Galveston Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Collisions between bicycles and motor vehicles are always dangerous. Even when the cyclist is lucky and heals completely, they might still be hit with high medical bills in the immediate aftermath. When the motorist is at fault in a wreck, they are responsible for paying the cyclist’s damages.

Consult a local personal injury attorney as quickly as possible if you suffered injuries while cycling. If there is evidence another party’s negligence caused the incident, a Galveston bicycle accident lawyer could bring a claim seeking damages.

Time Frame for Bringing a Bicycle Accident Claim

Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code § 16.003 establishes the statute of limitations for personal injury claims. In most cases, someone seeking compensation must file a lawsuit within two years of the incident that caused the injury.

Children are often the victims of bicycle accidents and the situation differs when the accident victim is under 18. Parents can bring a lawsuit on behalf of a minor child, and if they do, they must adhere to the two-year time limit. If the parent does not sue on the minor’s behalf, the child has two years from their 18th birthday to bring a legal claim.

It is wise to consult a Galveston attorney soon after a bicycle accident, because if a unit of government or public agency is involved, the time to notify them of a suit is no later than six months. A government might be liable in a bicycle accident if it involved a vehicle like a garbage truck or city bus, or if the at-fault driver was a public employee on the clock when the incident occurred.

Severe Injuries Are Common in Bicycle Accidents

Someone on a bicycle rarely walks away from a serious motor vehicle collision uninjured.  More often, the bicyclist bears the brunt of the impact.

Road rash is the term for the friction burns and abrasions cyclists suffer when their body skids or drags on the ground. Whiplash, soft tissue injuries, and fractures are also common in bicycle accidents. The worst crashes could lead to internal injuries, concussions and more severe traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord injuries or paralysis.

The psychological impact of a bicycle accident could be equally devastating. Survivors often develop conditions like anxiety or depression after a crash, and sometimes suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A Galveston attorney could ensure a bicycle accident survivor receives appropriate compensation for all the physical and emotional injuries they suffered in the crash.

Establishing Liability in a Bicycle Accident

A party is liable for an injured person’s damages if their negligence caused the injury. In the context of a vehicle accident, a driver is negligent if they do not take reasonable care to prevent foreseeable harm to others.

Police usually respond to bicycle accidents, and if they issue a citation to the driver, then the ticket is evidence of negligence. However, a Galveston attorney could prove a driver was negligent even if they received no citation. Simple carelessness is enough to establish negligence; a person could be negligent without violating the law.

An investigation might reveal other parties were negligent besides the driver. If a product failure contributed to the bicycle breaking down, the manufacturer might be liable to the cyclist. The municipality responsible for road maintenance could also be liable if bad road conditions were a contributing factor.

Consult a Galveston Bicycle Accident Attorney Immediately

Injured bicyclists are often slow to heal and sometimes might suffer permanent physical or emotional impairment. The negligent parties responsible for causing the accident should also be held responsible for paying an injured cyclist’s damages.

The time to act is short and delay favors the negligent party. Contact a Galveston bicycle accident lawyer to discuss your situation today.