Mississippi Bicycle Accident Attorneys

Bicycle accidents injure or kill many in the United States every year. Many motor vehicle drivers foster a misconception that bicyclists don’t belong in public roadways, which is simply untrue. Legally, Mississippi cyclists have the same right to use the public roads as motor vehicles. Too often, motor vehicles don’t know, or don’t follow, these rules. And unfortunately, this bias often follows cyclists through the personal injury legal system.

Mississippi Bicycle Accidents can cause Serious Injuries

If you were injured by a vehicle while using your bicycle on the street, cycling on the sidewalk or along the side of the road, you may have the right to make a financial recovery from the responsible party. The bicycle accident lawyers at Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. can help you recover the damages to which you are entitled, so that you can recover physically, emotionally, and financially.

Who Is Most At Risk For Bicycle Accidents In Mississippi

Bicycle accident statistics for the United States:

• There were 467,000 bicycle-related injuries in 2015, resulting in lifetime medical costs and productivity losses of $10 billion. In 2016, there were 840 cyclist fatalities in the U.S.
• 71% of these fatal bicycle crashes occurred in urban areas, where traffic is the heaviest, and slightly more crashes occurred during the daylight. Most bicycle fatalities happen during the evening rush hour, between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.

In Mississippi, motor vehicle accidents cause 90% of bicycle fatalities, and are the most likely to result in catastrophic injury, simply because they are larger, heavier, and faster than a bicycle. Additionally, cyclists do not have as much protection as someone inside a car.

Some of the most common causes of collisions are:

• A motor vehicle cuts off a bicyclist when entering the roadway.
• A motor vehicle makes a right turn and cuts off a cyclist traveling straight in the bike lane.
• A motor vehicle rear-ends a cyclist trying to maneuver around a car parked in the bike lane.
• A driver of a parked car, truck or van opens a door in the path of a bicyclist.
• The cyclist is riding on the wrong side of the road, against oncoming traffic.
• A motorist or a cyclist runs a stop light or stop sign.
• The cyclist makes an unpredictable or hazardous move.
• A cyclist falls off the bike due to a poorly-maintained roadway.
• The bicycle is defective, damaged, or poorly repaired.
• A cyclist falls off the bike due to an animal attack.
• A cyclist collides with a pedestrian or another cyclist.
• A cyclist falls off the bike due to loss of balance or inebriation.
• A cyclist collides with an object, such as debris in the road, a curb, or tree

What To Do After a Pedestrian Accident

• Make sure you are safe.
• Call 911 for police and emergency medical personnel.
• Report you version of events while taking the police officer’s name, badge number and report number.
• Collect evidence like photographs, damage to bicycle and helmet, and notes.
• Go to ER or hospital.
• Keep detailed records.
• Do not talk to the at-fault party’s insurance company.

Don’t Become a Victim of the Insurance Companies

Insurance companies aren’t your friends. They’re in business to make money, and they do this by collecting more money than they pay out. It’s in an insurance company’s best interests to avoid paying out on your claim, and sometimes they may try to avoid paying your legitimate bicycle accident injury claim. When they do pay, insurance companies try to low-ball you so they can keep more of their money for themselves. Things can get even more complicated if you’re injured in Mississippi.

Bicycle Accident Damages

As with other types of accidents, the types of damages you may collect in a bicycle accident lawsuit are:

• Economic damages, such as medical bills, damaged property, and lost wages;
• Non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering; and
• Punitive damages, which are sometimes awarded by a jury for no other purpose than to punish an especially egregious offender.

Of course, the actual damages which you are eligible to collect will vary significantly based on the precise nature of your case and the quality of legal representation which you have.

We Work For You

As a bicycle accident victim in Mississippi, you have rights. If your accident was caused by another driver’s negligence, you have a right to recover your medical bills, lost wages and property damage from the accident. Don’t let the insurer pay less than your accident is worth. Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. is an experienced Mississippi bicycle accident law firm, and they know how to deal with insurance companies. Let us represent your interests – call today for a free consultation.