Midland Bicycle Accident Lawyers

How Can a Midland Bicycle Accident Attorney Help You?

An attorney will look at your case and see what damages you can recover financially. Typically, these damages are split into two categories: economic and noneconomic. Your economic damages cover items that you can calculate. Let’s look into some examples.

After a bicycle accident in Texas, you’re going to need care for your injuries. Minor crashes may result in a trip to the doctor or hospital, but severe crashes could require hospitalization until the doctor says it’s safe for the person to leave. You may incur a high amount of hospital bills during that time, which could be included in your economic damages.

While you’re treating your injuries, you may miss work. You may have some sick days you can take as you’re recovering, but those days eventually run out. When you start to miss a large amount of work, you may feel stressed about how you’re going to afford care without a consistent paycheck. Your lawyer will take your lost wages into account, as well as the wages you may miss in the future because you’re still recovering.

Your noneconomic damages may not have an assigned dollar amount, but they are just as important when considering your compensation. Pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life are generally included. Your injury may prevent you from using a bicycle again for a long time, or perhaps permanently.

Before determining the compensation you’re rightfully owed, our Midland bicycle accident attorney will assess your accident to find out what happened, why, and who was at fault.

What Forms of Negligence Cause Bicycle Crashes in Texas?  

Unfortunately, Texas has had bicycle accidents that resulted in injuries and fatalities. The Texas Department of Transportation reported the statistics of bicycle accidents and injuries in 2018:

• 72 fatalities
• 257 suspected serious crashes
• 258 suspected serious injuries

Negligence is often the common factor in bicycle wrecks. Cyclists have a limited amount of space on the road, along with little to no protection if an accident occurs. Maneuvering away from a vehicle may not be an option. If a driver acts negligently, they could easily hit the cyclist.

Common forms of driver negligence include paying attention to cell phones, attempting to multitask, and disobeying traffic signs or patterns. When a driver takes their eyes and attention away from the road for even a second, it could have deadly consequences for other motorists on the road, including cyclists.

Midland drivers may not be looking for cyclists. When they’re making a turn or backing up, the driver may look for other cars, which are much bigger objects than bikes. For example, if a driver is making a left turn at an intersection, they may think the road is clear, but not realize a cyclist is approaching.

A driver in a parked car still poses a threat to cyclists if they don’t look before opening their door. They can hit a cyclist with their car door and cause injuries. Often referred to as dooring accidents, the cyclist could fall into the road and be in danger of other oncoming vehicles or they could be pushed off the side of the road.