If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, you naturally have concerns. As a law firm that regularly handles serious injury claims, we know that the stress of worrying about medical bills, time off from work, long-term disabilities, and pain and suffering can be overwhelming.
You need answers from someone other than an insurance adjuster whose job is to pay you as little money as possible. You need experienced representation from a Fort Myers pedestrian accident lawyer who will fight for your interests.
Contact us online or call (239) 277-0005 to schedule a no-obligation consultation.
The Garvin Injury Law Advantage
- Personal injury law is all we do. We know how to protect the rights of bicycle accident injury victims to recover the full compensation they deserve.
- We have over four decades of experience recovering the maximum possible compensation for our personal injury clients.
- You owe us nothing until we win for you. We pay all costs of pursuing your claim, and we only get paid when we recover your compensation.
- Our compassionate Fort Myers bicycle accident lawyers genuinely care about our clients. Our attorneys will walk beside you and guide you through the difficult aftermath of a serious accident so you can get back on track.
Liability in Fort Myers Bicycle Accidents
Liability depends on who is at fault for your bicycle accident. Motor vehicle drivers, employers, or vehicle owners can often be held liable for your damages. Sometimes pedestrians, other cyclists, or the owner of an aggressive pet can be liable.
If your bicycle accident was caused by mechanical failure of your bike or a motor vehicle, a vehicle or equipment manufacturer may be liable as per Florida statute Title XXIII, Chapter 316. A party who negligently repaired or maintained your bicycle or the vehicle that caused your accident could be liable.
Sometimes, a government entity is liable for dangerous road conditions, design defects, negligently maintained roads, or other conditions that contributed to your accident.
Our personal injury attorneys in Fort Myers will thoroughly investigate your accident to determine its cause or causes and the liable party or parties to help ensure we recover the maximum possible compensation for your damages.
Bicycle Accident in Fort Myers?
Contact an Attorney at Garvin Injury Law Today
How Much Is My Claim Worth?
The value of your claim depends on many factors, including the severity of your injuries. Once our attorneys evaluate your case and consider your economic and non-economic damages, we can provide our opinion about the value of your claim.
However, the value of your claim also depends on your ability to collect the compensation to which you are entitled. We will identify all available compensation sources, including all insurance policies that may cover your damages.
Our attorneys carefully investigate your case to determine all possible causes and all potentially liable parties. We also use discovery tools to identify and determine the value of all assets that may be used to pay your damages when insurance coverage is insufficient.
In a successful Fort Myers bicycle accident claim, you should be able to recover economic damages such as medical expenses, lost wages, and other costs incurred because of your accident. You should also be able to recover non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other intangible losses.
In rare cases, you can only recover punitive damages for a Florida personal injury claim. Punitive damages may only be awarded in gross negligence or intentional misconduct cases.
At Garvin Injury Law, we work hard to recover all available damages for our clients.
Can I File a Claim for My Bicycle Accident?
Only by talking to an experienced bicycle accident attorney can you know for sure. During a free initial consultation, we will review your situation and can help you determine whether it is in your interest to file a legal claim. If you decide to take legal action, we will investigate your accident to discover the causes and possible responsible parties involved.
We will lead you every step of the way through the legal process, and you can be assured that our team of bicycle accident lawyers will fight for all remedies available to you under the law. Our Fort Myers bicycle accident attorneys have the knowledge and experience to represent all bike accident cases, even the most serious.
Little known facts about bicyclists rights:
- Bicyclists have the same rights as motorists. They are also subject to the same traffic laws as motorists
- Motorists must yield to bicyclists making turns just as they would another automobile
- Motorists may not drive in bike lanes unless they are in the process of making an immediate turn off the road
Excerpts From the Florida Statutes:
- 316.083 (1) The driver of a vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass to the left thereof at a safe distance and shall not again drive to the right side of the roadway until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.
- 316.185 Special hazards. The fact that the speed of a vehicle is lower than the prescribed limits shall not relieve the driver from the duty to decrease speed when approaching and crossing an intersection, when approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hillcrest, when traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway, or when special hazards exist or may exist with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or other roadway conditions. Speed shall be decreased as it may be necessary to avoid colliding with any person, vehicle, or other conveyance on or entering the street in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to use due care.
There are many new laws pertaining to bicyclists that can directly affect the potential outcome of any bicycling accident. Call one of the experienced bicycle accident attorneys at our Fort Myers firm and learn how to put the law to work for you.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim After a Fort Myers Bicycle Accident?
A statute of limitations is the law that sets a filing deadline for a claim to recover compensation for damages suffered in an accident. You will be barred from seeking recovery if you miss your filing deadline.
Most bicycle accident claims are based on negligence. Florida Statutes 95.11(5) provides that an action founded on negligence must be filed within two years. So, in most cases, you will have to file your claim within two years of your bicycle accident.
However, not all bicycle accident claims will be founded on negligence and may have a shorter or longer filing deadline. You must consult an experienced Fort Myers bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible to learn your filing deadline.
You also want to contact an experienced bicycle accident attorney quickly so they can take action to identify and preserve the evidence necessary to prove your case, as vital evidence can be destroyed, lost, or diminished over time.
Leland Garvin is a very knowledgeable, honest and compassionate lawyer. He was easy to speak with and took the time to go over details and scenarios which enabled me to make informed decisions in my difficult case. Everyone at the Garvin Injury Law is consistently pleasant and helpful. There are so many facets of a lawsuit that would have been stressful, but they handled everything, so I could focus on my recovery. I couldn’t be happier with the service I received and the outcome of my case. I highly recommend Leland Garvin if you’re looking for a lawyer you can trust. He is more than qualified to get the job done.
Rene Hatalovsky
Bicycle Accidents Are More Common than You Think
Fifty-one thousand bicyclists were injured in traffic in 2009, including 630 fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Head injuries are the main cause but certainly not the only one.
The causes of these accidents can be anything from driver inattention to product liability, including improper manufacturing or defectively designed products. Also, many motorists are not aware, or they do not respect the fact that bicyclists have a right to share the roads. Bicyclists are often the victims of motorist’s lack of knowledge or respect, and it can cause serious financial and emotional hardship.
Drivers can and should be held accountable for the injuries they cause. If you or a family member has been injured in a bicycle accident, your first step should be to contact an experienced bicycle accident lawyer in Fort Myers to fully understand your rights. By filing a claim, you may be entitled to compensation for the injuries you sustained from the bicycle accident.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle accidents have numerous causes. Sometimes they are caused by a negligent motor vehicle driver. Some types of driver negligence include:
- Speeding, which reduces a driver’s ability to react
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Distracted driving
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Aggressive driving, such as unsafe lane changes
- Dooring by opening a car door in the path of a cyclist
- Not sharing the road with cyclists
- Passing too closely
Sometimes other parties are at fault. Some other causes of bicycle accidents are:
- Bicycle equipment failure from a defective product or negligent maintenance
- Dangerous road conditions
- Inadequate street lighting
- Inadequate or missing traffic signs
- Malfunctioning traffic signals
- Other cyclists
- Pedestrians
- Dog attacks
Determining the cause of your accident is critical to your case. Our Fort Myers bicycle accident attorneys carefully investigate accidents to help determine all causes and liable parties.
Common Injuries Suffered in Fort Myers Bicycle Accidents
Bicyclists have little protection in a crash. Some bicycle accident injuries are minor, while others can be severe and even fatal. Some of the most common injuries suffered in Fort Myers bicycle accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Spinal cord injuries and even paralysis
- Broken and dislocated bones
- Facial injuries, including a broken nose and cheekbones
- Dental injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Eye injuries
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Road rash
- Bruises, strains, sprains, and lacerations
Even if you think your injuries are not severe, you should be evaluated by a medical professional. Some injuries are not immediately apparent but may leave victims with chronic pain and mobility problems.
If your injuries are severe, such as any head trauma, we urge you to contact a Fort Myers brain injury attorney to pursue the compensation you are rightfully owed.
Schedule a Free Consultation Today
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a Fort Myers bicycle accident, you may have the right to recover compensation for your damages.
At Garvin Injury Law, our attorneys have over forty years of experience protecting the rights of accident injury victims and recovering the maximum possible client compensation. We want to help you get the justice and compensation you deserve.
Contact us online or call (239) 277-0005 to discuss your case. We will listen to you, answer your questions, and explain your rights. If we represent you, we will fight tirelessly to help recover every dollar you are entitled to.