Have you been injured in a bicycle accident in Waldorf, Maryland? Now is the time to call the award-winning civil litigators at Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers. If the bike accident happened because someone else was careless, you deserve to be compensated. Our Waldorf bicycle accident lawyers can help you assert your rights and work to recover a life-changing financial award to help you get back on your feet.
For 15 years, our Waldorf bicycle accident attorneys have provided trustworthy, cutting-edge legal representation to bicyclists and families whose lives are forever changed after catastrophic traffic accidents. Taking on powerful insurance companies, manufacturers, government bodies, and negligent parties, we’ve won tens of millions of dollars for clients like you.
Benefit from over 125 years of combined legal experience and a passion for helping you find better days ahead. Contact our Waldorf, MD, law office today to arrange your free consultation at (301) 932-9997.
How Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Bicycle Accident in Waldorf, MD
Even though you may be able to seek compensation from a negligent driver’s insurance company or sue the manufacturer of a defective bicycle after an accident in Waldorf, getting compensation to cover your medical expenses, make up for lost wages, and deal with harder-to-value struggles. Insurance adjusters and defense attorneys will use their considerable resources to dispute your claim, downplay your injuries, and limit how much – if any – compensation you’re awarded.
Hiring an experienced Waldorf personal injury lawyer can level the playing field, force better negotiations, and set the stage for the top-tier financial award you deserve.
Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers brings valuable hands-on legal experience and a depth of knowledge of personal injury law to every case it handles. Our excellence in civil litigation – evident in both client satisfaction and success rate – has been recognized by respected legal organizations, including Lawyer Legion, Expertise.com, Avvo.com, Martindale-Hubbell, and the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys.
When you ask for our help after a bicycle accident in Waldorf, MD, you’ll be able to trust us to:
- Launch a timely independent investigation into your bike accident
- Hire expert witnesses and specialists to consult with our team as we build your case
- Assess evidence obtained during the discovery phase, including medical records, accident reports, forensics reports, property damage, photographs of damaged property and physical evidence at the scene, video footage, and witness statements
- Determine the best strategies for disputing claims of contributory negligence, which, under Maryland law, could be a total bar to recovery
- Evaluate your damages and work to calculate what your bicycle accident case is worth
- File your legal claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company and/or the local Charles County court clerk
- Use time-tested negotiation strategies to secure the best possible terms in a settlement agreement
- Bring your bicycle accident lawsuit to trial, if necessary
Choosing our Waldorf bicycle accident attorneys in Waldorf puts experience, resources, and a passion for justice in your corner – all for no out-of-pocket cost. Our contingency fee representation means you pay nothing until we’ve recovered compensation for your bicycle injury claim.
Get started by arranging a time for a complimentary case evaluation. Members of our Waldorf law office are available to take your call 24 hours a day.
What Are the Primary Causes of Bike Accidents?
Every year, hundreds of bicyclists are injured in car accidents across the state of Maryland. Statistically speaking, bicycle accidents – and fatalities – are much more common in urban areas, including cities like Waldorf.
Most often, these bicycle accidents are entirely avoidable because they’re the result of errors in judgment, miscalculations, acts of aggression, and other acts of negligence.
Some of the most commonly reported causes of bicycle accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Unsafe lane changes
- Illegal turns
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Running red and yellow lights
- Rolling stops
- Dooring
- Leaving inadequate space between a vehicle and a bicycle when passing or following
- Speeding
- Drug and alcohol use
- Drowsy driving
- Braking errors
- Blind spot errors
- Road defects, such as potholes
- Vehicle defects or malfunctions due to negligent maintenance
Sometimes, poor infrastructure – including a lack of bike lanes that could protect riders from serious accidents – can also contribute to bicycle accidents.
Who Could Be Liable For My Bicycle Crash?
It depends on precisely why and how your bicycle accident happened. Since most bike accidents happen because a driver of a passenger vehicle is negligent, you’ll likely have the right to file a claim against a negligent driver’s insurance company to recover compensation for your losses.
However, it’s possible that one or more other parties are liable for your bike accident, including the following:
- Transportation company
- Negligent party’s employer
- Government agency responsible for road maintenance safety
- Property owner
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Pedestrian
Our bicycle accident attorneys in Waldorf will carefully investigate the circumstances of your crash and get to the bottom of what happened and, in turn, who’s at fault. We’ll actively work to hold anyone who contributed to your bike accident liable for your resulting injuries.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Even though wearing a bicycle helmet – which is required by law for riders under the age of 16 – can significantly limit the likelihood of sustaining a severe traumatic brain injury or dying in an accident, bicyclists are still susceptible to serious physical injuries, including:
- Road rash
- Crush injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Chest injuries
- Eye injuries
- Concussions
- Brain injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Leg injury
- Knee injury
- Back injury
- Spinal cord injuries
- Quadriplegia injuries
- Neck injuries
- Burn injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
Few things are more critical than seeking immediate medical attention after a bicycle crash in Waldorf. Get to the closest hospital for a thorough evaluation to ensure your injuries are documented and treated appropriately. These steps can be essential for your recovery and the strength of any legal claims you decide to pursue in the future.
Can I Recover Compensation If I’m Partly to Blame For a Maryland Bicycle Accident?
No. The state of Maryland adheres to a system of contributory negligence, which means that sharing any degree of responsibility for a bicycle accident in which you’re injured is a complete bar to recovery.
Don’t be surprised when the insurance company or a defense attorney attempts to point fingers and say that you’re at least partly to blame for your bike accident. If you don’t challenge these tactics aggressively, you’ll lose the ability to recover anything for the costs of your medical care, loss of income, and pain and suffering.
Fortunately, when you’ve chosen Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers as your advocate, you’ll know you’ll have our law firm’s full resources and experience working to protect your rights at every turn.
What Damages Can Be Awarded to Injured Bicyclists in Waldorf?
Filing a bicycle injury claim with an insurance company or local court will give you the opportunity to seek compensatory damages.
Compensatory damages can include two different awards: economic and non-economic. Each serves a distinct purpose in making you whole after your bicycle accident.
Economic damages cover the costs of your verified and projected financial losses, such as:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Nursing assistance
- Rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Funeral expenses if a bicycle accident in Waldorf is fatal
Non-economic damages help you cope with more subjective consequences of being injured in a bicycle accident, including:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- Embarrassment
- Chronic physical pain
Another type of award can also be available if your bicycle accident lawsuit doesn’t settle. In matters that go to trial, a jury can decide that punitive damages are appropriate if there’s clear and convincing evidence that the defendant acted with actual malice. That is an evil intent, ill will, or a deliberate intent to harm the bicyclist.
How Long Will I Have to Pursue Compensation After I’m Injured in a Maryland Bike Accident?
In Maryland, most bicycle accident lawsuits are governed by a three-year statute of limitations. This includes matters of personal injury and wrongful death.
There are few exceptions to the statute of limitations. Most often, they arise when children are injured while riding their bikes. In these cases, the filing deadline is extended until the child’s 21st birthday, giving them extra time to take action if no one has filed a claim on their behalf.
Contact Our Waldorf Bicycle Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Don’t try to navigate the challenges of a recent bicycle accident in Waldorf, Maryland, on your own. Someone else was negligent, and now Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers wants to help you hold them accountable for the pain and anguish they’ve caused.
Our Waldorf bicycle accident lawyers are award-winning litigators with a proven ability to win tough cases and secure top results. Decades of experience have helped us recover tens of millions in damages for clients like you.
Call our law office in Waldorf to set a time for a free consultation now.