People browse the internet all the time looking for information about their bicycle accident cases but they forget that every case is different. For this reason, it’s impossible to give cookie-cutter advice about your bicycle accident on a website. But, there are some frequently asked questions that have general answers and that’s what we are going to focus on today. Knowing the answers to these questions might actually help you better prepare to discuss your case with your bicycle accident lawyer in Massachusetts.
Find out which roads in Massachusetts have the most bicycle crashes.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bicycle Accidents in Massachusetts
What Should I Do After Being Hit By a Car?
Let’s first talk about what you shouldn’t do.
- Don’t try to negotiate with the driver. It’s a bad idea. They might try to pin the blame on you or you might end up admitting fault.
- Don’t fail to seek medical treatment immediately even if your injuries are minor.
- Don’t fail to collect information about the accident scene, photos and statements from witnesses as soon as you possibly can.
- Don’t negotiate with insurance adjusters without a lawyer.
Following your accident, what you do or don’t do will determine whether you get the compensation you deserve.
Negotiating with the driver might seem like a good idea because you think you will come to an understanding quickly without the hassle of going to the police. We’ve had clients walk into our offices telling us that they thought they’d negotiated a good deal with the driver only to later find out the driver had given them false insurance and contact information or they later denied they were even at the scene of the accident. If you have been in a bicycle accident in Massachusetts we advise you to call the police and let them get the drivers contact information as well as write an accident report.
Negotiating with insurance adjusters without your lawyer only ensures that you do not get the compensation you deserve. Insurance adjusters are in the business of saving money so they will employ all sorts of tricks to ensure they pay out as little money as possible. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer in Massachusetts knows how insurance companies play their tricks so they are likely to help you get better compensation for your injuries.
Seeking medical treatment immediately after the accident should be your first priority. Many times, a cyclist will get into an accident and assume they had minor injuries only for them to discover later that their injuries were indeed severe. Going to hospital a few days later after your accident will significantly reduce the amount of compensation you’ll receive from insurance adjusters. They will argue that your injuries weren’t severe enough if it took you that long to go to hospital.
Read what you should do in a hit and run accident.
How Long Should I Wait Before Contacting A Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Massachusetts?
You should call a bicycle accident lawyer as soon as you are able to. There are strict time limits for handling bicycle cases and it takes some time to collect evidence necessary to make a strong case. The sooner you talk to an attorney the sooner they will start working on your case.
How Do I Know If I Have a Case?
Bicycle accident victims make two huge mistakes when trying to decide if they have a case or not. First, they talk to law enforcement officers and ask for their opinion. At the time, it might make sense because they are the law, right? Well, law enforcement officers simply enforce the law; they are not qualified to give legal advice so you run the risk of following the wrong advice from them.
Second, they talk to insurance adjusters, who honestly care more about keeping their money in their pockets as opposed to helping a bicycle accident victim. You can be guaranteed that any advice they give you will only benefit them and not you.
The best person to determine whether you have a case is an experienced bicycle accident lawyer. They are least likely to be bias and will give you an honest assessment of your case.
How Much Will My Bicycle Accident Case Be Worth?
This will depend on the facts and legal issues of your case, the amount of your losses and the extent of your injuries. Your lawyer will consider these things when evaluating the value of your case:
- Pain and suffering
- Out of pocket expenses
- Property damage
- Loss of past and future wages
- Past and future medical bills
- Punitive damages
It’s not easy to determine how much you might receive in damages during the early stages of your case especially if you were seriously injured. For instance, you might need to wait until you fully recover from your injuries in order to truly determine current and future medical expenses.
Find out what the role of insurance adjusters is.
Should I Accept the Insurance Company’s Offer?
It’s never a good idea to negotiate directly with the insurance company until you discuss your case with a bicycle accident lawyer. Most bicycle accident lawyers offer a free initial consultation and this is the time they will tell you whether the insurance company’s offer is fair or not.
Many cases, however, involve complex legal and factual issues so unless the extent of your injuries is fully known and your case isn’t complex, your lawyer might not be able to tell if the insurance company’s offer is fair right off the bat.
I Can’t Afford a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Massachusetts- What Should I Do?
At Kevin P Landry law offices, we mostly charge on a contingency fee basis meaning we only get paid when you get paid. We also offer a free initial consultation with no obligation.
How Do I Find a Good Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Massachusetts?
You need to focus on important details when looking for a lawyer you can trust. Finding out where a lawyer got their degree isn’t a bad thing but emphasizing that you only want one who got their degree from an Ivy League University is ludicrous. There are lawyers out there who never went to an Ivy League university to get their degree but they do a better job than the Ivy League graduate does.
Experience is also another factor you have to consider but don’t just focus on the number of years they have in experience. A lawyer can have 20 years’ experience handling bicycle accident cases but has nothing to show for it while another lawyer can have 10 years’ experience with an impressive track record.
For a free initial consultation with one of our bicycle accident lawyers in Massachusetts, contact us by calling (800)-200-7752 or by filling out our contact form. You can also pass by our offices or you can let us come to wherever is convenient for you.
