The weather in Jacksonville, FL is great for getting outdoors and taking a bike ride. However, Florida transportation officials have noted that 18 people are involved in a bicycle accident every day across the state. In fact, Florida leads the nation in bicycle accident deaths.
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, you need an experienced attorney who can help you get compensation for your injuries. You may be entitled to significant compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, trauma, and future medical care needs.
The team at Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers has been handling serious and catastrophic injury cases for several decades. Jacksonville residents have come to trust us with all their personal injury matters, including car crashes, bicycle accidents, construction accidents, and more. We are ready to help you fight to get the justice you deserve. Contact us or call us at 904-356-6071 today to schedule your free consultation with one of our Jacksonville bicycle accident lawyers.
How Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Bicycle Accident in Jacksonville
The time after a bicycle accident in Jacksonville, Florida can be confusing and difficult. You may be in financial distress while also dealing with your physical pain. Plus, the insurance company may be looking for ways to avoid paying your claim.
Let the team at Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers handle every detail of your claim while you focus on your physical recovery. Some ways we can help with your case include:
- Offering you sound legal advice that explores all your options
- Filing all necessary paperwork and handling all communications with the insurance company
- Gathering evidence, such as witness statements, photos, and video surveillance, to help prove your case
- Aggressively negotiating a full and fair recovery on your behalf
- Filing a lawsuit and arguing your case in front of a jury when necessary
Don’t let the insurance company manipulate you into taking a lowball settlement offer. Let Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers fight to help you get all the compensation to which you are entitled. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation with a Jacksonville personal injury attorney.
What Is My Bicycle Accident Case Worth?
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, the value of your case depends heavily upon the extent of your injuries. The more severe your injuries are, the higher the financial recovery in your case is likely to be. Some of the factors that contribute to the value of a bicycle accident case include:
- The severity of your injuries
- Future medical needs
- How your daily life has been affected
- Total cost of your medical care
- Amount of time you missed from work
- Whether you will be able to return to work
- Whether you will have permanent injuries or effects from the accident
An experienced bicycle accident lawyer can help give you an accurate estimate of your case’s value. We will assess the facts of your case along with all your medical records to help you understand how much your case may be worth.
What Kind of Damages Are Available to Accident Victims?
Bicycle accident victims are entitled to compensation for all their losses, including their financial losses and physical and emotional trauma. These damages are known as economic and non-economic damages, respectively.
Accident victims can suffer extensive financial losses after an accident. Economic damages are intended to compensate victims for these losses. It is fairly easy to assign a dollar value to these damages because there are receipts and other documentation associated with them. Some common examples of economic damages are:
- Present and future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Future lost earnings capacity
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation expenses
- Nursing care
- Property damage
It is more difficult to value a victim’s non-economic damages. Insurance companies often try to downplay a victim’s injuries in an attempt to minimize the non-economic damages in the case. These damages are sometimes referred to as pain and suffering damages. Common examples include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of quality of life
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Loss of consortium
- Permanent scarring
Non-economic damages in an injury case are often worth more than economic damages. We can help you identify all the damages you are entitled to and fight to ensure that you are fairly compensated for them.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Bicycle Accident Lawyer?
After an accident, you are already under enough financial stress. The last thing you should think about is finding the money to hire a lawyer. The good news is that hiring a bicycle accident lawyer does not have to cost you any money upfront.
Most personal injury lawyers, including bicycle accident lawyers, work on a contingency fee basis. This means that the lawyer’s fee is taken as a portion of any money recovered by the client. If the lawyer does not win the case, they do not receive a fee.
Contingency fees in bicycle accident cases typically range anywhere from 33% to 40% of the total recovery. Some factors that can affect the amount of the fee include:
- Location
- Attorney’s experience level
- Attorney’s track record
- Complexity of the case
- Injuries involved in the case
- Whether the case settles out of court or goes to trial
According to the Florida Court Rules, a contingency fee agreement must be in writing. Make sure you fully understand how the fee is to be calculated before you agree to hire the lawyer. At Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we never collect a fee unless we win your case.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed For a Bicycle Accident in Florida?
Yes, you may still recover damages even if you are being blamed for your accident. Florida follows a modified comparative negligence rule for personal injury cases based on negligence. Under the Florida rule, a victim may still be entitled to recover compensation as long as they are less than 51% responsible for their accident.
A victim’s compensation will be reduced by their portion of the fault. For example, imagine you are injured in a bicycle accident and suffer $10,000 in damages. However, you are found to be 20% at fault. Under Florida’s rule, you would still be entitled to recover 80%, or $8,000, of your damages.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation For All Of Your Bicycle Accident Injuries
A bicycle is no match for a motor vehicle, and bicycle riders often sustain severe injuries when an accident occurs. At Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand how devastating these injuries can be, and we will fight to get you fairly compensated for all your injuries, including:
- Broken bones
- Brain injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Amputation
After your accident, you need an experienced attorney who knows how to get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Contact us today to let us get started helping you.
What Causes Most Bicycle Accidents in Jacksonville, Florida?
Bicycle accidents can happen for a variety of different reasons. Although motor vehicle drivers are not always the cause of these accidents, their inattention is one of the leading causes. Some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents in Jacksonville include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Driving under the influence
- Failure to yield
- Mechanical failure
- Driving against traffic
- Lack of a bike path
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, we can help investigate your case and determine the cause of the crash. Give us a call today for your free consultation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Bicycle Accident in Florida?
The statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits in Florida is two years. This means that you have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. Failure to file a lawsuit before this deadline can completely prevent you from getting any compensation for your injuries.
In some situations, the timeframe could be shorter or longer than the general rule of two years. This is why it is so important to seek the help of an experienced attorney as soon after your accident as possible.
Contact Our Jacksonville Bicycle Accident Lawyers For a Free Consultation
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident in Jacksonville, Florida, you deserve to be compensated for all your injuries. The insurance company may fight you at every turn to avoid paying your claim. However, we are ready to help you fight back and get a full and fair recovery.
Contact Coker Law Personal Injury Lawyers today to schedule a free consultation with a Jacksonville bicycle accident lawyer. You do not have to go through this difficult situation alone. Visit our personal injury law office in Jacksonville, and let us help you fight for the justice you deserve.