Bicycle accidents often result in severe injuries to the rider due to the minimal protections offered in the event of a crash. As a result, cyclists involved in accidents tend to face significant medical costs.
Covering these costs on your own can be a challenge. That’s why it is essential to secure experienced legal counsel to fight for your right to fair compensation.
At the Morelli Law Firm, our Albany bicycle accident lawyers have helped countless cyclists get the money they need for their injuries after an accident. We can help you establish liability and build your case for compensation.
Steps Your Bicycle Accident Attorney Will Take
Once you hire a bicycle accident attorney in Albany, they will immediately get to work on your case. The first thing that your attorney will do after gathering as much information from you about your accident is to launch an independent investigation into your case.
In the course of their investigation, your lawyer will:
- Visit the site of your accident
- Interview witnesses
- Discuss your case with expert witnesses
- Obtain a copy of the police report
The purpose of this investigation is two-fold. Your attorney will be looking to prove liability, while also building your case for compensation. Once their inquiry is complete, your attorney will assess your damages and perform the necessary calculations to determine the total value of your bicycle accident claim.
The next step will be for your attorney to discuss your options with you. They will inform you of the evidence they have gathered and the strength of your case. They will walk you through the pros and cons of filing an insurance claim versus filing a personal injury lawsuit. They will advise you of the course they feel would be best, but ultimately, they will follow whichever path you choose.
They will then either file the necessary paperwork with the insurance company or the court. For a personal injury lawsuit, your attorney will take all the required actions, up to representing you in court, if necessary. However, the whole time they will also attempt to settle your case out of court by negotiating with opposing counsel to try and reach an acceptable deal.
How Much Time Do I Have to File a Claim?
After a bicycle accident in Albany, you will have a limited amount of time available to file a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible party and recover compensation. In the state of New York, there is a three-year statute of limitations for filing personal injury claims after an accident. However, you should be aware that there are several exceptions to this timeline.
One example is if the liable party is a government agency. In these cases, you will have far less time to file a claim. The best way to ensure that your claim gets filed on time and that you don’t miss out on your chance to recover compensation is to hire a personal injury lawyer shortly after you suffer an injury.
Hiring a lawyer early will have the added benefit of putting them in the best possible position to build a strong case on your behalf. Waiting to hire a lawyer can make it difficult for them to recover usable evidence or witness testimony.
Albany Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
The Cost of Hiring a Bicycle Accident Attorney in Albany, NY
Many people are wary of hiring a lawyer to represent them when they are fighting for compensation after an accident. Much of this concern has to do with the fact that people worry they won’t be able to afford to pay a lawyer and that they might end up in an even worse financial position than the one they currently face.
What these people don’t realize is that personal injury lawyers typically work on a contingency fee basis. That means that they only collect money if their clients recover compensation. Your Albany bicycle accident attorney will be paid based on results rather than the number of hours they work on your case.
Personal injury attorney fees are collected directly from the payout the client receives from the liable party. They get paid as a preset percentage of the money paid out. This means that your lawyer will make more money if they secure more compensation for you. With your fates tied in this manner, you can be assured that your lawyer will work hard to get you a significant payout.
Recoverable Damages After a Bicycle Accident in Albany
If you get badly injured in a bicycle accident, you are likely eligible to claim several different damages. Which damages apply to your injury will depend upon the specifics of your case. There are many specific injury lawsuit damages, but they can all be grouped into three main categories.
Economic, non-economic, and punitive damages are each awarded for different reasons.
Economic Damages
The purpose of economic damages is to compensate an injury victim for the monetary costs caused by their accident. Ideally, the amount awarded for economic damages should equal the present and future costs that the injury victim suffers. Common economic damages include:
- Property damage
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are the legal system’s attempt to replace the irreplaceable. Unfortunately, the losses covered under non-economic damages can never be made right. All the law can do is attempt to replace these losses with money.
As a result, the amount awarded for non-economic damages is often substantial. In most cases, non-economic damages tend to make up the bulk of a settlement package. Common non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of companionship
- Permanent disability
- Diminished quality of life
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are another beast entirely. Economic and non-economic damages focus on repaying the accident victim for losses they have suffered. Meanwhile, punitive damages focus on punishing the liable party for their behavior.
Punitive damages are only awarded in a small portion of bicycle accident cases. These damages are assessed when the actions of the liable party were exceptionally negligent or performed with a blatant disregard for public safety.
Talk to an Albany Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
At the Morelli Law Firm, we have a proven track record of securing favorable outcomes for our clients. We know how hard it can be to get things back on track after a serious injury.
Our bicycle accident lawyers in Albany have the necessary experience to handle every aspect of your legal case so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries.
Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to schedule a free case evaluation without obligation today.