Fort Walton Beach Bicycle Accident Lawyer

When cyclists are involved in accidents, injuries are often severe or fatal. Florida has more fatalities per capita than any other state.

In 2020, there were 5,952 bike crashes in all of Florida. That’s about 16 a day. Those accidents caused 5,574 injures and 169 deaths. That means 96% of all bicycle accidents in Florida in 2020 resulted in injury or death.

In Okaloosa County, there were 52 crashes in 2020, resulting in 48 injuries and two deaths.

As of late October 2021, there have been 44 bike crashes in Okaloosa County. Those have caused 43 injuries and one death.

It will depend on the facts of your case. Each case is unique, and we work hard to identify and fight for every possible dollar of compensation.

Some things that will affect the value of your case are:

• The type and extent of your injuries
• Whether you now have a disability caused by the accident
• Whether you contributed to the accident
• Whether you were using safety equipment, like a helmet, lights, or reflective gear

Accidents involving severe injuries or death tend to result in higher awards. We leave no stone unturned when analyzing your case. We make sure to account for every dollar you deserve.

You’ll be able to seek compensation for:

• Economic damages: to cover direct financial costs related to your accident
• Non-economic damages: to cover intangible losses caused by your accident

Economic damages compensate you for things like:

• Medical bills
• Cost of rehabilitation
• Property damage
• Lost wages
• Nursing care

We’ll conduct a thorough analysis of all of your expenses, including a realistic projection of the future financial impact of your injuries.

Non-economic damages include such things as:

• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life activities
• Loss of companionship
• PTSD

These are losses often included in the general term “pain and suffering.” We know that these less quantifiable losses can be significant after a traumatic accident. We fight hard to get compensation when your injuries have diminished your quality of life.

Yes. Florida has a modified comparative fault statute. It allows you to still recover some compensation as long as you aren’t mostly at fault. But the at-fault party only pays for the portions of the accident that they caused. That means your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of the accident attributed to your own fault.

Our experienced Fort Walton Beach bicycle accident attorneys will fight tooth and nail against unfair blame.

Unfortunately, bicycle crashes often result in severe injury or death. If you’re in a crash with a motor vehicle, you have almost no protection except for a helmet.

Some common bicycle accident injuries include:

• Catastrophic injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Broken bones
• Bruises
• Lacerations
• Road rash
• Spinal cord injuries
• Paralysis

We work tirelessly to bring a sense of stability to your life after you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a bike accident.

Bicycles are often not visible to motor vehicles. When cycling in traffic, larger vehicles like SUVs and trucks can impede visibility even more. Sadly, some drivers just don’t like cyclists and refuse to give them any extra room.

Bicycle accidents can be caused by:

• Being hit by a car when drivers don’t see cyclists in their path
• Being run off the road or hit by passing vehicles
• Distracted drivers
• Unsafe lane changes
• Aggressive drivers
• Cars pulling up past the line and into the bike lane where cyclists are traveling
• Getting “doored” when a car door is opened in a cyclist’s path
• Crashing due to slick substances on the road
• Losing control on downhills due to excessive speed
• Spinning out of control on loose gravel or sand
• Collision with a fixed object, such as a gate or telephone pole
• Listening to headphones while cycling
• Riding against traffic

With more than 60+ years of experience across the firm, we’ve seen it all. Whatever the cause, we’ll get to the bottom of what happened. Then we’ll get to work fighting for you.

Some bike accidents are unavoidable. But most are the result of someone’s negligence. That will likely be the legal basis of your case.

What Is Negligence?

Negligence is based on the idea that everyone should act in a way that is reasonable under the circumstances.

Negligence has four main elements:

1. Duty: the defendant owed you a duty of care not to cause you harm
2. Breach: the defendant breached that duty
3. Causation: the defendant’s breach of duty caused your injuries
4. Damages: you suffered injuries as a result

This may seem like a common-sense chain reaction. But they are technical legal terms. To win, you must successfully prove each element.

How Do I Prove Negligence?

In order to recover compensation for your injuries, you’ll need to prove each element by a preponderance of the evidence in order to win your case.

Some forms of evidence that might be used to prove negligence are:

• Eyewitness testimony
• Video footage from a dashcam, GoPro, or traffic cameras
• Deposition testimony
• Expert testimony to support your medical, financial, and property damage losses
• Accident reports

Every case is different. Our Fort Walton Beach personal injury attorneys are highly trained in all stages of litigation. We’ll collect and evaluate all potential evidence for your accident claim. We’ll strategically present your best argument at the settlement stage.

But we want you to have not just any offer—we want you to get the full compensation that you deserve. So we’re prepared to go to trial whenever necessary and fight to prove your case.

Two years. That’s the deadline for filing a lawsuit for injuries sustained in an accident. If you’re seeking compensation on behalf of a loved one who was killed in a bike accident, then you have just two years to file a wrongful death lawsuit. There are exceptions to the general rules.

You should seek legal advice as soon as possible after your accident so you don’t risk missing a deadline. Contact our Fort Walton Beach law firm today to preserve your right to seek compensation.