San Antonio Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Bicycle accidents can lead to injuries that can impact your physical, mental, and financial well-being for months or years to come. That’s why it’s essential to call a San Antonio bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible after an accident.

If you feel  that someone’s negligence caused your accident, you may wish to file a claim against those you think are responsible. You can meet with a San Antonio personal injury lawyer to discuss your case and decide how best to proceed with your claim.

If you or a loved one have suffered from an injury after a bicycle accident, call Zinda Law Group or complete our online contact form to get started on your free consultation.

Who Can File a Bicycle Accident Claim?

Millions of people ride their bicycles every day using the roads shared with other cars. Whether someone is riding for their commute or a leisurely activity, they are in danger of becoming one of the thousands of people injured in bicycle accidents each year.

Any individual hurt in a bicycle crash caused by another party’s negligent actions could file a claim for compensation with help from a San Antonio bicycle accident attorney. 

What Causes Bicycle Accidents in San Antonio?

Several things people do or fail to do lead to collisions with cars and other bike riders. Human error causes of bicycle accidents include:

• Failing to signal
• Failure to yield
• Impaired driving
• Blowing red lights and stop signs
• Speeding
• Weaving through traffic
• Distracted driving

Aside from human error, you should be aware of the environmental causes of bicycle accidents. Road conditions, such as icy roads or potholes, can present dangerous situations for riders. Always ride safely and remain aware of your surroundings when on the road.

An experienced San Antonio bicycle accident lawyer can identify negligent drivers, helping you build a claim to cover your medical bills and other losses after a wreck with a motor vehicle. 

What Should You Do After a San Antonio Bike Wreck?

As with all accidents, the steps you take afterward are essential to ensure you receive the maximum compensation you are entitled to for your claim. We recommend that you follow these steps as closely as possible in your given situation:

Seek Medical Care for Your Injuries

First, you should seek medical assistance. Even if you seem fine, you may have a less noticeable injury that requires medical attention. Be sure to document your injuries with pictures and your doctor’s paperwork. 

Call 911 to ensure you receive immediate medical care if your injuries are severe.

Contact Law Enforcement

The police will investigate and make a report of the accident. If you are not severely injured and are still on the scene, use your phone camera to take pictures of the area and the damage to your bicycle. 

These pictures will be helpful to your personal injury lawyer later when investigating your claim.

Reach Out to Experienced Bicycle Accident Attorneys

Finally, if you believe your accident results from negligent or intentional misconduct on behalf of another rider, a pedestrian, or an automobile driver. You should contact a personal injury lawyer to pursue legal action in that case.

A skilled San Antonio bicycle accident attorney can help you file a claim and hold the at-fault party responsible for your injuries. Our team at Zinda Law Group has experience with claims involving bicycle accidents and an outstanding record of success in handling matters like these for our clients.

What Compensation do You Get for a Bike Accident?

Our team can pursue the liable party to cover all the losses caused by your bike accident. We focus on holding the responsible party accountable for your economic and non-economic losses, allowing you to move forward with your life. 

Healthcare Expenses

We focus on all the healthcare expenses you face after a bike wreck. These accidents can leave you with broken bones, head injuries, and back injuries. Any of these injuries may require the following:

• Doctor’s visits
• Physical therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Medication

You may also be able to recover the costs of any future appointments, medication, or treatments necessary for your recovery with help from a bike accident lawyer in San Antonio.

Lost Wages in San Antonio

The severe injuries associated with a bicycle accident may prevent you from returning to work. We track the effects on your pay and look into lost bonuses and raises that allow us to ensure you secure fair damages for these expenses. 

Diminished Earning Capacity

In some cases, bicycle accident injuries leave you with a disabling condition that can prevent you from returning to your old job. We can help you secure funds to cover your diminished earning potential. Find out more with a bicycle accident attorney in San Antonio, TX. 

Mental Anguish

Your non-economic damages include pain and suffering that result from the accident. Any bike accident affects a person and their family emotionally and mentally. Your San Antonio bicycle accident lawyer can help you seek financial compensation for your emotional distress. 

Property Damage

Finally, bike accident attorneys understand that these collisions can result in damage to your bike and other property. By proving driver negligence, we can hold the at-fault driver responsible for these losses.

Who Can You Sue for a San Antonio Bike Accident?

We can hold an at-fault party responsible for your injuries in a civil court if we can prove that the other party meets the four elements of a negligence claim. These elements include:

• Duty
• Breach of that duty
• Causation
• Damages

A bicycle accident attorney in San Antonio must prove that the driver or other rider owed you a duty, which is typically to act as a reasonably prudent person would under similar circumstances. Next, a lawyer must show that the at-fault party caused your injuries.

We prove damages by showing that you suffered a physical or financial injury (such as damage to your bike) from the accident. If your case meets all these elements, you may recover the monetary costs of the accident from them.

Your lawyer can often prove the first two elements (duty and breach) by showing the driver violated a law. An experienced personal injury lawyer will be able to assist you in identifying any rules that the driver may have broken to show these first two elements are satisfied when pursuing your claim.

Why Hire Us for a San Antonio Bicycle Accident?

Suffering from an injury or losing a loved one after a bicycle accident can be a source of immense emotional and financial stress for you and your family. Getting as much help and support as possible following a bicycle accident is essential.

Our experienced bicycle accident lawyers will guide you through the often-complex legal system to help file your claim and ensure you receive the maximum compensation you are entitled to. We will take care of the legal work so you can focus on yourself and your family.

We’ve served over 10,000 clients in the last 15 years, providing them with dedicated care and support. Our team secured over $210 million in fair compensation for clients, focusing on the details of their claims and striving to resolve cases with a settlement or a personal injury lawsuit.

How Long do You Have to File a Bike Accident Claim?

If you wish to pursue a personal injury claim against another party to your bicycle accident, contact an injury attorney right away, for there are time constraints called the statute of limitations, which determine how long you have to file your claim.

In Texas, the statute of limitations for a personal injury case involving a bicycle accident is two years. This law means that you would have two years from the date of your accident to file an injury claim.

Get fast legal advice now from a San Antonio bicycle accident lawyer. 

What Injuries Come from Bicycle Accidents?

Injuries from bicycle accidents can range from minor, such as cuts and bruises, to severe, such as traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and broken bones. Riders can suffer from a combination of the two. Typical bicycle accident injuries include:

• Scrapes and bruises
• Broken and fractured bones
• Facial injuries
• Neurological damage
• Ruptured discs
• Wrongful death

A bicycle accident lawyer in San Antonio, TX, can help you file a claim with an insurance company if you sustained any of these severe injuries. 

How Can You Avoid a Bike Accident?

There are preventative steps you can take to lower your risk of becoming a bicycle accident victim. For example, most bicycle-related accidents occur from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and from midnight to 3 a.m., so be extra careful during those times.

The following guidelines can help you ensure the safety of yourself and other cyclists around you.

Prepare for Your Ride

Ensure you wear the proper safety equipment before you get on the road. In addition to a helmet and an appropriately sized bicycle, you should wear bright clothing when riding during the day.

At night, wear reflective clothing, and be sure to have a white front light and a red backlight on your bicycle to ensure visibility, even in poor conditions. Also, ensure you only have one rider per seat and keep your hands on the handlebars at all times, aside from when signaling turns.

Drive Defensively and Predictably

Driving defensively means staying focused and alert, as well as doing these things:

• Keep an eye out for traffic signals and stop signs and obey each.
• Ride with the flow of traffic, not against it.
• Just as with driving, avoid texting while riding.
• Be sure to look out for potholes and other obstacles.
• Always signal before you turn.

It is best to avoid weaving in and out of traffic or frequently switching between riding on the road and the sidewalk. If sidewalk riding is allowed in your area, it is best to stick to the sidewalk for much of your ride.

If you choose the sidewalk, only ride into the road if the sidewalk ends or when you are avoiding pedestrians. Taking these steps may help you avoid an accident with a motor vehicle driver. 

Know Your Local Bicycle Riding Laws

Bicycle riders need to follow the rules of the road that all drivers do. Texas riders have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers and should be aware of the laws in this state governing both. For example, like drivers, riders are prohibited from:

• Traveling at excessive speeds
• Riding through red lights and stop signs
• Riding under the influence

There are additional bicycle riding laws that cyclists in San Antonio need to be aware of. These laws include helmet laws, sidewalk prohibition laws, and laws specifying where a rider should be on the road when there is no bike lane.

Examples of Laws in San Antonio

For example, San Antonio has adopted a Bike Light Ordinance, which requires riders to have a front white light and a rear red reflector or red rear light on their bicycles. Failure to comply with the ordinance is a class C misdemeanor.

San Antonio has also adopted a Safe Passing Ordinance, which sets a requirement for safe passing by motor vehicles for vulnerable road users. This ordinance establishes a duty of due care and requires a motor vehicle operator not to interfere with vulnerable users’ legal road use.

Safe passing distance is defined as 3′ for cars and 6′ for commercial or large trucks, which only applies when road conditions allow. Violation of the ordinance is punishable as a Class C misdemeanor and a fine not to exceed $200.00.

Speak to Us After Your Bicycle Accident in San Antonio

Our team at Zinda Law Group can help you seek compensation for damages after a bike wreck. A San Antonio bicycle accident lawyer from our personal injury law firm can walk you through each step of the legal process and stand up for you. 

You can learn more by calling or filling out our online contact form.