Bicycle Accident Lawyer | Kansas City
Have an experienced bicycle accident lawyer by your side; representing injured bicyclists in Missouri and Kansas. Bicycles and motor vehicles have the same right to the road, but it’s the cyclist who suffers injury consequences if an inattentive driver fails to see the bike until it’s too late. All too often the result is a life-threatening injury, permanent disability, or death.If your loved one was hit by a car while riding a bicycle, the law firm of Dempsey Kingsland Osteen works to maximize compensation for their substantial injuries and associated needs. Our Kansas City bicycle accident lawyer takes serious bike injury cases throughout Missouri and Kansas.
Free consultation! Contact via online form or call (816) 484-3776 immediately so that our Kansas City bike accident lawyers can preserve evidence and witness statements critical to your case.
contact usHow Common are Bicycle Accidents?
How common are bicycle accidents? Devastating collisions involving bicyclists happen far more often than many people realize.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:
- 932 bicyclists were killed in roadway collisions in 2020 alone.
- Bicycle accident deaths have risen by nearly 36% since 2010.
- Deaths among cyclists age 20 and younger have declined by nearly 90% since 1975, while deaths among cyclists age 20 and older have nearly tripled in this time.
- More than half of fatal bicycle accidents (65%) happen at non-intersections.
- Bicyclist deaths occur most frequently between the hours of 6 pm to 9 pm.
How to Prevent Bicycle Accidents
Motorists will often claim that the cyclist was doing something wrong, such as crossing the street without the right of way or riding into traffic. Knowing how to prevent bicycle accidents is the best way to stay safe. Unfortunately, bicycle accidents happen and you need to be ready. We counter this blame-the-victim game through a prompt and thorough investigation. We look for witnesses and clues at the crash scene that the driver was solely or chiefly at fault.
Many bike accidents are caused by car drivers:
- Driving too fast in a residential area
- Encroaching on a bike lane or crosswalk
- Sideswiping or cutting off the cyclist
- Turning left into a bike rider’s path
- Running through a red light or stop sign
- Opening a door without looking
- Entering traffic and striking the bicyclist
How do you Prove Fault in a Bicycle Accident Case?
How do you prove fault in a bicycle accident case? Like most personal injury cases, you are typically only able to recover damages for your injuries to the extent that you are able to prove the other party acted negligently in causing your accident. Negligence is a legal term used describe actions or inactions that fall below the reasonable standard of care for a given set of circumstances. In many bicycle accident cases, the insurance company for the at-fault party will dispute the insured acted negligently or may even attempt to shift the blame to the cyclist themselves. Given Missouri and Kansas’ comparative fault laws, these tactics can reduce or even eliminate your right to compensation if you are found to be partially responsible for the collision.
A Dangerous Road Caused My Accident. Can I Get Compensation?
If a roadway defect is what caused your bike accident, you could be entitled to compensation. If the conditions of the dangerous road was caused by negligence or lack of proper maintenance by crews of municipal officials, you may have a case. If the roads were affected by natural conditions, you will need to prove that officials knew about the poor conditions and failed to remedy the defect. If this sounds like your situation, reach out to our Kansas City bicycle attorneys.
How Can A Kansas City Bike Accident Attorney Help?
How can a Kansas City bike accident attorney help? You need a skilled bicycle accident attorney on your side who can help gather evidence, counter the insurance company’s tactics, and build the most robust possible case on your behalf.
Some of the ways our attorneys can prove the other party’s negligence in your bike accident case include:
- Obtaining and evaluating police reports and traffic citations issued at the scene
- Interviewing eyewitnesses
- Accessing video surveillance footage of the crash site
- Utilizing accident reconstruction techniques
- Gathering medical records and bills
- Consulting with medical experts regarding the long-term impact of your injuries
Maximum Damages for Serious Injuries
Even with a helmet cyclists may suffer severe injuries from the collision with a car and the secondary impact with the pavement. We have represented clients with catastrophic injuries such as head injury, spinal cord injury, broken bones, facial injuries, and other lasting harm. We have also handled wrongful death lawsuits when children or adults died from their bike crash injuries.
We have every serious injury case reviewed by our physician and nurse consultants to gauge the severity of our clients’ injuries and what needs the client and family may have in the future. We can bring in other experts to justify our claim for medical care, personal care, lost income, and pain and suffering.