Sarasota Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Bicycle accidents cause serious injuries.
Although Florida’s weather is very mild most of the year, bicyclists only make up about 1 percent of the vehicle traffic in Sarasota County. However, bicyclists make up double that proportion of roadway fatalities. Since bicyclists are almost completely unprotected from oncoming vehicles during collisions, they often sustain catastrophic injuries. More on that below.
The diligent Sarasota bicycle accident lawyers at Carman, Bevington & Finegan, P.A. work hard to obtain the compensation these victims need and deserve. This hard work begins with a thorough case evaluation, followed by evidence collection and tireless advocacy. This compensation usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering.
What Causes Bicycle Accidents?
Driver error causes about 98% of the vehicle collisions in the Sunshine State. The two most common kinds of driver error are:
- Operator Impairment: Alcohol and drug abuse, mostly marijuana, cause many impairment-related crashes. The effects of alcohol build with each drink, while in most cases, the effects of drugs hit like a ton of bricks and then wear off over time. Other kinds of operator impairment include excessive fatigue, a loss-of-consciousness-causing medical condition, and driver distraction.
- Aggressive Driving: Excessive speed is the most dangerous and most common form of aggressive driving. Velocity multiplies the risk of a wreck. Speeding drivers cannot quickly react to changing circumstances. Velocity also multiplies the force in a collision, according to Newton’s Second Law of Motion. Other kinds of aggressive driving include turning unsafely, failing to keep a proper lookout, and ignoring a traffic control device.
Sometimes, operator impairment and aggressive driving overlap. A drunk driver speeding or running a red light is a good example.
Injuries in these collisions include shattered bones, head injuries, and severe internal bleeding. Sometimes, safety laws contribute to these injuries.
Bicycle helmets, which are usually optional in Florida, are a good example. Subconsciously, when motorists see helmeted riders, they believe these riders could survive collisions. Therefore, these drivers may take reckless chances.
The economic losses in a catastrophic (life-threatening) injury case can usually exceed $100,000. A Sarasota bicycle accident lawyer obtains the compensation victims need to cover these losses, as outlined above.
Liability Issues
This compensation is available if a Sarasota bicycle accident lawyer proves negligence, or a lack of care, by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not.
Usually, negligence is a lack of ordinary care. According to Florida law, most drivers must obey the rules of the road and avoid accidents if possible. Tortfeasors (negligent drivers) who are impaired or driving aggressively are neither following the rules of the road nor avoiding accidents.
Some insurance company defenses, such as comparative fault, may affect legal responsibility for injury. If, for example, the victim rode through a stop sign and the tortfeasor turned without looking, jurors could decide both parties were at fault for the crash.
In these cases, they must divide responsibility on a percentage basis. Florida is a pure comparative fault state. So, even if the victim was 99% responsible for the wreck, the tortfeasor is responsible for a proportionate share of damages.
Evidence in bicycle crash cases usually includes the police accident report, witness statements, and medical bills. Presentation counts. For a victim to obtain maximum compensation, a Sarasota bicycle accident lawyer must put this evidence together and present it in a compelling way.
Connect With a Dedicated Sarasota County Bicycle Accident Attorney
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a confidential consultation with an experienced bicycle accident lawyer in Sarasota, contact Carman, Bevington & Finegan, P.A. We routinely handle matters throughout the Sunshine State.