Getting into a bicycle accident can be a scary experience. Survivors have to deal with the aftermath, including caring for injuries. Here are four types of injuries you can file a lawsuit for after a bicycle accident. Keep reading to find out.
Injuries That Incur Medical Expenses
Bicycle accident lawyers deal with claims involving all kinds of injuries. Sometimes, depending on the force of the impact and the specifics of the accident, these injuries are minor and don’t incur any medical expenses. For example, you can care for a minor knee or elbow scrape at home.
However, in many cases, the injuries are more severe. Here are some of the most common bicycle accident injuries that require medical attention or rehabilitative care:
- Traumatic brain injury
- Concussions
- Skull fractures
- Bone and rib fractures
- Sprained ankles and wrists
- Road rash
- Dislocations
- Dental fractures
- Contusions
- Lacerations
- Swelling
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
The medical expenses for these injuries may be too much for you to handle, especially if you don’t have insurance. Furthermore, some injuries may require rehabilitative care, such as physical therapy over a more extended period.
If you don’t have insurance, the guilty party (the motorist that crashed into you) may have third-party liability insurance that should cover your injuries. If they don’t, you may be able to hold them responsible for your medical expenses.
Emotional Injuries
In addition to physical injuries, you can also file a lawsuit to get compensation for emotional suffering. Trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety can all follow a traumatic event like having a car or truck crash into you while on your morning bicycle ride.
These injuries can stay with you for life. For example, you may have repeating nightmares that cause insomnia, preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep. Alternatively, you may suffer heightened anxiety that affects your life in a significant way.
Many times, after suffering an accident, you may develop new phobias. For example, you may be afraid of getting on a bicycle again, or you may develop a phobia of walking on the sidewalk if that is where the accident occurred. These fears can significantly affect your quality of life.
Of course, these types of injuries are more challenging to quantify than physical injuries. Seeking the opinion of a psychologist can help you prove emotional injuries, although the exact compensation you can get may depend on the jury.
Injuries That Cause Lifelong Pain or Distress
Some physical injuries can heal, and you can forget them over time. However, other injuries cause lifelong pain or distress. Scarring is an excellent example, as it can cause significant psychosocial stress.
If the accident cripples you and you can no longer walk, you can file a lawsuit. You may be able to file a suit for an amount much higher than the actual expense of using a wheelchair. .
However, pain doesn’t have to be lifelong for you to seek compensation for it. An example could be a back injury that lasts for a year and prevents you from sitting down or going up the stairs without pain.
Injuries That Prevent You From Working
Finally, you can seek compensation for injuries that cause you to lose income. If you do manual labor, you may have to take off work for some time if you have a broken leg. You can file a lawsuit to recuperate those lost wages.
Sometimes, injuries can prevent you from doing your craft forever. For example, if you are an experienced carpenter, but the impact of the accident shattered your arms and forced you to undergo a surgical amputation, you may no longer be able to do your job. The same could apply if you were an athlete.
In those cases, you can file a suit for a much higher amount, as you have to calculate your lifelong lost earning potential.
Final Thoughts
After a bicycle accident, you may face costly medical bills. You may also lose out on work and undergo emotional and physical pain and suffering. Fortunately, you may be able to get compensation for those injuries by filing a lawsuit.
