Colorado Bicycle Accident Lawyers

In Colorado, you can sue a negligent motorist if they hit you while you are riding your bike. To do so, it pays to hire a bicycle accident lawyer. When you have this personal injury attorney at your side, you can request compensation to cover any damages that you have incurred. 

The team at Heuser & Heuser, LLP has more than 80 years of combined experience in personal injury cases. Our bike accident lawyer can review your case and help you file your lawsuit right away. To get started, please reach out to us.

Why Bike Accidents Happen in Colorado

Over a 10-year span, more than 8,000 crashes involving bicycles were reported in Colorado, according to research. Bike collisions happen in cities and towns across the Centennial State. They occur for many reasons, such as:

Distracted Driving

A motorist can look down at their cell phone or GPS system and lose focus behind the wheel. In this instance, the motorist can cause a distracted driving accident. If this driver hits a bicyclist, they can be held financially responsible for any injuries that the cyclist suffers. 

Speeding  

It is a driver’s responsibility to travel the posted speed limit, and Colorado has penalties in place for speeding violations. If a motorist chooses to speed, they put bicyclists, pedestrians, and other drivers in danger. A speeding motorist can cause a bike accident and be forced to pay damages to any cyclists involved in it. 

Changing Lanes Without Looking

A driver can move from one lane to another without checking their blind spots and accounting for cyclists. If this happens, the driver can crash into a bicyclist and cause serious harm. This driver cannot blame the fact that they did not see the cyclist for the accident, either. 

Running a Stop Sign or Red Light

There is no excuse for failing to stop at a stop sign or red light. Yet, a driver may ignore a stop sign or traffic signal. In either scenario, the motorist can collide with a bicyclist. 

Failure to Yield 

A motorist may be required to yield to oncoming traffic at a roundabout or intersection. The driver may decide not to do so. This can lead to a bicycle accident. 

Impaired Driving

Drunk driving is the top cause of death on U.S. roadways, MADD reports. Regardless, a motorist may choose to drive while intoxicated. This driver can cause a bicycle accident and face civil and criminal penalties for their actions. 

Driver Fatigue  

A driver may spend many hours behind the wheel. This motorist’s concentration can suffer due to the fact that they have been driving for a long time without a break. Meanwhile, this driver may be increasingly prone to mistakes — and they may not be able to stop quickly enough to prevent a bicycle crash. 

At Heuser & Heuser, LLP, we help bike accident victims involved in crashes due to any of these reasons and many others. Our bike accident attorney can take a look at your case and help you decide if now is the right time to file a claim. For more information, please reach out to us.

What to Do After a Colorado Bicycle Accident

If you are riding your bicycle and a car crashes into you, try not to panic. At this time, there are several things that you should do to protect yourself. These include:

Call 911

Give the 911 operator details about your location, what happened, and any injuries that you or anyone else has suffered. The operator will send medical personnel to your accident scene to treat you and others who are injured. They will also have police officers come to the scene, and these officers can prepare an accident report.  

Request Information from the At-Fault Driver and Witnesses

Get the first and last name and other contact information from the driver responsible for your collision and anyone who witnessed your accident. After your accident, you should request a copy of your crash report from the police, too. You can use this information to hold the at-fault driver responsible for their negligence. 

Capture Photos and Videos

Use your smartphone to take photos and videos of any injuries that you have suffered, damage to your bike, and the accident scene. If you do not have your smartphone with you while you ride your bike, anyone who saw the incident may be able to capture photos and videos on your behalf. Any photos and videos from the crash scene can be used to show a judge or jury what happened during the incident. 

Do Not Accept Responsibility for the Crash

Meet with police officers to discuss your side of the incident, but do not take accountability for it. If you take responsibility for a crash, this may be used against you if you file a personal injury lawsuit that goes to trial. Rather than risk compromising your case, share your side of the story immediately after the crash and consult with a lawyer to determine the next steps in the days following your accident.

Get Medical Care 

Do not forgo medical treatment for any bike crash injuries. You can go to an emergency room or doctor to receive medical care. This allows you to treat any injuries in their early stages. 

Connect with a Colorado Bike Accident Lawyer

Contact a legal team that has the skills and experience to handle a bicycle accident lawsuit. You can provide this team with information about your crash, how it happened, and who is responsible. Then, you can work with a bike collision attorney to file your lawsuit.   

It is important to take the appropriate actions after your bike collision. Even though you may want to move on from your accident as soon as you can, you should hold the at-fault motorist responsible for the incident. By filing a personal injury claim, you can do just that.

How Much Money You Can Get in a Bicycle Crash Lawsuit 

In a bicycle accident lawsuit, you can request economic and non-economic damages. A judge or jury will award economic damages based on your medical bills and other quantifiable losses. You can receive non-economic damages for pain and suffering relating to your accident.  

Bicycle accident attorneys encourage their clients to ask for both economic and non-economic damages. There is no limit on the amount of economic damages that you can ask for in a bike crash lawsuit. Comparatively, there is a cap of $642,180 for non-economic damages, which a court can increase up to $1,284,370 if a plaintiff provides clear and convincing evidence to support their request for compensation.

Your bicycle accident lawyer in Colorado will examine your financial losses to date and any you may incur in the future. They can help you calculate your damages. Next, they can prepare an argument designed to show a judge or jury why you should be awarded this amount. 

What to Expect After You File a Bicycle Collision Lawsuit

Bike accident lawyers help their clients establish realistic expectations. They can answer frequently asked questions and many others about personal injury claims. Your attorney will make sure that you can make informed decisions throughout the legal process. 

Your lawyer works with you to gather and evaluate evidence to support your request for compensation. There are several pieces of evidence that you can provide. These include:

• Medical bills that highlight the costs and severity of your injuries
• Pay stubs that show how much money you have lost due to injuries that have forced you to miss work
• Photos and videos from the accident scene
• Statements from witnesses who saw your crash happen

Bike accident attorneys leave no room for errors. They ensure that you can put together a body of evidence to compel a judge or jury to rule in your favor. If your attorney succeeds, you should have no trouble getting the compensation that you deserve.

Elements of Negligence in a Bike Crash Case

Merely claiming that a motorist caused your bike collision is insufficient. You must provide evidence to show that the at-fault driver was negligent. This requires you to prove the following elements of negligence were present when your bike crash happened:

• The motorist had a duty of care to act responsibly toward you.
• This driver caused your accident. 
• They violated their duty of care as a result of your crash. 
• You suffered damages during your accident. 

Your attorney can explain the elements of negligence to you and explain how they relate to your case. As you gather evidence and look for witnesses, your lawyer will consider the elements of negligence carefully. They will help you develop an argument that makes it clear to a judge or jury that the motorist who caused your crash was negligent. 

How to Respond to a Colorado Bike Crash Settlement Offer

After your bike crash, the person responsible for the incident may reach out to you and offer a settlement. If you accept the proposal, you can receive money that you can use to cover various accident-related expenses. On the other hand, approving a settlement offer requires you to give up your right to sue. 

If you get a settlement proposal, get in touch with a Colorado bicycle accident lawyer. You can then share the proposal with the attorney and hear what they have to say about it. The lawyer can give you honest and unbiased feedback about the offer and whether it lines up with your best interests. 

A Colorado bicycle accident attorney can explain what you need to know about settling a personal injury lawsuit. Your attorney will not push you to make a rash decision about a settlement offer. They can discuss the pros and cons of approving, declining, or countering any proposal. 

How a Bicycle Accident Attorney in Colorado Helps You Evaluate a Settlement Proposal

A bicycle accident lawyer in Colorado wants their client to make a settlement offer decision that serves them well now and in the future. The attorney will urge their client to consider the immediate and long-term ramifications of any decision that they make. They can discuss potential decisions in detail and ensure that their client knows what can happen based on what they do now. 

In car accident cases and other personal injury lawsuits, a plaintiff may give up tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars if they accept a settlement. Your bike accident attorney will explain how much money their client could lose if they approve a settlement offer. At the same time, they will comply with whatever their client requests. 

If you get a bicycle accident settlement proposal that you believe is fair, you can accept the offer and resolve your case. For those who are not satisfied with a defendant’s proposal, they can continue to negotiate. They can keep the lines of communication open with a defendant until their bike crash trial commences. 

How a Bike Collision Trial Works

In a bike accident trial, you and your attorney get to share your argument with a judge or jury. The defendant and their attorney can do the same. Once a judge or jury reviews evidence and witness testimony, they render a decision. 

A judge or jury will take as much time as they need to assess your case. They will consider the perspectives of all parties involved. If a judge or jury agrees with your point of view, they will award you damages. 

Your attorney will commit the time, energy, and resources required to build a compelling argument. They will prepare you for your trial date and make sure you understand all possible outcomes. During your trial, your attorney will advocate for you and ensure that your legal rights are protected. 

How Modified Comparative Negligence Applies to a Bike Accident Lawsuit

A judge or jury will apply Colorado’s modified comparative negligence statute to bike accident lawsuits, trucking accident cases, and other personal injury claims. With this statute, the plaintiff in a personal injury lawsuit cannot be awarded damages if they are primarily responsible for their injury. This means you must prove that the defendant in your bike collision case was more than 50% responsible for your crash — otherwise, you cannot receive compensation. 

Along with showing that the defendant is responsible for your biking crash, it is paramount to prove that this individual was 100% at fault. This is due to the fact that a judge or jury can reduce the damages that you receive based on your percentage of fault. If you are found to be less than 50% responsible for your biking collision, the damages that you receive will be reduced accordingly. 

For example, you may request $10,000 in damages in your bike crash lawsuit. A judge or jury may determine that you were 20% responsible for the incident. In this scenario, you will receive $8,000 in compensation. 

How to Choose an Attorney to Represent You in a Bike Accident Lawsuit

You can conduct a lengthy search for a bicycle crash lawyer in Colorado. When you do, you may discover many attorneys claim to offer the best legal services and support. As you try to identify the right attorney to represent you, there are several factors that you should consider, such as: 

Legal Experience

Your attorney should have a wealth of experience with bike collision lawsuits. They can share their legal knowledge and insights with you. Your lawyer can also teach you about Colorado’s personal injury laws. 

Case Results

Find out how an attorney has handled bike crash lawsuits. You can ask a lawyer to share some of the biking accident case results with you. Ideally, your lawyer should have an outstanding track record and helped past biking crash clients secure large settlements. 

Client Testimonials

If you are unsure about whether to hire a biking accident lawyer, look at what past clients are saying about this lawyer. You can request client testimonials from an attorney or search for them online. These testimonials can give you a good idea about what it is like to work with a bicycle crash lawyer. 

Partner with a Colorado Bicycling Crash Attorney

Heuser & Heuser, LLP makes it easy to get legal help with a bicycle accident lawsuit. We care about our clients and will do whatever we can to help you win or settle your bike crash case. To learn more or request a free consultation, please contact us today.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Great representation of party, very supportive and hardworking. Thank you, thank you, thank you ????
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Ms.Understood By Many 
 
2023-05-04
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Buen servicio
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Gerardo Mendoza 
 
2023-05-03
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
My name is Sandra , and I was t-boned in a serious car accident.  I suffered injuries that required numerous appointments such as physical therapy, mental health counseling, neurology and massage therapy.  I contacted Hueser and Hueser, and they took care of absolutely everything.  They were genuine and supportive, and answered any and all of my questions.  Anytime I had questions or concerns, all I had to do was pick up the phone.  I can’t imagine working with a more helpful team of professionals!
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Sandra Johnson 
 
2023-05-01
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Yo recomendaría a esta oficina, me gusto su trabajo,tanto por que tenia una traductora y me sentí cómoda. Gracias al equipo.
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Elsa Molina 
 
2023-05-01
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Very friendly staff , helpful, and good at answering questions
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Rhonda Bennett 
 
2023-04-25
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Pat Salt and Veronda were very helpful and knowledgeable about my case.
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Vera Smith 
 
2023-04-24
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Great experience with the team, everyone was so helpful and Doug even opted to not take a legal due to him wanting me to benefit the most I could from my injury/experience. Highly recommend H&H for any personal injury case!
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Sheena-Ann Ruiz 
 
2023-04-12
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Satisfied with how they took care of me.
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Edy Santana 
 
2023-04-10
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
Overall very good, would probably use them again!
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 Fey Fawn 
 
2023-04-07