Who Can Be Held Liable for a Bicycle Accident Claim?

If a bicyclist is injured in a collision, the negligent party can be held legally responsible for compensating their damages.

Summary

• Bicycle accidents often occur due to someone else’s negligence, such as a distracted driver or a manufacturer who made defective bike parts.
• Negligent parties who cause bicycle accidents can be held liable for damages, including medical expenses and lost wages.
• Victims can file bicycle accident claims against responsible parties to seek compensation for their damages.
• Liability in bicycle accidents can involve drivers, other bicyclists, or even bicycle parts manufacturers.
• Evidence like photos, eyewitness statements, and medical records is crucial in proving liability and recovering damages in a bicycle accident claim.

Bicycle accidents often result from the negligent behavior of one party, whose intentionally reckless or mistake-filled behavior exposes the bicyclist to harm. Some examples of negligent behavior that can cause a bicycle accident include distracted driving, speeding, opening a door in the path of a bicyclist, or manufacturing defective bicycle parts.

Any party whose negligence causes a bicycle accident can be held liable for causing their injuries and significant damages. Losses may include medical expenses, lost earning potential, and loss of enjoyment of life. 

Bicycle accident victims can file bicycle accident claims with these liable parties to hold them accountable for their negligence that caused severe injury. The seasoned personal injury lawyers at Jones Law Group have ample experience with bicycle accident claims. 

We consistently help bicycle accident victims negotiate from a position of strength to recover fair compensation for their damages. Schedule a free consultation with our team by calling (727) 571-1333 or reaching out through our contact form.

Determining Liability in a Bicycle Accident Claim

Simply put, the liable party in a bicycle accident is the one whose negligence caused the bicycle accident. They made a mistake or acted recklessly, exposing the bicyclist to harm and causing the bicycle accident. Everyone is owed a duty of care, which is the acceptable standard of behavior to keep others safe. 

Examples of adhering to a duty of care would be driving safely, observing right-of-way, and creating safe products. Breaching the duty of care owed to a bicyclist can lead to a bicycle accident resulting in severe damage and injuries. 

The liable party may seem evident at first. However, more than one liable party can be held accountable for your bicycle accident damages. Speaking to a Florida bicycle accident lawyer who can help you assess the possible responsible parties is essential.

Bicycle Accidents Caused by Negligent Drivers

Bicycle accidents are commonly caused by motor vehicle drivers who are unfocused, driving aggressively, or otherwise negligent. Bike accidents caused by motor vehicle drivers can occur if they do not stop at a red light at an intersection to let a bicycle by or drift into a bike lane.

Careless drivers can also cause a dooring accident by opening their door into the path of a bicyclist. The following are some of the negligent behaviors from drivers that can cause a bicycle accident:

• Distracted driving
• Speeding
• Drunk driving
• Drowsy driving
• Disobeying road rules
• Road rage
• Dooring
• Reckless driving

Motor vehicles causing bicycle accidents can be particularly dangerous because bicycles do not protect a cyclist from getting struck by a much larger vehicle. The impact and blunt force trauma caused by a motor vehicle striking a bicyclist can cause severe injuries. For example, bicyclists may sustain whiplash, facial injuries, and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).

Other Bicyclists Can Cause Florida Bicycle Accidents

Other bicyclists can behave negligently in the same way as drivers and cause a bicycle accident. If they are distracted, drunk, drowsy, or intentionally reckless, they can strike another bicyclist and cause a bicycle accident.

Bicyclists must maintain focus and operate their bicycles safely, as many bicyclists can occupy the same bike lane. Otherwise, they can be held liable for a bicycle accident claim.

Mistakes while bicycling can expose others to injury risk. Bicyclists can go at fast speeds, and a collision can send both bicyclists to the ground. Impact with a hard surface can expose the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to blunt force trauma that can lead to broken bones, soft tissue injuries, and shoulder injuries.

Bicycle Parts Manufacturers Can Be Held Liable for Bicycle Accidents Caused by Defective Bike Parts

Bicycle accidents can also result from the negligent designing and manufacturing of bicycle parts, such as the wheels, pedals, and brakes. If one of these bicycle accident parts malfunctions during a ride, the bicyclist could lose control of their bike.

As a result, they may crash into another cyclist, a vehicle, or a hard object like a road sign. The designer, manufacturer, distributor, or retailer could be held liable in a product liability claim for their role in the defective bike part.

Manufacturing and selling a defective bike part is negligent. Consequently, they could be responsible for severe bicycle accident injuries and damages caused by a defective bike part bicycle accident.

Proving Who is Liable in a Bicycle Accident Claim

Recovering compensation for bicycle accident damages, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering, requires proving the at-fault party caused the accident. You must be able to find tangible evidence that shows the liable party owed you a duty of care.

Additionally, you will need to show they caused the bicycle accident by breaching their duty of care and that you sustained damages from the accident. There are steps you can take after a bicycle accident to preserve evidence of these elements.

However, you would still be wise to involve a personal injury attorney in your case as soon as possible. A bicycle accident lawyer can use their experience, resources, and connections to find evidence to establish the at-fault party’s liability.

Having a personal injury attorney representing your bicycle accident claim can also help you address the bias against cyclists that can result in collisions. Some evidence that can help you prove your case includes:

• Photos and videos from the scene of the bike accident
• Eyewitness statements
• Police reports
• Medical records
• Expert witness testimonies
• Vehicle accident reconstructions

How Can a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Help With Your Bike Accident Claim?

Determining the at-fault party and proving their negligence can be hard to do without bicycle accident experience. You could make a mistake that could hurt your case or just lack the experience to know what to do. 

Hiring a bike accident attorney can help with the process. They will know what to do to put you in the best position to recover non-economic and economic damages. An experienced local bike accident lawyer will understand your state’s laws regarding liability for bicycle accidents. 

They can use that knowledge to collect evidence to effectively prove the at-fault party’s liability, helping you recover compensation. They can also calculate your current and future damages, negotiate with the insurance company without hurting your claim, and represent you in court.

Contact Jones Law Group for Help With Your Bicycle Accident Claim

Jones Law Group is a respected personal injury law firm with experience helping victims of all types of accidents determine liability. Our Florida bicycle accidents can work through what happened during your bicycle accident to determine who caused the accident and who can be held liable in a bicycle accident claim. 

We will look at the police report, speak to you about what you remember, and collect evidence to determine who caused the bike accident and prove the at-fault party’s liability. You can trust us to pursue maximum compensation as we have done for our clients for many years.

With Florida bicycle accidents on the rise, securing qualified legal representation is more important than ever. Our bicycle accident attorneys at Jones Law Group offer free consultations, so we can walk through how we can help put potential clients in the best position to recover compensation for their damages. 

Contact us at (727) 571-1333 or reach out through our contact form to schedule a free consultation with Jones Law Group.