If you have been injured in a bicycle accident in Johnson City due to someone else’s careless actions, you have the right to seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses due to the accident.

Pursuing an injury claim isn’t always easy or straightforward, however. Fortunately, with an experienced bike accident attorney on your side, you’ll have a better chance at getting the compensation you need to rebuild your life and move on from the crash.

According to the Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security, eight bicyclists were injured in Washington County during a single recent year. One of them suffered fatal injuries. Statistically it may not sound like many accidents compared to the number of cycling injuries and fatalities that happen in larger cities, but for the families impacted by the injury or death of a loved one, it is far too many.

If you need legal help after a bicycle accident in Johnson City or surrounding areas of Tennessee, contact The Terry Law Firm now for a free consultation.

How Do Bicycle Accidents Happen?

When everyone follows the rules of the road, bicycle accidents can be easily prevented. Unfortunately, that is not what happens in real life.

Johnson City has several bike paths and streets with bike lanes and is constantly trying to make the area more bike friendly and encourage drivers to “share the road.” However, when drivers act carelessly, accidents happen despite the city’s emphasis on bicycle safety.

Some common causes of bicycle accidents include:

  • Aggressive behavior
  • Car door opened into the bicyclists path

Bicyclists and motorists are both responsible for avoiding these types of mistakes to prevent accidents. Failure to drive or ride carefully can result in devastating injuries as well as huge financial impacts.

Serious Injuries from Bicycle Crashes in Johnson City

Since a bicycle does not offer any protection to the rider, an accident with a large, heavy car can cause horrible injuries. Vehicle occupants can also sustain serious injuries, though the cyclist is almost always at greater risk.

Possible injuries from bicycle crashes include:

  • Broken bones
  • Spinal or nerve damage
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Internal organ injuries
  • Bleeding
  • Severe road rash
  • Scrapes and bruises

The severity of injuries varies greatly based on many factors such as speed at the time of impact and the angle from which they were hit.

What Should I Do After a Bike Accident?

If you were involved in a bike accident, you should ideally take photos at the scene of the accident to use as evidence. If you didn’t do it immediately, you or someone else could return to the scene to take pictures as soon as possible.

You should also write down as many details as you can, such as the time of the accident and contact information of witnesses.

It is also important to see a doctor right away following the accident, even if your injuries do not seem severe at first. Injuries can change for worse over time so having an initial assessment from a doctor is valuable evidence that can be used to strengthen your case.

Avoid discussing the details of your accident on social media or providing a recorded statement to an insurance company before you first speak with an attorney. The at-fault driver’s insurance company may try to use the information you give against you to lessen the amount of compensation they offer.

An attorney will examine all the evidence available and utilize additional resources to build a stronger case and seek full amount of compensation you are owed for your injuries. Contact an experienced attorney as soon as you can.

Proving Responsibility for a Johnson City Bicycle Accident

Our attorneys have handled countless car and bike accident cases. We know how to gather relevant evidence that will help us better understand what happened.

In order to receive compensation for your injuries, we will need to prove that:

  1. The driver of the vehicle had a responsibility, or duty of care, to keep others safe.
  2. The driver breached that responsibility through their careless or intentional actions.
  3. Your injury was a direct result of their negligence (not from an unrelated incident).

Tennessee follows the comparative negligence rule, as written in the Tennessee Code Annotated 29-11-103, which means if you were partly at fault for the accident, your compensation could be reduced based on the percentage of your liability. The at-fault driver’s insurance company will likely try to find evidence that you were at fault and reduce the compensation they are willing to pay.

Our attorneys will use every resource possible to prove that the other driver was negligent and that you are indeed owed full compensation for your injuries.

What Is My Bicycle Claim Worth?

The amount of compensation you are owed will depend on the severity and impact of your injuries, among other factors.

In general, you may be owed compensation for:

  • Current and future medical bills
  • Pain and suffering
  • Lost wages due to injury
  • Loss of future earning potential
  • Long-term care and rehabilitation

If your family member was killed in a bicycle accident, you may also be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit. This could cover funeral and burial expenses, loss of future earnings, and loss of companionship.

In most cases, the at-fault driver’s insurance policy will cover your compensation, and your claim will be settled out of court. If you need to file a personal injury lawsuit against an individual or company in addition to the insurance claim, our attorneys will help you with that process as well.

Why You Should Contact a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Johnson City, TN

Being injured in a bicycle accident can leave you feeling helpless and overwhelmed. While you are dealing with the pain of injury, the last thing you want is to be overloaded with paperwork and phone calls to an insurance company that is trying to get you to settle for less than you deserve.

The attorneys at The Terry Law Firm will treat you like family. We care about our clients as individuals. We are dedicated to helping you feel supported in you time of need, in addition to advocating for financial compensation.

Our attorneys have handled a wide variety of cases, and we know that each one is different. We take the time to learn the details of your case and then work together with you to meet your legal needs. Contact us today by phone or start a live chat on our website to schedule a free consultation.