Nashville Bicycle Accident Attorney

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 857 bicyclists killed in traffic accidents in 2018; but, the number of injuries associated with bicycle accidents is way more startling—there were 424,350 bicycle injuries serious enough to require emergency department treatment that same year. If you’ve been injured in a bike accident, you need a Nashville bicycle accident attorney by your side to help you navigate the process of dealing with insurance companies, medical bills, and getting the compensation you deserve for your injury.

How Do Bicycle Accidents Happen?

When an accident involves a bicycle and a motorist, the motorist is most likely to be at fault. Sometimes this is because a driver legitimately did not see a cyclist that was obscured by another vehicle or glare; often, accidents are caused by drivers not paying attention to the road or looking in their rearview mirrors.

When drivers aren’t paying attention, accidents happen—and when those accidents involve bicycles, the injuries can be severe. Many bicycle accidents are caused by some of the same factors that cause car accidents, like running a red light or failing to stop at a stop sign. This is bad enough when it involves two cars, but a collision can be even more devastating when it involves a car-bicycle accident.

Another common accident that’s more unique to bikes occurs when a car door is opened in front of an oncoming cyclist. Depending on the cyclist’s speed, the injuries from this type of accident can also be severe.

Who Is Most at Risk for a Bicycle Accident?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, risk factors for bicycle injury and death include:

Being an adult ages 50 to 59 years old puts you at a higher risk of a fatal bicycle accident.
Being between the ages of five and 19 puts you at a higher risk of a non-fatal bicycle related injury.
Men are four times more likely to be injured on a bicycle than women.
Most bicycle accident deaths happen in urban areas at non-intersection locations.
37% of bicycle injury deaths involve alcohol use.

Injuries Associated with Auto-Bicycle Accidents

Some of the most common injuries our Nashville bicycle accident attorneys see include:

Concussions
Bruises
Scrapes and cuts
Broken bones, especially those in the arms, legs, and ribs
Traumatic brain injuries
Facial fractures
Dental trauma
Internal bleeding and trauma
Spinal injury

What to Do If You’ve Been Involved in a Bicycle Accident

In the immediate aftermath of a bicycle accident, do not leave the scene. Call 911 and ask to have the police and paramedics dispatched to your location; if you can’t make the call yourself, ask someone else at the scene to make the call for you. Do not make any statements, including to the police, until you speak with an attorney.

Once your medical situation is under control, it’s time to search for Nashville personal injury lawyers and choose a team with experience handling bicycle accident cases. You will begin receiving phone calls from insurance companies shortly after your accident and it’s important not to speak with them; they may sound sympathetic and tell you they want to help, but their goal is to reduce the amount of compensation you receive for your injury.