Maryland Bicycle Accident Attorney Today
If you’re ready to speak with an attorney about your Dundalk bicycle accident case, give WGK Personal Injury Lawyers a call.
Our Dundalk bicycle accident attorneys are available for a free case evaluation so that we can fully understand what happened and how to help. During our consultation, we will discuss the case and explain more about how our team can help you get the money you deserve, so contact us today.
