Denver Bicycle Accident Attorney
Cyclists are vulnerable to serious injuries in a bicycle accident with a motor vehicle. If you have been injured in a bike accident caused by a negligent driver, you may be entitled to compensation for your injuries and losses. Contact Front Range Injury Attorneys for a free case review. Cycling is a growing part of Colorado’s transportation infrastructure as cities like Denver and Boulder expand cycling infrastructure. Unfortunately, many drivers do not follow the rules of the road to safely share the road with cyclists. As a result, cyclists are at a high risk for catastrophic injuries in a collision with a motor vehicle. Our Denver bicycle accident lawyers help cyclists recover maximum compensation for their medical bills, lost earnings and injuries. Contact our office to learn more about how we can help you.
Why Trust Front Range Injury Attorneys?
At Front Range Injury Attorneys we care about helping our clients throughout their cases. We believe clients are best served when our personal injury attorneys participate in their cases from start to finish. We help our clients get the best treatment for their injuries. By building up your case from the beginning, we build a strong case to get the best results.
No Fee Unless You Win
Our law firm represents clients on a contingency fee basis. That means you don't pay us until we recover on your case.
Expertise with bicycle accident injuries
Our bicycle accident lawyers understand your injuries and how to tell your story to the insurance company or a jury. We get proven results with a 98% success rate.
Communication is important to us
We maintain communication with you through your case. We want you to know what's going on with your case and the work we're doing for you.
How we can help you
Contact Front Range Injury Attorneys to discuss your Colorado bicycle accident case. We offer free case reviews for injury and accident cases across the state.
Tell us about your case
Why you need a bicycle accident attorney in Denver
Insurance companies often treat bicycle accident victims poorly. Negligent drivers often tell their insurance company you caused the accident by cycling unsafely. Adjusters use those statements to blame injured cyclists partially or fully for the collision. They will offer you little or outright deny your claim. Insurance companies act like if a car hits you while cycling, it’s your fault for being on the road in the first place.
If you suffer injuries in a bicycle accident with a motor vehicle caused by the driver’s negligence, your personal injury claim is no different from a claim involving two drivers. You can recover for your medical bills, lost earnings, pain and suffering, as well as the long term effects of your injuries. Our Denver bicycle accident lawyers help clients recover the maximum compensation available for their case. Do not let the insurance company take advantage of you. Contact us for a free case review.
Who is liable for a bike collision under Colorado law?
Liability for a bike collision in Colorado follows the same legal rules as other collisions. Traffic laws and bicycling infrastructure in Colorado exist to make roads safe for everybody. Roads are not just for cars. Drivers and cyclists have a duty to follow the law and exercise reasonable care. A negligent driver who fails to follow the rules of the road may be held liable for injuries or wrongful death caused by the bike collision.
Negligence in personal injury law means the negligent party failed to exercise reasonable care in performing an activity. Drivers have a duty to drive with reasonable care and follow all traffic laws. Examples of driver negligence include running red lights, speeding, swerving into bike lane and distracted driving. When a negligent driver causes injuries to another person, that driver may be held liable for damages.
Colorado is a fault state, or tort state, for auto negligence claims. After a bicycle accident, the negligent party is responsible for the victims’ damages. The primary car insurance coverage applicable to a bicycle accident will be the injury liability coverage. This pays on the negligent driver’s behalf for your economic losses, like medical bills and lost wages, as well as your non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering. As a fault state, it is up to the victim to prove fault. Your bicycle accident attorney at Front Range Injury Attorneys will conduct an investigation and assert the driver’s duty to make you whole for your damages.
Common causes of bicycle accidents in Colorado
In Colorado motor vehicles share the road with cyclists, which may include bike lanes, intersecting bike paths and occupying the same lane as cars. Unfortunately, drivers do not always exercise the appropriate caution while driving and cause bicycle accidents. Common causes for bicycle accidents in Denver and other parts of Colorado include:
- Drivers failing to yield turns across occupied bike lanes
- Drunk drivers
- Distracted driving
- Failure to maintain a safe distance from bicycles
- Failing to observe bikes on the road
- Opening doors to parked cars in front of cyclists
- Speeding
- Running stop signs or red lights
- Failing to yield the right of way to cyclists
According to a Bicycle Crash Analysis conducted by Denver, the most common causes of bicycle accidents included failing to yield the right of way and careless driving. These collisions can lead to catastrophic injuries. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports more than 20 deaths in Colorado bike accidents each year. More than a third of fatal bicycle crashes involve alcohol. Unfortunately, their research indicates the number of bicycle accidents causing injuries and death increase each year.
Common injuries in a bicycle accident
Cyclists are at a higher risk for bodily injury in a bicycle accident than occupants of the car hitting them. Bicycles offer far less protection and even wearing a helmet cannot prevent head injuries. Cyclists can suffer injuries from several impacts in an accident, including hitting the car, trying to brace for impact, striking the ground and rolling over the car. Cyclists are exposed to collisions with vehicles often traveling at a high rate of speed which only adds to the extreme risk of injury.
Bicycle accident victims often experience injuries including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Head trauma
- Broken and fractured bones
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Severed limbs or digits
- Paraplegia or quadriplegia
- Lacerations
- Organ damage
- Road rash
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Hand and wrist injuries
- Damage to major joints such as shoulders, hips, knees and elbows
The Denver bicycle accident lawyers at Front Range Injury Attorneys help clients get the medical treatment they need and fight to get maximum compensation for their injuries. Contact us today for a free case review.
What damages can you recover for your bicycle accident injuries?
Damages in a personal injury case mean the harm you suffered as a result of your injuries. In most cases you can pursue compensation for your economic and non-economic damages.
Your economic damages are the financial costs of your accident. These include medical bills, past and future, lost earnings, future lost earning capacity and out of pocket costs for your injuries.
Your non-economic damages include the intangible aspects of your injuries. These commonly include pain and suffering, mental anguish, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life and loss of consortium.
Our Denver bike accident attorneys will fully investigate your case to determine all available damages and evaluate their worth. We will fight for maximum compensation in a settlement or personal injury lawsuit.
What is the statute of limitations in Colorado for my bike accident case?
The statute of limitations is the legal deadline to either settle your case or file a personal injury lawsuit. Generally, if you fail to resolve your case or file a lawsuit before that date, you lose the right to later file a lawsuit. It is an extremely important milestone in your case. Your Denver bicycle accident attorney will carefully monitor your case to avoid the statute of limitations running.
Under Colorado law, a bicycle vs. motor vehicle accident carries a three year statute of limitations. If your bicycle accident does not involve a collision with a motor vehicle, the statute of limitations is only two years. Rules involving specific circumstances can extend the statute of limitations or require you to take certain steps earlier to preserve your claim.
Your bicycle accident attorney will investigate your case to determine the appropriate deadlines. We monitor every client’s case to prevent missing an important deadline. The best step you can take is to contact our office as soon as possible after a bicycle accident so we can avoid missing deadlines in your case.
What to do after a bicycle accident?
After a bicycle accident, check for injuries. If you notice any unusual sensations, avoid moving until paramedics arrive. Otherwise, move out of the road to a safe location. Call the police immediately and report the bike accident. If you can, exchange information with the driver and take photographs of the scene. Avoid discussing fault or apologizing for the collision.
When the police arrive, explain what happened. Make sure you obtain the police report number. If you are not transported by ambulance to a hospital, take yourself to a hospital for medical care and evaluation.
After discharge from the hospital you may file a claim with the driver’s insurance; however, you should contact our Denver bicycle accident lawyers for a free case review. We can handle filing claims and all of the insurance processes while you focus on taking care of your injuries. If the insurance company discovers you do not yet have a personal injury attorney, it may try to rush you into a low value settlement.
Contact our Denver bicycle accident lawyers today
Our Denver bicycle accident lawyers have helped thousands of clients with bike accident and other personal injury claims. We have the knowledge and resources to help you get back on your feet and fight for the compensation you deserve.
Call our law office or complete the contact form below to schedule a free case review. The aftermath of a bicycle accident can be overwhelming and the driver’s insurance company will take advantage of that. The sooner you contact us the sooner we can take that weight off your shoulders.
Frequently asked questions
Colorado does not require cyclists to carry insurance to ride a bicycle on public roads. Auto drivers must carry third party liability coverage that pays you for injuries and property damage they cause.
In a bike accident, your auto coverage may help pay for your injuries depending upon the coverage you carry. Companies sell additional accident coverage for cyclists that pays for your injuries in an accident. Often this coverage is surprisingly cheap.
Yes, multiple insurance policies may pay for your bike accident. The negligent driver’s auto insurance may pay for the property damage to your bike and other damaged property. It may also pay for your injuries and medical bills. If you carry auto insurance of your own, we may also pursue payments from your policy. Our bike accident attorneys will investigate coverage and make sure we get as much money as we can on your claim.
In Colorado a bike accident is typically covered by auto insurance. You can claim as much in property damage and injuries as evidence supports. An insurance policy only covers up to the policy limit. Your case may involve multiple policies and multiple types of coverage on several policies. Our bike accident lawyers will investigate coverage and make sure you receive the maximum compensation for your claim.
If you are a driver involved in a cyclist accident you should exchange information, call the police and report the collision. You may have to report the crash to your car insurance company. If there is damage to your car or injury to an occupant, you may need to file a claim for your damages.
Contact our experienced bike accident attorneys for a free consultation to discuss your injury claim. We represent clients across Colorado including Denver, Lakewood, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Pueblo.
In Colorado, responsibility to pay for damage to a car in a bike accident falls on the party causing the collision. Most bike accidents involve a car striking a cyclist; however, cyclists can also ride negligently and crash into a car.
A cyclist can cause damage to your car or even injure occupants. Sometimes finding coverage for your injuries in these collisions requires significant investigation. If you were injured in a bike accident, talk to our personal injury lawyers about your case.
If a cyclist is responsible for a collision in a car or as a pedestrian, the cyclist is liable for your damages. If you cannot locate insurance coverage to pay for your property damage and injuries, it may be necessary to file a personal injury lawsuit. If you have injuries caused by a bicycle accident, call us for a free case review.
