In theory, riding a bicycle should be no more dangerous than riding inside an enclosed motor vehicle, especially if you wear appropriate head protection and follow traffic laws. In practice, though, even the most responsible cyclists are at risk of serious injuries not because of their own actions, but because of the misconduct of others around them.
When someone else’s negligence leads to you getting hurt while riding your bike, you could seek financial recovery. A Maryland Heights bicycle accident lawyer at OnderLaw can help you protect and maximize your legal rights. Whether your case can be resolved through a private settlement or if it goes to a civil courtroom, a skilled personal injury attorney from our team could put all their legal experience and expertise towards getting you a positive case result. We are proud and honored to provide support when you need it most.
The legal basis for most lawsuits over bike accidents in Missouri is negligence. Proving someone else liable for an injury based on negligence requires establishing that they directly caused the injury by recklessly or carelessly violating a duty of care owed to the injured person.
Exactly what duty one person owes another can vary dramatically depending on the circumstances. Multiple parties could conceivably bear civil fault for a bike wreck in this way, as a knowledgeable Maryland Heights bicycle accident attorney could further explain. For instance, if a motor vehicle driver runs a stop sign and hits a cyclist, that driver would almost certainly hold some—if not most—of the fault for the collision. This is because their traffic violation counts as a breach of their duty to drive responsibly and lawfully at all times.
However, if the stop sign the driver was supposed to stop at was obscured by untrimmed foliage, a local municipal authority might also bear some liability for the incident because they failed to keep road signs visible. Likewise, if the cyclist could not stop in time to avoid the oncoming car because their brakes unexpectedly failed, the company that manufactured their bike might be liable for the defect in the product they sold.
Our proactive legal professionals will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your accident and collect the evidence needed to hold all negligent parties accountable for your losses.
Regardless of who holds fault for a specific bike crash, anyone injured in such a crash has limited time to file suit over their injuries. Specifically, Missouri Revised Statutes § 516.120 limits most prospective personal injury plaintiffs to five years after initially sustaining harm to begin the filing process.
This might seem like a lot of time at first. However, between medical treatment, the evidence collection process, and dealing with the trials and tribulations that come with a serious injury, this filing period can pass deceptively quickly. For this reason, contacting a qualified lawyer at OnderLaw as soon as possible after a bicycle accident in Maryland Heights is essential. We will be by your side every step of the way.
Bicycle riders have the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle drivers on public Missouri roads. If another driver—or anyone else—failed to respect your rights as a cyclist and caused you to get hurt, you may have grounds to take legal action against them and demand substantial civil compensation.
At OnderLaw, we don’t just take on cases, we take on causes. Call today to learn more about what a dedicated Maryland Heights bicycle accident lawyer could do for you.
