Seminole Bicycle Accident Attorney
Bicycle safety is a big watchword among politicians. For various reasons, the number of bicycle riders, as well as the number of bicycle accidents, are at all-time highs. Many political safety improvements have the opposite effect. Concrete pillars which divide bicycle lanes from other traffic lanes are a good example. These pillars significantly decrease the visibility of drivers who aren’t maintaining much of a lookout for bicyclists in the first place.
Furthermore, such safety measures do not address the underlying causes of bicycle wrecks in Pinellas County. These causes include aggressive driving, such as failing to maintain a proper lookout and speeding, and driver impairment, such as substance use and excessive fatigue. These two driver errors combine to cause about 98 percent of the vehicle collisions in Florida. In every such instance, insurance companies have teams of lawyers looking out for their interests.
In this environment, victims need a determined Seminole bicycle accident attorney from The Reep Law Firm to stand up for their interests. Since insurance company lawyers only care about insurance company profits, these lawyers do whatever it takes to reduce or deny compensation to victims. In contrast, our legal team does whatever it takes to obtain maximum compensation for your serious injuries. That’s because we only care about your well-being.
What Causes Bicycle Accidents?
We touched on the major causes of vehicle collisions above. Now, let’s look at these major causes in more detail.
Most drivers cannot travel more than a few blocks without speeding, tailgating, failing to signal, or otherwise driving aggressively. All these bad driving habits violate the duty of care, which applies to most noncommercial motorists in Florida. Additionally, most of these bad driving habits violate Florida law. If a tortfeasor (negligent driver) violates a safety law and causes a wreck, the tortfeasor is presumptively liable for damages.
These damages usually include compensation for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
Driver impairment, such as fatigued driving, violates the duty of care. Therefore, a Seminole bicycle accident attorney can use the ordinary negligence doctrine to obtain compensation for injuries. Victim/plaintiffs must prove negligence, or a lack of care, by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not.
Evidence in Vehicle Collision Claims
Frequently, a combination of the police accident report, medical bills, and eyewitness statements is sufficient to meet the burden of proof in a civil case. Sometimes, however, the evidence in these areas falls short.
Medical bills are a good illustration. Sometimes, these documents only contain basic clinical information about diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment cost. This data clearly establishes the amount of economic losses in an injury claim. However, this information does little to show the pain and suffering the victim endured.
In these situations, an attorney often partners with an independent doctor. Sometimes, this doctor reviews medical records and offers an expert opinion. Other times, the doctor physically examines the victim, to better fill in the blanks.
Contact an Experienced Pinellas County Attorney
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced Seminole bicycle accident attorney, contact Reep, Coleman & Stubbendorff. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these matters.
