Why Do I Need a Bicycle Accident Lawyer?

After a bicycle accident, injured cyclists often face medical bills, lost wages, and emotional suffering, and you may wonder, why do I need a bicycle accident lawyer? The answer is that an experienced attorney can help you pursue compensation, protect your rights, and secure a fair settlement for your injuries, especially when dealing with insurance companies that may try to minimize payouts.

The Challenges of Handling a Bicycle Accident Claim on Your Own

Bicycle accident cases involve complex legal principles, including Illinois traffic laws, negligence rules, and insurance policies. Without a legal background, proving negligence and fighting for a fair settlement can be difficult.

Understanding Illinois Bicycle Laws and Negligence

Cyclists have the same rights as motor vehicle drivers, but proving fault in a bicycle crash requires evidence like accident reports, medical records, and accident scene photos. Determining liability involves assessing whether the at-fault party violated bike lane regulations or traffic laws.

Dealing with Insurance Companies

When filing a bike accident claim, the driver’s insurance company may attempt to blame the cyclist, deny liability, or offer a low settlement. Insurance companies delay claims, request unnecessary documentation, and pressure cyclists into quick settlements.

Calculating the Full Value of Your Damages

Many injured cyclists underestimate their losses when filing a bicycle accident injury claim.

Medical expenses go beyond hospital bills, including rehabilitation, future medical treatment expenses, and long-term care. Lost wages must factor in time off work, reduced earning potential, and future income loss. Non-economic damages, such as mental anguish, pain and suffering, also affect compensation.

Meeting Critical Deadlines: The Statute of Limitations

Illinois law limits the time to file a personal injury claim after a bicycle accident. The statute of limitations (735 ILCS 5/13-202) is generally two years from the accident date. If you miss this deadline, you lose the right to recover compensation.

A bike accident lawyer ensures all paperwork is submitted correctly and within deadlines, preserving your right to claim compensation.

How a Chicago Bicycle Accident Lawyer Can Help You

Hiring an experienced bicycle accident attorney can significantly improve your ability to recover compensation. A bike crash lawyer will handle every aspect of your case, ensuring you receive the compensation you deserve for medical expenses, lost income, and emotional suffering.

Leveling the Playing Field with Insurance Companies

Insurance companies have teams of adjusters and attorneys focused on minimizing payouts. Without legal representation, injured cyclists may struggle to get a fair settlement. A bicycle accident lawyer understands insurance adjuster tactics and fights back by presenting strong evidence, negotiating aggressively, and ensuring you don’t settle for less than you deserve.

Thoroughly Investigating the Accident

A bike accident attorney will conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine fault and gather evidence that supports your case. This includes examining the scene for road conditions, traffic signals, and bike lane markings, collecting medical records, accident reports, and witness statements, and analyzing motor vehicle damage and surveillance footage.

Building a Strong Case Based on Evidence and Legal Expertise

A bicycle accident lawyer uses legal knowledge and gathered evidence to build a strong case.

This involves establishing negligence by proving the driver violated traffic laws, demonstrating the impact of serious injuries on your life, preparing detailed legal arguments backed by Illinois personal injury law, and consulting medical and accident reconstruction experts to strengthen your bike accident case.

Negotiating with Insurance Adjusters to Maximize Your Settlement

Insurance adjusters work to minimize claim payouts, often offering low settlements to injured bicyclists.

A bike crash lawyer protects your interests by presenting evidence that justifies your medical expenses, lost income, and pain and suffering, countering the insurance company’s tactics, such as blaming the cyclist for the accident and negotiating aggressively to secure the highest possible settlement offer.

Filing a Lawsuit and Representing You in Court

If settlement negotiations fail, a bike accident attorney can file a bicycle accident lawsuit and represent you in court. The litigation process includes preparing and filing the lawsuit within the Illinois statute of limitations, conducting discovery, where both sides exchange evidence, and presenting your case before a judge or jury to secure fair compensation.

Calculating All of Your Damages

A bicycle injury attorney ensures no losses are overlooked, including past, present, and future medical expenses, lost income and earning potential, and property damage, including repairs to your bike. And non-economic damages include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and reduced quality of life.

Handling All Legal Aspects of Your Claim, Allowing You to Focus on Recovery

Filing a bike accident claim involves dealing with insurance companies, medical records, legal paperwork, and court deadlines. A bicycle accident lawyer takes on these responsibilities, allowing you to focus on medical care and rehabilitation, avoid the stress of negotiating with insurance adjusters, and ensure all legal documents are filed correctly and on time.

Understanding Illinois’ Comparative Negligence Laws

Illinois follows a comparative negligence rule (735 ILCS 5/2-1116), meaning bicycle accident victims can recover damages even if they are partially at fault—unless they are more than 50% responsible.

A bicycle accident lawyer can challenge insurance company claims that unfairly shift blame, gather evidence to minimize your percentage of fault, and ensure you still receive compensation even if you were partially responsible.

Specific Ways a Lawyer Can Help with Your Chicago Bicycle Accident Claim

Our team’s experienced bicycle accident lawyers based in Chicago play a critical role in building a strong case by obtaining key evidence, consulting experts, and ensuring your claim’s legal and financial aspects are handled correctly.

Obtaining and Analyzing the Police Report

A police report is one of the most critical pieces of evidence in a bicycle accident case. It details the accident scene, statements from the bike rider and car driver, and any citations issued. However, accident reports can sometimes contain errors or incomplete information, negatively affecting your claim.

A bicycle accident attorney will obtain and review the report to identify inaccuracies, gather additional supporting evidence, and ensure it reflects what happened.

Interviewing Witnesses

Witness statements can be critical in proving fault in a bicycle accident. Many bike crash cases involve disputes over who had the right-of-way, whether the driver was distracted, or if traffic laws were violated.

A bicycle accident lawyer will locate and interview witnesses who saw the crash, ensuring their statements are correctly recorded. Witness testimony can help clarify details that the driver’s insurance company might challenge, such as whether the driver was speeding, ran a red light, or failed to yield.

Securing Expert Witnesses

Expert testimony in complex bicycle collision cases can help prove liability and demonstrate the extent of your injuries. A bicycle injury attorney may work with:

• Reconstruction experts analyze the accident scene, vehicle damage, and bike lane conditions to determine how the crash occurred.
• Medical experts explain the severity of your medical injuries, necessary treatments, and how the accident will impact your future health.
• Economic experts calculate lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and future medical expenses.

Dealing with Medical Liens

After a bicycle accident, medical providers may place medical liens on your personal injury settlement to ensure they are paid for your treatment. A lien is a legal claim against your compensation, meaning that part of it goes toward unpaid medical expenses when you recover compensation.

Injured bicyclists may not realize these liens can often be negotiated or reduced. An experienced lawyer can work with medical providers to lower your debt, ensuring you receive more settlement funds.

What to Look for in a Chicago Bike Accident Lawyer

Choosing the right bicycle accident lawyer can make a significant difference in the outcome of your case. Below are key factors to consider when selecting a personal injury lawyer for your bicycle crash case.

Experience Handling Bicycle Accident Cases

Not all personal injury attorneys specialize in bicycle collision cases. It is essential to choose a lawyer who understands Illinois traffic laws, bike lane regulations, and insurance company tactics. An experienced bicycle accident attorney can investigate crashes, gather critical evidence, and negotiate effectively.

A Proven Track Record of Success

When hiring a bike crash lawyer, look for one with a history of securing favorable settlements and verdicts for their clients. Success in personal injury cases often comes from aggressive negotiation and strong legal strategy.

Resources to Investigate and Build a Strong Case

The right attorney will have access to accident reconstruction specialists, medical experts, and financial professionals who can assess the crash’s impact. A well-equipped law firm can also obtain accident reports, medical treatment records, traffic camera footage, and witness statements.

Client Testimonials and Reviews

One of the best ways to evaluate a bicycle injury lawyer is by reading client testimonials and online reviews. Past clients can provide insight into the attorney’s communication skills, professionalism, and ability to secure compensation.

Look for feedback on how well the lawyer handled negotiations with the insurance company, whether they kept clients informed, and how satisfied clients were with their settlements.

Free Consultations and Contingency Fee Arrangements

Most bicycle accident lawyers offer free consultations, allowing you to discuss your case and legal options before committing to representation. Additionally, our Chicago personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis.

This arrangement ensures injured bicycle riders can pursue bike crash claims without upfront costs or financial risk. A firm that offers contingency fees shows confidence in its ability to recover compensation on your behalf.

Consult an Experienced Legal Professional!

If you or a loved one was injured in a bicycle accident, the team at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is here to help. Our bicycle accident attorneys understand the challenges injured cyclists face and are committed to securing the fair compensation they deserve.

We offer a free consultation, where we will review your case and explain your legal options. Our firm operates on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless we win your case.Call us at (888) 424–5757 or fill out our contact form to consult with a trusted bicycle injury lawyer. Let our experienced attorneys handle the legal process while you focus on your recovery.

All content undergoes thorough legal review by experienced attorneys, including Jonathan Rosenfeld. With 25 years of experience in personal injury law and over 100 years of combined legal expertise within our team, we ensure that every article is legally accurate, compliant, and reflects current legal standards.