When Should You Contact a Lawyer After a Bicycle Accident in Kansas?

Being in a bicycle accident can leave you with serious injuries that impact your quality of life, make it difficult to work, and leave you with emotional and physical pain. If the accident was the result of another party’s negligence or misconduct, one of the options you have is to file a lawsuit against them to receive compensation. It’s always vital to have legal representation to do this, but there are particular circumstances that make getting help essential. So when should you contact a lawyer after a bicycle accident in Kansas?

At Palmer Law Group, our team of personal injury lawyers can help you gather the evidence necessary to prove that the other party was liable. We can also make the overall process just a bit easier. You don’t have to go through these claims alone.

Contact Palmer Law Group at (785) 233-1836 to speak with one of our Kansas lawyers.

Circumstances When a Bicycle Lawyer Is Essential

When You Should Never Risk Going Through a Claim Alone

Filing a claim after a bicycle accident is always complex, and it’s important to have representation. However, there are certain claim types that you should never attempt to pursue without having experienced lawyers by your side. Doing so could put your settlement at risk.

When You Suffer Catastrophic Injuries

If a motor vehicle hits you while you are riding a bicycle, it’s likely that you’ll suffer serious injuries even if you’re wearing all of your safety gear. A bicycle doesn’t offer the protection you need, which means you potentially face traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, broken bones, and scarring that could require cosmetic surgeries. All of these wounds result in serious medical bills and the inability to go to work. If you won’t be able to return to your job while you recover, or if the injuries are severe enough to keep you from working again, you need a substantial settlement.

Attempting to get compensation on your own can rob you of the assistance you need. To have a chance to recover the losses you sustained as well as receive compensation for future losses, it’s important to hire experienced attorneys. Your lawyer will know how to handle negotiations with insurance companies. These companies are always searching for ways to minimize a claim, and they can try all manner of tactics to keep from paying you what you deserve. Your attorney will aggressively negotiate to get you the best possible settlement.

When Fault Isn’t Clear

Kansas is a no-fault state, which means that if you’re in a traffic collision, you typically recover losses from your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance. PIP will cover some medical expenses and lost wages, but only up to the policy limit. If you’ve experienced serious injuries, such as broken bones, your PIP will likely not be enough to cover your expenses. In those instances, you can step outside of no-fault laws and file a claim against the party responsible for the collision.

As soon as you decide to pursue a fault-based claim, you must show that the other party was negligent in their conduct. Sometimes that can be a relatively straightforward process, such as when a driver is intoxicated behind the wheel, but at other times there may be complications. For example, if you were partly to blame for the collision, insurance companies can try to pin all of the blame on you. That would prevent you from recovering damages.

When you have an attorney assisting you, you will have a better chance of demonstrating that you deserve compensation. Your attorney will gather evidence, including witness testimonies, to present a clear picture of what happened.

When There Are Multiple Parties Involved

If you’re filing a fault-based claim after a bicycle accident in which there may be a number of responsible parties, you should hire an attorney. The more parties there are, the more difficulties there may be in proving liability. Insurance companies will try to confuse matters, and it could all end up with you not receiving the assistance you need to cover your losses. Your attorney will investigate the accident thoroughly to be able to pinpoint everyone who might hold some blame for the bicycle accident.

When Someone Dies

If the accident results in a loved one’s wrongful death, the stakes are too high to try to file a claim on your own. You may need to cover funeral expenses, loss of support and companionship, and other life-altering consequences of the person’s death. You’ll also be dealing with grief and other emotions, and this makes it difficult to focus on legal matters. An attorney will take care of the claim for you so you can fully grieve your loss.

Immediate Steps to Take After a Bicycle Accident

What you do in the moments after a bicycle accident is crucial, both for your safety as well as for any future claims you file. Take stock of your injuries and see what your pain levels are. If you’re in significant distress, try not to move and wait for emergency services to arrive.

Even if you’re not sure what kind of injuries you have, let medical professionals assess you once they get to the scene of the accident. This will ensure that there’s a record of the wounds you suffered and that you receive the immediate care you need. If emergency medical technicians recommend that you go to the hospital, do so.

Speak with police officers, too, and make sure you know how to get a copy of the accident report for your claim. If you’re able to remain at the scene of the accident, take pictures of the property damage, the road, and any other pieces of evidence you think could be helpful to your claim.

Immediately after the accident, contact a lawyer to represent you.

Trust Palmer Law Group With Your Bicycle Accident Claim

Rely on Experienced and Compassionate Representation

After suffering losses in a bicycle accident, don’t wait to hire an attorney. At Palmer Law Group, our team of personal injury lawyers offers the chance to receive the compensation you need to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and other losses.

Call Palmer Law Group at (785) 233-1836 to schedule a free consultation.