Lawyer for Bicycle Accident in Oakville, MO
Oakville, MO Personal Injury Attorneys
Call 866-382-4167 for a Free Consultation | Oakville, MO Lawyer for Bicycle Accident
Lawyer for Bicycle Accident in Oakville, MO. Riding a bicycle can inspire a wonderful sense of freedom. But on too many occasions, other motorists don't respect the safety of bicyclists and end up causing an accident. If you were injured in a bike accident through no fault of your own, the lawyer for bicycle accident team of Halvorsen Klote is here to stand by your side. We provide expert and sound legal advocacy to clients in Oakville, MO and throughout the Greater St. Louis area and Southern Illinois. Talking to us is free, and you do not owe us anything until you are fairly compensated. Speak directly to an accomplished and compassionate bicycle accident lawyer by calling 866-382-4167 or by getting in touch with us online.
Why Should You Hire a Lawyer for Bicycle Accident Cases in Oakville, MO?
While some simple cases for relatively minor injuries can be handled without the help of an attorney, most require an experienced bike accident attorney in Oakville, MO to ensure the ideal result. A personal injury lawyer in Oakville, MO can give support in a range of ways:
Maximizing Compensation and Ensuring Fair Settlements
The purpose of making an injury claim is to get compensation. While insurance companies try to offer as little money as possible, bike accident attorneys can help you increase your compensation by:
- Gathering evidence that proves the other party's liability
- Proving how every single of your damages related to the accident are included by the insurance policy
- Calculating the complete scope of your damages and all the compensation you are legally entitled to
- Finding additional insurance coverage if your damages surpass the policy limits
- Making sure the insurance company applies the law fairly and ethically
Negotiating With Insurance Companies to Protect Your Rights
Dealing with a heartless insurance representative can feel defeating. It's their job to help me, isn't it? Yes, but they'll do whatever it takes they can to avoid taking on that responsibility.
Insurance companies often depend on claimants knowing scant about laws pertaining to injuries and accidents to provide as minimal money as possible. We'll guarantee they understand their legal obligation to pay you for all your damages.
Legal Expertise
Bicycle accident cases involve intricate legal processes, including collecting evidence, deposing witnesses, analyzing medical records, and negotiating with insurance adjusters. People who are inexperienced with injury claims can make mistakes or overlook critical steps. By hiring a lawyer specializing in bicycle accidents, your legal standing becomes a strength, not a disadvantage.
You didn't ask to be injured and you shouldn't have to deal with the consequences. Let us handle ensuring your compensation while you focus on healing.
Gathering Evidence to Strengthen Your Case
Some cases are more challenging to prove than others. For your bicycle accident case, you'll need an attorney to interrogate witnesses, analyze medical records, and link your injuries to your accident, as well as question witnesses who can corroborate your story. The more complicated your case, the more evidence is needed. Experienced bicycle accident attorneys like those at Halvorsen Klote will know how to find the evidence needed to get maximum compensation.
Representing You in Court if Filing a Lawsuit is Necessary
Most bicycle accident cases settle out of court. However, if liability isn't clear, your damages are high, or other complications come up, the insurance company is going to contest against your rights. That's why you need seasoned personal injury lawyers in your corner to initiate legal proceedings and take them to court if necessary.
As experienced Oakville, MO trial attorneys, Halvorsen Klote can fight for you throughout your case, from initial case evaluation through a jury verdict.
Oakville, MO Bicycle Accident Statistics
In 2020, there were 983 bike accident deaths in motor vehicle crashes across the country, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than any other year since 1987. According to data from the National Safety Council, in 2020 there were 325,173 bicyclists injured in nonfatal accidents. Kids ages five to 14 are the most likely to sustain an injury, while adults aged 55 to 64 are the most likely to be victim to a fatal accident.
In Missouri, in 406 total crashes, 351 people sustained nonfatal injuries and six people passed away, according to statistics in the Missouri Traffic Safety Compendium. In Illinois, in 2,180 bicycle wrecks 1,995 people were injured and 28 people died.
Across the U.S., urban areas with more vehicle traffic see most bike crashes. Over three-tenths of bike crashes happen at night, when it is more difficult to notice bikers on the road.
While bicycle accidents account for only one percent of trips taken by American travelers, each year they account for over twice that in motor vehicle deaths. The deviation points to the terrible damage drivers can cause when they don't look out for bikers, and how important safety measures like helmets and lighting are.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Oakville, MO?
Most bike accidents are caused either because of biker error or because a motorist merely was not paying attention. Some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents we see are:
- Drivers neglecting to to pay attention
- Drivers neglecting to to yield the right of way
- Drivers neglecting to to respect a bike lane
- Drivers passing dangerously
- Opening a door without checking for bicyclists
- Reckless driving
- Driving under the influence
- Road signs that impede a motorists vision
- Road hazards
- Improperly zoned-off construction sites
- Pedestrians being oblivious to bikers
- Defective car or bike components
While intersections are the most common place to see or experience a bike accident, a National Transport Safety Board report relayed that accidents on the side of the road cause more significant injuries because of the higher speeds involved. Your Oakville, MO bike accident lawyer at Halvorsen Klote will perform an exhaustive investigation into your accident to determine the cause of your injuries and who is liable for your damages.
What Are Common Injuries from Oakville, MO Bicycle Accidents?
Bicyclists are at a higher risk for severe injuries than anyone else on the road. Some of the most common injuries our lawyer for bicycle accident team has helped Oakville, MO residents receive compensation for include:
- Brain injuries
- Neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Broken bones
- Organ damage
- Nerve damage
- Joint injuries such as strains
Because of the high cost of dealing with a bicycle accident injury, you need experienced and tenacious bicycle accident lawyers like those at Halvorsen Klote to make sure you are compensated for every way in which the injury has affected your life. In the worst accidents, if you suffer the wrongful death of a family member in the Oakville, MO area, we will stand by your side and help you find some form of peace and secure your future.
Who Can I Hold Accountable for My Bicycle Accident Injuries in Oakville, MO?
Who you can seek compensation from depends on the the different aspects that surrounds your accident. Different accidents may have different, or multiple, liable parties. In some cases there are multiple liable parties, and an accomplished bicycle accident lawyer will investigate your claim and make each of them compensate you based on how much of the accident was their fault. The most common liable parties in bicycle accidents include:
Another Driver
Car, truck and motorcycle drivers can often cause bicycle accidents by not respecting bicyclists' right to share the road. But the road is for everyone, and if a car, truck or motorcycle driver injures a bicyclists the rules for liability in car accidents is no different than any other crash. For example, if someone causes an accident because they were texting and driving, they would be responsible for your injuries in a civil claim.
Both Illinois and Missouri have rules of the road for how motorists are supposed to drive around bicyclists, such as allowing them space in the street when bike lanes are not present. Following the legal philosophy of negligence per se, someone is automatically liable for your injuries if they violate a state statute. So if a driver breaks the law and injures you, your lawyer for bicycle accident will be able to file a negligence per se claim, and the insurance company will likely be more motivated to offer a fair recovery.
A Faulty or Car or Truck Parts
If your result was because of a defective product, such as headlights, an engineer, manufacturer and/or vendor may be liable in a product liability claim. Anybody involved in the chain of distribution must ensure that products are not dangerous when used appropriately and issue recalls whenever a component is found to be unsafe. If they don't, you can make a claim against them.
A Trucking or Other Commercial Company
If you are injured by a truck driver, rideshare driver or other commercial driver, the employer may be partially liable. For example, if a trucking company failed to perform a background check, they would be least partially liable for your injuries.
A Government Agency
Governmental entities both locally and in the state or federal government need to keep our Oakville, MO roadways free of unreasonable dangers. If a hazard such as a pothole played a part in your injuries, your Oakville, MO bicycle accident lawyer may be able to find out that a government agency did not follow their own regulations for maintaining safe roads. There are special rules for filing claims against government agencies and they have different deadlines for how long you have to file, so it is important to reach out to an attorney as soon as possible in order to make your claim.
In Missouri, you are also able to make a claim against a public bus driver. Pursuant to Missouri Revised Statute §537.600, government employees who cause an accident while operating a motor vehicle are not given sovereign immunity like most other government workers are in personal injury cases. Unfortunately, in Illinois, pursuant to 745 ILCS 10/ you cannot sue a public employee unless you can prove that they deliberately harmed you.
What Are My Oakville, MO Bicycle Accident Injuries Worth?
There are a variety of factors that dictate what, and how much, compensation you will receive for your bicycle accident injuries:
- The extent of your injuries — More significant injuries lead to higher medical bills, and you should be reimbursed for all of those expenses. Assistive devices such as wheelchairs will lead to much higher compensation than a quick trip to the emergency room. Did your bicycle accident lead to a joint replacement? The lifespan for those is 15-20 years, and your Halvorsen Klote Oakville, MO bicycle accident lawyer will make sure you are not the one that has to pay for it when a new one is necessary.
- How your injuries have affected your physical and emotional well-being — Your financial recovery is meant to compensate you for the less tangible ways your injuries have hurt you, including pain and suffering and mental anguish. After years of playing piano, is it hard to sit up straight on the bench now? An experienced and knowledgeable Oakville, MO bicycle accident lawyer at Halvorsen Klote will secure you compensation for those damages as well.
- How much time you miss from work — You will also be reimbursed for the money you were not able to earn. If you couldn't earn a living because you were on bed rest for six weeks, you will be compensated for that.
- If your injuries prevent you from working the same job — If you were a warehouse worker who sustained a back injury in a bicycle accident in Oakville, MO and now are not able to safely lift over 30 pounds, you need to know your future is secure after you've healed as much as possible. Your compensation will need to substantial enough to make sure you and your family will still have the means to live a comfortable life.
- Policy limits — The defendant's insurance policy may have an impact on your settlement amount. A standard car insurance policy may have a $50,000 limit on bodily injury, while commercial enterprises may have up to $5 million in coverage. An experienced lawyer for bicycle accidents will make sure you get all the money possible by filing an underinsured motorist claim with your own insurance company if your damages exceed the policy limits.
- Whether you are partially at fault for your bicycle accident — Both Missouri and Illinois practice the legal doctrine of comparative negligence, meaning that you can still receive compensation if you bear some responsibility for the accident, but the amount will be lowered based on how much blame you share. Meaning, if your damages total $100,000 but you are responsible for 30 percent of the accident, your compensation would be lowered by $30,000. Missouri is referred to as a "pure" comparative fault state, meaning you can receive compensation even if you are 99 percent responsible. Illinois is a "modified" comparative fault state, meaning you would be barred from recovery if more than half the accident is your fault.
At Halvorsen Klote, our Oakville, MO bicycle accident lawyers know how to precisely value claims and get you all of the compensation you deserve. We know that influential corporations and insurance companies often resist taking accountability. We do what we do every day because we believe that an ordinary person who has been hurt by another's negligence should be able to depend on the same knowledgeable and aggressive legal representation as wealthy organizations.
What to Do if You're Injured in a Bicycle Accident in Oakville, MO
Getting in a bicycle accident can be terrifying and it can be hard to know exactly what to do, but there are several things you should do to get the most out of both your financial and physical recovery.
Stay Calm, Stay Safe and Get Medical Treatment
If you're able to, move to the side of the road to get away from oncoming traffic. Leave your bike, as trying to move it could make your injuries worse. If your injuries don't allow you to move safely, wait for emergency medical personnel to get to the scene.
If you don't need to go to the hospital in an ambulance, visit the emergency room or urgent care after authorities tell you you can leave the scene. If you didn't go immediately, schedule a visit to your general practitioner as soon as possible. If you don't have a doctor's record of your injuries, you won't be able to obtain compensation from the insurance company.
Call and Wait for the Police
You need to have the police make a report, as it will go a long way in proving the other party's liability. Police are trained to determine fault in an accident. When talking to police, don't admit fault or over-explain what happened. Be honest, but don't say anything beyond the facts of the accident and your injuries, and don't provide any information they don't directly ask for.
Gather Evidence and Witness Contact Information
While waiting for the authorities to arrive, gather as much evidence as possible. Take photos of the accident location, any damage to your bicycle and the other vehicle, and your injuries. If there are witnesses present, get their contact information so your city, state bicycle accident lawyer can get in touch with them at a later time.
Don't Settle Too Quickly
The insurance companies' first offer will almost always be an inadequate offer. They want you to settle before you become aware of the full extent of your damages or hire an attorney. They may tell you no more money is available, but that's almost never true. Many injury attorneys give free consultations, so it's always recommended to consult with a lawyer about your case before accepting a settlement.
Take a look at some of the other cases we take on in Oakville, MO:
- Fatal Car Accident Lawyer
- Auto Accident Attorney
- Bike Wreck Lawyer
- What to Do After a Car Accident
- Premises Liability Attorneys
- Automobile Injury Attorney
- Motorcycle Accidents Attorney
- Pedestrian Accident Lawyer
- Injury Claim Lawyer
Lawyer for Bicycle Accident in Oakville, MO | Halvorsen Klote
You did not ask to be put in this situation, and you do not have to go through this alone. Our Oakville, MO lawyer for bicycle accident team has pledged their abilities to fighting for people who have been treated unfairly, and ensuring that they recover the full compensation they deserve. You do not pay unless we reach a successful conclusion to your case. Call a bicycle accident lawyer in Oakville, MO today at 866-382-4167 or contact us online for a free consultation.
Joel Halvorsen
Attorney at Law
Joel Halvorsen and his partner Greg Klote founded the Halvorsen Klote law firm on the principle that injured people and their families should have access to the same quality legal representation as large insurance companies.
Greg Klote
Attorney at Law
Greg Klote is a partner and founder of Halvorsen Klote.
Greg has successfully fought for people who were injured through no fault of their own. He became a lawyer to help make a difference in the lives of those who have been wronged and treated unfairly.
