Many people in the U.S. participate in cycling activities, with about 870,000 riding their bicycles to work regularly, per the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS). However, despite the benefits of cycling to overall health and the environment, it significantly raises your chances of being in an accident.
While the metal shells of vehicles and airbags protect motorists in larger vehicles, cyclists barely have any sturdy protection. As such, bicycle accidents usually leave victims with severe and fatal injuries. If you’ve been injured or lost a loved one this way, a Crowley bicycle accident lawyer with Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help you pursue compensation. We can talk with you about your accident for free during a consultation.
How Can We Help After a Bicycle Accident in Crowley, La.?
Bicycle accidents can cause severe outcomes, including life-changing injuries and reduced life quality. As a victim, your lawyer must ensure that the at-fault party compensates you fully, depending on how the crash impacted your life.
If you hire us, our Crowley bicycle accident lawyer can help in the following ways:
- Investigate the accident scene to establish the cause and identify liability
- Gather relevant documents, police reports, photos, and videos for evidence to build your case
- Liaise with other professionals, such as doctors and accident reconstruction experts, to validate your claim
- Speak with eyewitnesses and record their accounts of what transpired
- Research prior complaints or convictions the defendant may have to prove negligence on their part
- Explain all legal jargon and confusing laws so that you understand how they apply to your case
- Calculate all the losses your injuries and damages caused and determine a fair settlement amount
- File your lawsuit within Louisiana’s statute of limitations deadline
- Handle all communications with the insurers on your behalf
- Take the matter to court and represent you if necessary
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Recoverable Damages After a Crowley Bicycle Accident
After the accident, your attorney’s primary goal will be to get you enough compensation to restore your life quality to how it was before the accident.
Depending on the extent of your injuries, you could be entitled to some of the following damages:
- Cost of medical treatment
- Pain and suffering
- Lost income (now and in the future)
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Wrongful death damages
Recoverable Damages in a Crowley Bicycle Accident
Wrongful death damages compensate the family of a deceased victim so they can pay their deceased loved one’s medical costs, funeral and burial expenses, the pain and suffering they endured, loss of companionship, and loss of consortium.
These actions must be filed in accordance with state law. We can review the specifics of wrongful death actions in Louisiana during a free presentation.
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The Statute of Limitations for a Crowley Bicycle Accident
After a crash, there’s a deadline for filing a claim or lawsuit against the party, parties, or entity responsible for your injuries if you seek compensation. This period is the statute of limitations. According to CC Art. 3492, the statute of limitations in Louisiana is one year from the bicycle accident date. Wrongful death actions also have a one-year filing window from the deceased’s death date, per CC Art. 2315.2.
Once this period elapses, you cannot recover your damages. We encourage you to enlist the services of a Crowley bicycle accident lawyer immediately after the accident for legal help. The sooner you contact us, the sooner we can start working for you.
We Can Start on Your Crowley Bicycle Accident Case for Free
We are a contingency law firm, which means you do not have to pay us up front to start on your case. We get paid only if we win your case. To date, we have recovered more than $200 million in verdicts and settlements for our clients. We can review your Crowley bicycle accident and advise you on how much you could recover in your case.
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Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), road crashes injure more than 100,000 cyclists every year. More than 1,000 of these riders lose their lives. Here are some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents in Crowley and other major US cities:
- Collisions involving doors: This crash occurs when a motorist exits their vehicle without checking if there’s a bicycle approaching from the rear. Cyclists could sustain severe injuries after colliding with open doors of parked vehicles when moving at high speeds.
- Crashes at the intersection: A cyclist can be involved in a rear-end collision if they stop at an intersection and the vehicle behind them cannot brake in time. Such crashes can lead to severe injuries
- Right-turn collisions: This accident happens when a driver makes a right turn at an intersection and crosses a bike in front. If they aren’t paying attention to the road, they may crash into a cyclist. Alternatively, a cyclist could accidentally crash into a vehicle if it makes a right turn and crosses in front without making a turn signal.
- Left-turn collision: An inattentive driver making a lefthand turn at an intersection could crash into a cyclist or get directly in their way, causing the cyclist to slam into the side of the vehicle.
In these instances, bicycle accidents tend to occur due to merging errors, reckless or distracted driving, speeding, driving too close to a cyclist, and opening car doors in the street without first checking for approaching cyclists. Poor road conditions, unfavorable weather, pedestrian accidents, and pets can also result in bicycle accidents.
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Bike Laws in Louisiana
According to Louisiana’s Department of Transportation & Development (DOTD), here are some of the primary biking laws to keep in mind whenever you’re on the road:
- Safe passing laws: Cyclists must exercise due care when overtaking a bicycle or vehicle going in the same direction, leaving a clearance of not less than 3 feet for safe passing.
- Helmet laws: Louisiana doesn’t require adults to wear helmets when riding a bike, but persons under age 12 must wear a helmet, whether they are cyclists or passengers.
- Sidewalk riding: There’s no law prohibiting riding your bicycle on the sidewalk in Crowley, but it’s prudent to be mindful of pedestrians to prevent accidents.
- Bicycles are vehicles: In Louisiana, the law considers bicycles as vehicles, so cyclists have similar rights and duties to other drivers.
- Use of vehicular lanes: Since Louisiana doesn’t have separate lanes or paths for bicycles, cyclists can use the regular vehicle lanes.
- Where to ride:When on the roadway, cyclists should ride as close as possible to the right-hand edge except in various circumstances, including when they want to overtake another bicycle or vehicle moving in the same direction or when making a left turn that leads into a private driveway or road.
Contact Us for a Free Consultation After a Crowley Bicycle Accident
Were you recently injured in an accident while riding a bicycle in Crowley, Louisiana? Has a close family member lost their life due to a bicycle accident? You might be entitled to monetary compensation that can help you cover damages that can help you recover from the collision and rebuild your life.
Contact Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for legal help filing your personal injury or wrongful death action. We’ll strive to get you the maximum compensation. We’re standing by to talk with you during a free consultation today.
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