Were you hit by a car while riding your bike in St. Louis, MO? A St. Louis bicycle accident lawyer at Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers can help you fight to hold the at-fault driver accountable. You may deserve significant compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain, and other injury-related losses. Call us at (636) 519-0085.
Between us, our lawyers have over 30 years of legal experience. We’ve used our knowledge of the law to help injury victims recover hundreds of millions in settlements and verdicts.
If you’re wondering whether you have a valid case, contact us to schedule a free consultation today.
How Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers Can Help After a Bicycle Accident in St. Louis, MO
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers has been proudly fighting for accident victims in St. Louis since 2003. We know that you may be struggling with expensive medical bills. Your daily life may have changed completely.
Still, how do you prove someone else is responsible for these losses? And how do you know whether an insurance offer fully accounts for your damages? It’s not fair that you also have to deal with an insurance battle alone.
Our St. Louis personal injury lawyers can help you recover full compensation for your losses.
When you hire our legal team, you can expect us to:
- Investigate and locate all available evidence
- Find out who is legally responsible
- Identify all sources of insurance
- Handle the paperwork and insurance communications
- Calculate the value of your personal injury claim
- Defend against accusations that you share blame
- Help you understand whether an insurance offer is fair
- Negotiate with the insurance companies for the highest compensation award available
Our St. Louis personal injury attorneys take a personalized approach. You’ll always be able to reach your lawyer and get answers to important questions. For more information about how we’ll advocate for you, contact us for a free case evaluation today.
How Common Are Bicycle Accidents in Missouri?
Bicycle accidents are less common than accidents involving vehicles alone in Missouri. However, when they do occur, they tend to be more serious.
Across the state of Missouri, 524 car accidents involving bicycles were reported in 2023. 427 of those incidents caused at least one injury. Unfortunately, eight people lost their lives in fatal bike accidents. In other words, about 83% of all cycling accidents caused an injury or death in 2023.
In the city of St. Louis itself, 49 people were injured in bicycle accidents in 2023. Fortunately, no cyclists were killed in traffic accidents in St. Louis that year.
What is My St. Louis Bicycle Accident Case Worth?
Most people want to understand how much their case is worth before starting a legal battle. The value of any personal injury case varies depending on the circumstances.
Some relevant factors that will impact your case value include:
- The severity and permanence of your injuries
- Your current medical expenses
- The value of your lost wages to date
- How the injury has changed your quality of life
- Whether you will be able to earn the same amount once you recover fully
- The cost of anticipated future medical care and rehabilitation
- Whether the injury has changed your ability to care for yourself and others
While the insurance company might seem compassionate, they’re out to pay as little as possible. They’ll likely try to downplay the extent of your losses. With an experienced attorney on your side, they’ll be forced to take your case seriously.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Bicycle Accident Victims in St. Louis, Missouri?
Under Missouri personal injury laws, you’re entitled to damages to make you “whole” again after an injury. The specific types of damages you recover will depend on the losses you have suffered.
Often, victims are entitled to compensation for:
- Current medical expenses
- Future medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and trauma
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- PTSD
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of companionship
Collectively, these damages are referred to as economic damages and non-economic damages. Economic damages cover your financial expenses. Non-economic damages are your personal, non-financial losses.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Missouri?
As is typical in Missouri, our team at Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers works on a contingency fee basis. We only charge attorney’s fees when we recover compensation in your case. When you hire us, you’ll agree to pay a percentage of whatever money we win for you.
How Can Missouri’s Shared Fault Laws Impact My Right to Recover Compensation for Bicycle Accident Injuries?
Missouri follows a pure comparative negligence law that allows victims to recover damages even if they share blame for an injury.
Say you weren’t wearing a helmet, and the insurance company finds that you were 30% responsible for your own injuries. The at-fault driver was speeding and found to be 70% responsible. You can take home 70% of your compensation award.
The same is true even if you were mostly to blame for the crash. The only way you lose your right to compensation entirely is if you were 100% responsible.
Bicyclists in St. Louis Are Vulnerable to Severe and Life-Altering Injuries
At Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers, we often help bicycle accident victims who have suffered:
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Crushing injuries
- Chest and thoracic injuries
- Nerve injuries
- Pelvic injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Burns
- Road rash
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Most cyclists only have a helmet for protection. Helmets are important, but they can’t protect you from most types of injuries. If you were seriously injured in a bike accident, you may be facing life-changing injuries. Contact our law firm in St. Louis to learn how we can help you fight for a fair compensation award.
What Causes Most Bicycle Accidents in St. Louis?
Bicycle accidents are usually the result of human error.
While bike crashes can happen for all different reasons, some of the most common causes include:
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Signal violations, such as running red lights or ignoring stop signs
- Speeding
- Poor visibility
- Aggressive driving
- Dangerous left-hand turns
- Passing too close to the shoulder
- Failure to check blind spots
- Drunk driving or drug use
- Hazardous road conditions
In St. Louis, only 13% of bicycle accidents occurred in areas where a conventional bike lane was available. The lack of dedicated bike lanes and infrastructure to protect cyclists is a common cause of biking accidents in the city.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bicycle Accident in Missouri?
To recover damages, you’ll typically have to prove that someone else’s negligence caused the accident and injury. Negligence means that someone failed to exercise reasonable caution, and someone else was injured because of it.
Negligence has four elements, including:
- The driver’s legal duty of care (all drivers have a duty to exercise reasonable caution)
- They breached that duty
- The breach of duty directly caused your accident
- You suffered damages – or injuries – due to the accident
As the victim, you must prove each element by a “preponderance of the evidence” standard. “Preponderance of the evidence” means that it’s “more likely than not” true.
After your injury, an experienced St. Louis bicycle accident attorney can start by collecting evidence.
While you’re recovering, our lawyers will locate and analyze:
- Police and accident reports
- Video surveillance footage, possibly from dash cams or traffic lights
- Eyewitness statements
- Medical records
- Opinions from experts and specialists
- Physical data from the crash scene
Our lawyers know what it takes to prove negligence to insurance companies and judges in St. Louis. We have the tools to conduct a full investigation and locate any evidence that can prove your case. Contact us today to schedule your free case review and get started.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Bicycle Accident in Missouri?
A five-year statute of limitations applies in most Missouri personal injury cases (with some exceptions). After an accident, you’ll have five years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Once five years pass, you lose your right to pursue compensation.
Five years is a long time. However, you shouldn’t wait to take legal action. The evidence will be strongest soon after a crash. It’s important to act before evidence is lost and witnesses have an opportunity to forget exactly what they saw.
Insurance companies also impose their own time limits. They may deny your claim if you fail to file it in a reasonable amount of time after the injury.
Contact Our St. Louis Bicycle Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation Today
There’s never any risk in consulting an experienced St. Louis bicycle accident lawyer. If you were injured, we can investigate and start negotiating with the insurance company while you recover. Contact our team at Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers to schedule your free initial consultation.
Our personal injury law firm in St. Louis also provides:
- Car accident lawyers in St. Louis, MO
- Bicycle accident attorneys in St. Louis, MO
- Brain injury attorneys in St. Louis, MO
- Catastrophic injury lawyer in St. Louis, MO
- Wrongful death lawyers in St. Louis, MO
- Motorcycle accident lawyer in St. Louis, MO
- Truck accident lawyers in St. Louis, MO
- Pedestrian accident attorneys in St. Louis, MO
- Workers’ compensation lawyers in St. Louis, MO
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in St. Louis, MO
Roach Law Car Accident Lawyers
1010 Market St Suite 1605, St. Louis, MO 63101
(636) 519-0085
