Choosing to ride a bicycle instead of driving a car or other motor vehicle when getting from Point A to Point B in Granite Falls, Washington, is a wise decision for many reasons. Riding a bicycle provides you with quality exercise, improving your health, while helping you reach your destination. Riding a bicycle is also significantly less harmful to the environment than driving.
That said, bicyclists must remember to exercise extreme caution on the road. Cars, trucks, vans, and other vehicles offer safety features that protect drivers and occupants from harm when accidents occur. Examples of such safety features include seatbelts, airbags, and the metal frame and windows of the vehicle itself.
A bicycle does not have these features. Thus, statistics indicate that when bicyclists are involved in collisions, their chances of sustaining serious injuries that require costly medical treatment are relatively high. Their injuries can also be severe enough to prevent a bicyclist from returning to work and earning a wage. In addition to such economic losses, a bicycle accident victim may also sustain noneconomic losses like pain and suffering.
You may be a responsible bicyclist who takes all necessary steps to minimize your chances of being involved in an accident. This does not mean you can control the decisions others make on the road. It’s possible you will one day be involved in a Granite Falls, WA, bicycle accident resulting from another party’s negligence. If this has already happened to you, you may be eligible to recover compensation for your medical bills and other such losses by filing a claim to collect from the negligent parties’ insurance. You may also file a lawsuit if necessary.
Strongly consider reviewing your case with a Granite Falls bicycle accident attorney at Russell & Hill, PLLC, before filing a claim. A skilled lawyer can play a critical role in the outcome of your claim or lawsuit.
A lawyer can investigate your accident to gather evidence determining who the negligent party responsible for compensating you is. Often, this will be a motorist with whom you were sharing the road. Drivers can cause Granite Falls bicycle accidents when they are speeding, using their phones while driving, failing to yield the right-of-way, and engaging in other such reckless behaviors.
That’s not to say the negligent party in these circumstances is always a motorist. Accidents can also happen when careless bicycle designers or manufacturers overlook defects. Granite Falls bicycle accidents may also be the result of negligence on the part of government agencies if they fail to address hazardous road conditions in a timely manner.
Our thorough investigation will properly identify the liable party. It will also yield evidence demonstrating you are eligible for compensation. While you focus on your recovery, we will negotiate with the insurance company, rejecting unfair low offers to optimize your chances of arriving at a proper settlement.
At Russell & Hill, PLLC, we have years of experience providing effective representation to clients like yourself. Learn more about how we can help by calling us at 800-529-0842 today to schedule your free consultation.
