Bike Accident Lawyers

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Bike Accident Lawyers. Have you or a loved one been injured in a bike accident in St. Louis, MO? If a reckless motorist hits you, you need to call the bike accident lawyers at Missouri Injury Law Firm immediately at 636-333-1717 or reach out to us for a no-cost, no-risk consultation.

Our St. Louis, MO bike accident lawyers will fight for your recovery right away, making sure you and your loved ones get the maximum compensation allowed by law for all of your damages. Let the Missouri Injury legal team put its knowledge and skill to work for you. We have decades of experience as bike accident lawyers for clients in St. Louis, MO and throughout Missouri and Illinois, and we look forward to successfully:

Providing the best legal advice and guidance at every step in St. Louis, MO
Performing a thorough investigation of your bike accident
Working with top experts near St. Louis, MO to build the strongest case
Pursuing all avenues for compensation
Negotiating for a fair settlement offer

If you would like to discuss an injury suffered by you or someone you know in a bike accident in St. Louis, MO, contact the bike accident lawyers at the Missouri Injury Law Firm today. Phone us at 636-333-1717.

Missouri Injury Law Firm: How Common Are Bike Accidents in St. Louis, MO?

According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an average of almost 500,000 people are injured in U.S. bike accidents each year, including more than 1,000 deaths. Bicycle trips make up only 1% of all trips in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, yet bicyclists account for over 2% of people who die in a crash with a motor vehicle.

While bicycle crashes have spiraled downward in Missouri over the last 20 years, the severity of the accidents has not. According to data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol Statistical Analysis Center, nearly 2% of all bike accidents in Missouri are fatal, and almost 85% of crashes result in at least one injury. In Illinois, there were 2,180 bicycle crashes in 2020, resulting in 28 deaths. Obviously, these kinds of crashes happen far too often in St. Louis, MO, and throughout Missouri and Illinois.

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

The League of American Bicyclists: Bicycle Friendly State Rankings

State Report Cards:

Missouri Injury Law Firm: What Causes Most Bike Accidents in St. Louis, MO?

Our St. Louis, MO bike accident lawyers see crashes involving vehicles in a variety of circumstances, but the majority are attributed to negligence or human error. While both motorists and bicyclists can share fault in an accident, the most common cause for crashes is a driver of a motor vehicle simply not seeing a bike. Causes of bike accidents in St. Louis, MO include:

Driving (or biking) under the influence.

25 percent of bike accidents in 2020 involved a bicyclist who had been drinking alcohol

Distracted driving by negligent drivers. An example would be a St. Louis, MO motorist backing out of a driveway and failing to see you. Distracted driving was the reason for over 3,100 deaths in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Speeding.

40 percent of all traffic fatalities

Inattention and “inattention blindness”. Inattention blindness is the failure to notice a fully visible, but unexpected object because attention was engaged on another task, event, or object. This can occur when a St. Louis, MO motorist or bicyclist in St. Louis, MO fails to signal, obey street signs, or recognize hazards.

Missouri Injury Law Firm: What Do I Do After a Bike Accident in St. Louis, MO?

St. Louis, MO Bike accidents are frightening and you probably aren’t pondering insurance claims or litigation right afterward. But, the truth is, if you take a few simple steps immediately after an accident, you will greatly increase the likelihood of your St. Louis, MO bike accident lawyers recovering damages down the line:

Step 1: Call the St. Louis police. Both Missouri and Illinois state law require that you call the police if you are involved in an accident, particularly if there is personal injury or property damage.
Step 2: Seek medical attention. Your wellbeing should be your top priority. Even if you don’t believe you’ve been injured in St. Louis, MO, it is a good idea to be seen by a doctor or medical professional immediately following the accident. Your St. Louis, MO bike injury lawyers know that the symptoms of some injuries, including major internal injuries, will not be obvious for hours or even days after a bike accident. Seeing and being documented by a medical professional lessens the ability of the defendant or an insurance company to successfully argue that you weren’t really injured.
Step 3: Collect the driver’s data. When the St. Louis police show, they can help you collect this data. Be certain that you document and take pictures of the driver’s name and St. Louis address, contact information, insurance information, and MO license plate numbers.
Step 4: Collect witness information. Witnesses are notoriously not easy to locate following an accident. Memories also tend to lessen or alter over time. The best chance of collecting their information and their recollection of the St. Louis, MO accident is immediately after the crash. Though police will also perform this step, they might miss witnesses or forget to add their contact data to the police report. The Missouri Injury bike accident lawyers will do their own witness investigation, but it is good to secure this data for yourself in St. Louis, MO.
Step 5: Preserve any evidence. Snap photos of the St. Louis scene and surrounding location, witnesses, and any damages. Also, if your clothes were ripped or bloodied or your bike was damaged, safeguard those objects for your bike accident lawyers.

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Missouri Injury Law Firm: What Type of Damages Are Available to St. Louis, MO Bike Accident Victims?

Bike accident lawyers in Missouri and Illinois are able to recover two main types of damages in a case. Economic damages compensate you for damages with a clearcut financial value, while noneconomic damages compensate you for emotional, physical, and psychological damages without a clearcut value.

The St. Louis, MO bike accident lawyers at Missouri Injury will fight to get you compensation for:

Property damage
Current and future medical expenses
Lost wages
Lost or reduced earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Emotional distress
Disfigurement

In a few rare cases in St. Louis, MO, you may be entitled to punitive damages. Under Missouri law, punitive damages “shall not be awarded unless the claimant proves by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant intentionally harmed the plaintiff without just cause or acted with a deliberate and flagrant disregard for the safety of others.” According to Missouri Revised Statute 537.675, financial, punitive damages might be awarded, but the state reserves the right to put a lien on up to 50 percent of the amount to deposit in the Tort Victims’ Compensation Fund. In Illinois, a plaintiff’s bike accident lawyers must show “by clear and convincing evidence that the defendant’s conduct was with evil motive or with a reckless and outrageous indifference to a highly unreasonable risk of harm and with a conscious indifference to the rights and safety of others.”

Missouri Injury Law Firm: Who Is Liable For a St. Louis, MO Bike Accident?

It is not always St. Louis, MO negligent drivers who are the ones to blame in bike accidents. If you made a dangerous turn at an intersection, ignored a traffic light, or failed to stop at a stop sign, you could be found partially responsible for the crash near St. Louis, MO.

Missouri recognizes the legal doctrine of comparative negligence, in which a plaintiff who is partially responsible for their own injuries may only collect damages in proportion to the defendant’s degree of fault. To prove negligence in the crash, your Missouri Injury bike accident lawyers will show:

The defendant owed you a duty to ride your bike safely
The defendant breached this duty
This breach of duty caused you injury
The defendant’s actions/inactions were the proximate cause of the injury
You suffered actual damages

Illinois is a modified comparative negligence state. An injured party may recover damages only if they are less than 50 percent at fault for the injury or damages.

Missouri Injury Law Firm: How Are Bike Accident Claims in St. Louis, MO Different From Other Personal Injury Claims?

While bicyclists must follow the same laws on the road as cars in St. Louis, MO, there are the following bicycle-specific statutes in Missouri and Illinois — Chapters 300 and 307 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, and Chapter 11 of the Illinois Vehicle Code.

Our talented St. Louis, MO bike accident lawyers at Missouri Injury handle bicycle crash claims much like we proceed with any of our personal injury cases — vigorously and incessantly. Call us to discuss your St. Louis, MO claim any time at 636-333-1717 or contact one of our bike accident lawyers today. We are pleased to supply a complimentary case review, going over any step-by-step procedural scenarios that may apply to your case. We will help you prepare for the possible value of your case based on factors such as:

The circumstances of the accident
Whether you share any negligence
The amount of insurance coverage available
The value of your economic loss
The type and severity of your injuries

St. Louis, MO Bike Accident Lawyers | Missouri Injury Law Firm

Gene Hou and your aggressive St. Louis, MO bike accident lawyers know how aggravating it is to endure injuries as a result of a motor vehiclist’s negligence and are committed to ensuring that St. Louis, MO victims have a place they can go for the best in legal representation. Our talented legal team looks forward to talking to you and working on your bike accident case.

The bike accident lawyers at Missouri Injury Law have devoted their livelihoods to fighting for St. Louis, MO residents who have been injured as a result of a driver’s recklessness. We are passionate about guaranteeing that you and your family are stress free while we fight for complete compensation for your injuries and damages. See what our St. Louis, MO clients feel about our legal representation.

Call one of our St. Louis, MO bike accident attorneys at Missouri Injury Law today at 636-333-1717 or reach out to us online for a free and confidential consultation.