What Compensation Is Available for a Bicycle Accident in Colorado?
After sustaining injuries in a bicycle crash, you will need to continue treatment until you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) to ensure all future medical costs are known before seeking a settlement. Once damages are clear, your lawyer will send a formal demand package to the insurance company outlining the evidence and requested compensation.
The Wilhite Law Firm uses a trial-ready strategy designed to counteract the common lowball tactics of insurance adjusters. Most adjusters only look at your current ER bills. Our firm uses life-care planners and economists to calculate future medical costs and the total loss of lifetime earning capacity. If a fair settlement is not reached, our team can proceed with filing a lawsuit.
Immediately after the incident, your attorney will collect evidence to establish the four elements of negligence: duty, breach, causation, and damages. Essential evidence can include:
- Medical records and bills – These are the most critical pieces of evidence. They must explicitly connect your injuries to the accident (causation) and show a consistent history of treatment to avoid claims of pre-existing conditions.
- Official reports – Police reports provide an objective record, often including officer notes, diagrams, and citations that support your account.
- Visual documentation – High-quality photos and videos of the scene, vehicle damage, skid marks, road hazards, and your visible injuries provide a clear story of the impact.
- Witness statements – Independent accounts from bystanders serve as vital tie-breakers in liability disputes.
- Employment and income records – To recover lost wages, you need pay stubs or tax records proving the financial impact of missed work.
- Expert testimony – Accident reconstructionists or medical specialists may be required to explain complex technical facts to a jury.
Many bicycle accident victims find themselves facing significant medical expenses after the crash. Their injuries may prevent them from working. This can put an injured rider in a serious financial bind. If the insurance company denies or delays the claim, the situation may become even more stressful.
Colorado law allows bicyclists to recover compensation for their injuries and related expenses, after an accident, if they were the victim of someone else’s negligence. Drivers have a responsibility to look out for cyclists. Drivers who disregard traffic laws and drive unsafely should be held accountable for the injuries they cause. When filing an injury claim against the at-fault driver, you may request compensation for:
- Your past medical expenses, such as hospital stays, doctors’ visits, prescription drugs, physical therapy, and lab work
- The cost of any future medical care you may need
- Your lost wages – past and future
- Your reduced capacity to work and earn a living
- Your physical pain and suffering
- Scarring and permanent disability
- Your emotional pain and suffering
Our Denver cyclist injury attorneys could help you seek compensation for the full extent of your injuries.
Colorado Bicycle Accident Stats
Bicycle accidents have been increasing as more people use bikes to commute or for recreation around Colorado. Here are a few statistics about bicycle accidents in Colorado:
- A total of 20 cyclists died in bicycle accidents in Colorado in 2019, including 9 in the Denver area, based on National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data.
- Denver has more than 175 miles of bicycle lanes throughout the city, with plans to install another 50 miles.
- The majority of Denverites (59 percent) would like to ride a bicycle, but only when it is safer and more convenient to ride, the Denver Department of Transportation reports. About 16 percent of people in the Denver area feel confident riding bicycles on the street.
- A report from Denver Public Works found there were 1,325 bicycle crashes reported in Denver during a five-year period and that half of all bicycle accidents result in at least one injury.
Colorado’s bicycle accident statistics highlight a significant safety concern for riders in Denver and statewide and underscore the importance of understanding your legal rights after a crash. These numbers show how common and serious bicycle accidents are, often due to driver negligence.
Do You Need a Lawyer After a Bicycle Accident in Denver?
If you were injured in a bicycle accident, you should have a lawyer review the accident and discuss your legal options. If someone else caused the bicycle accident, you may be entitled to file a claim for compensation. Failing to explore your legal options can prove costly.
An insurance company may dispute or deny a claim if it’s not immediately clear who was at fault for a crash. An experienced bicycle accident attorney at The Wilhite Law Firm in Denver can gather the evidence needed to build a persuasive case for compensation on your behalf. If you don’t have a skilled bike accident attorney representing your interests, you could wind up having your claim reduced, delayed, or flat-out denied.
Here are a few key indicators that you need help from an attorney after a bicycle accident:
- Your injuries resulted in a permanent disability – Damage to your head, neck, back, or spinal cord from a bicycle accident can impair your ability to do many activities. These injuries often require ongoing, expensive treatment. You will need to take advantage of all the financial resources available to pay for the care you need.
- There’s a dispute over who is at fault – If the party that caused your accident disputes your claim, you’ll need strong evidence to support your claim. To obtain maximum compensation for your injuries, you’ll need extensive documentation of your losses and evidence of the other side’s liability.
- There were multiple parties involved – Depending on the circumstances of the bicycle accident, there could be multiple parties potentially liable in your personal injury claim. More liable parties mean more insurance companies involved and more negotiations.
- Your insurance claim has been denied or delayed – Insurance companies often try to shade the facts of a case to limit their liability and how much they have to pay when someone makes a claim. They may even deny your claim outright. When this happens, you’ll want a seasoned legal professional to help you refute their case so you can get the compensation you deserve.
