Cyclists often suffer serious injuries when involved in accidents on the road. For most bicyclists, the only protection they have in a crash is their helmet. While a helmet may protect you from a deadly head injury, it will do nothing to protect you from damage to the rest of your body.
The cost of a trip to the emergency room in an ambulance can be quite expensive. Unfortunately, this cost is likely just the tip of the iceberg of the medical expenses that will arise from your accident, which in turn are only a part of the total costs you will incur.
Recovering compensation can be critical. A bicycle accident lawyer in White Plains from the Morelli Law Firm can help.
Steps Your Bicycle Accident Lawyer Will Take
After you hire a bicycle accident attorney in White Plains, they will immediately get to work for you. Your lawyer will handle all aspects of your legal case so that you can focus on your recovery. One of the first actions your lawyer will take is to begin investigating your accident to determine liability and build your compensation case.
After visiting your accident site, interviewing witnesses, speaking with experts, and consulting your accident report, your attorney will assess your damages and calculate the value of your claim. They will then discuss your options with you and advise you on how best to proceed.
After you decide what to do, your attorney will either file paperwork with the insurance company or with the court. If pursuing a personal injury lawsuit, your attorney will go through the steps of the pretrial process as they prepare to represent you in court. However, throughout the process, they will also be in negotiations with opposing counsel to attempt to reach a fair settlement deal.
Statute of Limitations for Bicycle Accident Lawsuits in New York
The state of New York has a three-year statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit. However, while this three-year window applies in most cases, there are exceptions. For instance, if the at-fault party is a government agency, you will have a significantly reduced amount of time to file a lawsuit.
To ensure that you meet all deadlines and do not miss out on your chance to recover compensation, you should hire an experienced bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible. Hiring an attorney early has the added bonus of putting them in the best possible position to gather evidence and build a strong case on your behalf.
White Plains Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
Recoverable Damages After a Bicycle Accident
After a bicycle accident that results in serious injuries, you will likely be entitled to recover several types of damages. The specific damages for which you qualify will depend on the details of your situation. All compensatory damages can be divided between economic and non-economic damages.
Economic Damages
Everything related to your accident that negatively affects your financial situation is a type of economic damage. The goal of awarding economic damages to accident victims is to eliminate the financial burden they face. Ideally, the money received for these damages should be equal to the current and future accident-related costs incurred. Common economic damages include:
- Lost wages
- Lowered earning capacity
- Medical costs
- Future medical bills
- Property damage
Non-Economic Damages
All the non-monetary losses you suffer as a result of your accident are considered non-economic damages. Calculating fair compensation for these damages can be quite challenging.
No amount of money can fill the hole that these losses leave in the lives of accident victims. In attempting to compensate for the irreplaceable, non-economic damages are often significant. Common non-economic damages include:
- Diminished quality of life
- Permanent disability
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Loss of companionship
Punitive Damages
There is a third broad category of damages known as punitive damages. Unlike economic and non-economic damages, the focus here is not on making the victim whole again but rather on punishing the at-fault party.
Punitive damages are only awarded in a small portion of cases where the actions of the liable party were grossly negligent or performed with the intent of causing harm.
Your White Plains bicycle accident attorney will work with you to determine which types of damages apply in your case. They can calculate the total amount to help you understand what a fair settlement value would look like and fight to preserve your rights to compensation.
Bicycle Accident Lawyers Work on a Contingency Fee Basis
Personal injury attorneys typically do not charge in the same manner as most other types of attorneys. While most lawyers charge their clients based on the number of hours they spend working on their case, personal injury lawyers charge based on results. Your attorney will receive their fee as a preset percentage of the compensation you recover from the liable party.
This payment structure helps ensure that your attorney’s interests are aligned with your own. The more money your lawyer can secure on your behalf, the more money they will get paid. If a personal injury lawyer is unable to get money for their client, they do not get paid.
Another benefit of this type of fee is that anyone can afford to hire an experienced bicycle accident lawyer. Since your attorney’s fee is assessed as a percentage of the money you receive, you will never pay your lawyer directly.
Get a Free Consultation From a White Plains Bicycle Accident Attorney Today
After suffering a bicycle accident, the best action you can take to get back on your feet is to hire an experienced bike accident attorney in White Plains. At the Morelli Law Firm, we have extensive experience fighting bicycle accident cases and a proven track record of securing favorable outcomes for our clients.
If you have been injured, contact us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation. You can get started by reaching out to us today via phone or by filling out our online contact form.