Injured in a Bike Accident? What You Need to Know
You don’t see it coming; you don’t have time to react, you don’t have the power to stop it. Getting hit by a car is, without a doubt, a traumatizing experience. You would think that with the severity of possible negative repercussions, such as serious injury or death, drivers would be more careful when sharing the road with bicyclists and pedestrians. But in some cases, they’re not. Drivers frequently partake in driving habits such as illegal U-turns, not yielding, distracted driving, making unsafe turns, and drunk driving – leaving bicyclists concerned for their safety when out on the road. Keep in mind: bike accidents happen, but if you were involved, you have legal recourse. File a claim so you can get the compensation and justice you deserve.
One common concern is whether wearing a helmet at the time of the accident will determine the type of compensation you receive. Although it is the law in Providence to wear a helmet when bicycling, the courts will not use “comparative negligence” to deny or reduce your compensation if you were not wearing a helmet.
The greatest factor to consider when you are looking to attain justice for the accident is having sufficient proof that the vehicle driver was negligent. In most cases, you will have an advantage in court, one being “distracted driver laws.” These laws explicitly state that the driver must not read or send messages wirelessly while operating a motor vehicle, as well as wear earphones or headphones while on the freeway. Using witness statements, photo documentation and traffic cameras; you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it was the driver’s negligence that caused the accident.
It is important in lawsuits such as these to protect your interests by hiring a Providence bike accidents attorney. Ensuring that you have all your bases covered; from the scene of the accident to a thorough understanding of bike accident laws, you will be able to achieve justice for yourself.
