Can you name a better way to enjoy a nice spring or summer day than a relaxing bike ride around town? If you enjoy bike riding, that has to be among your top choices for enjoying the weather and getting some exercise. Unfortunately, not every bike ride ends pleasantly. If you are unlucky enough to be involved in a bicycle accident while riding around Harrisburg, your trip is likely to end with a hospital stay and weeks, if not months, of recovery time. When that happens, you need an experienced Harrisburg bicycle accident attorney from Wapner Newman representing your interests and fighting to get you as much money as possible for your bills and expenses.
When Do You Need a Harrisburg Bicycle Accident Attorney?
Bicycle Accident Lawyers Can Help Even When You Don’t Litigate
One of the biggest misconceptions we deal with at Wapner Newman is the belief of some that they only need a lawyer if they intend to file a lawsuit against another party. Unfortunately, this belief can result in your getting less money from your injury claim than the law allows. Even if the insurance company for the driver of a vehicle that hit you approves your claim, that doesn’t mean it will pay you fair compensation. Insurance companies are notorious for undervaluing claims.
This is further complicated by the fact that you will be dealing with a car insurance company, even though you weren’t involved in a traditional car accident. Normally, when you are involved in a car accident in Pennsylvania, your insurance company compensates you for your injuries, regardless of who was at fault. However, that assumes that both parties have car insurance. That assumption is often invalid when one party is riding a bike. You aren’t required to purchase insurance to ride a bike on public roads.
The car insurance system in Pennsylvania assumes that both parties have car insurance. When one person is riding a bike, that assumption fails, making the system more complicated.
Navigating the car insurance system of another party’s insurance policy when you don’t have your insurance company to support you can be harrowing under the best of circumstances. When you are seriously injured and maybe even constrained to a hospital bed, it can seem almost impossible. Our Harrisburg bike accident attorneys can make everything a lot easier.
We understand the legal situation you are in and can navigate it with our decades of experience. We’ll gather all the evidence that the insurance company needs and will calculate the value of your case independently. This means that we can identify when the insurance company makes a settlement offer that is less than it should be. Even if you have no intention of taking your case to trial, a bicycle accident attorney from our law firm can help you get fair compensation from the insurance company.
How a Bicycle Accident Attorney in Harrisburg Proves Fault
Negligence in Pennsylvania Bike Accidents
The key to proving that the other party is responsible for compensating you for your injuries after a bike accident is proving negligence. This means showing that the other party had a duty to prevent you from getting injured and failed to perform that duty. When our bike accident attorneys take a bicycle accident case, we gather evidence to prove all of the following:
You Were Following the Rules of the Road
One of the most common defenses drivers make in bike accident cases is that the bike rider is responsible for the accident. They may, for example, inaccurately claim that you were illegally riding on the road when you should have been on the sidewalk. This is because drivers often don’t understand the rules that bicyclists are bound by. Fortunately, in our experience, bike riders know these rules pretty well. If you were legally riding your bike and obeying all traffic rules, you were fulfilling your obligation. We will look for witnesses who can testify as to how you were riding and there may be cameras that recorded parts of your trip.
The Other Driver Was Negligent
In most accidents involving a bicyclist and a driver, the driver is the negligent party. Maybe they were looking at their phone or failed to look for an approaching bike before making a turn. Even worse, some drivers may aggressively try to pass a bicyclist, even though they don’t have the right of way. Our bike accident lawyers look for evidence to prove the other driver was negligent and to prove you weren’t.
Were you seriously injured in a bike accident in Harrisburg? Don’t put your faith in the insurance companies to compensate you fairly. Call Wapner Newman at (215) 569-0900 today to schedule a free consultation with an experienced Harrisburg bike accident attorney.
The Driver’s Negligence Resulted in Your Getting Seriously Injured
Imagine this scenario: You are riding on Greenmont Drive when a car pulls onto the road from Browns Lane. The driver isn’t paying attention and nearly hits you. You swerve to avoid an accident and skin your knee when you fall off your bike. While the other driver’s negligence caused the accident, your injury from the accident is superficial at best. The cost to you is only a few bandages, assuming the injury doesn’t prevent you from working or otherwise performing daily activities.
Before our bicycle accident attorneys can file a claim on your behalf, we need to prove that you endured meaningful expenses or losses. We will procure hospital bills and evidence of lost wages to prove that the value of your claim is worth pursuing.
Why Choose Us?
What sets Wapner Newman apart from other law firms in Pennsylvania? In many ways, you are what sets us apart. We don’t think of your case as just another bicycle accident case. When you hire us to represent you, we think of it as your case. Our bicycle accident attorneys focus on what is most important to you. We can’t win a case if we fail to get the results that you are looking for. That’s why we take our time to ask you about the details of your claim and what you need to fully recover from your injuries.
Does this approach work? Ask our thousands of satisfied clients what they think. We have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients, helping them get on the road to recovery from serious injuries. At Wapner Newman, our bicycle accident lawyers take satisfaction in knowing that they have helped countless people live better lives after traffic accidents.
FAQ
Civil law is never easy. There is a reason that lawyers go to school for over half a decade to get their law degree and still need to pass another test to practice law in Pennsylvania. If you have questions about Pennsylvania bicycle laws, that is normal. Fortunately, our bicycle accident attorneys are always willing to answer your toughest questions. The following are answers to some of the most common questions we get from potential clients.
Can I get compensation if I am partially at fault for my injuries?
Even if you are partially responsible for your injuries, you may still be eligible for compensation. For example, if you failed to signal left before turning, that doesn’t excuse the actions of a driver who ran a red light. When you are partially responsible for your injuries, comparative negligence laws in the state will reduce your compensation by an amount commensurate with your responsibility.
How long can I wait after a bike accident to file a bicycle accident lawsuit in Pennsylvania?
According to the statute of limitations in Pennsylvania, you have two years to file a lawsuit. While you may not be in any condition to file a lawsuit immediately after an accident, you should still contact our law firm right away so we can help while you are laid up.
Will I have to go to court to get money after a bike accident in Harrisburg?
Probably not. Our Harrisburg bicycle accident lawyers will try to resolve your claim by negotiating a fair settlement with the insurance company before filing a lawsuit. Most of the claims that get good results never end up in a courtroom.
How long will it take for me to get compensation after a bike accident in Harrisburg?
The answer to this question depends on two factors: how badly you were injured and whether your case goes to trial. Typically, the worse you are injured, the longer it will take to resolve your case. Also, if a case goes to trial, it usually takes more than a year to resolve.
We know you probably have more questions. Our bicycle accident lawyers in Harrisburg will answer them during your consultation.
Contact Wapner Newman to Speak to a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
Looking to speed up your recovery after getting into a bike accident in Harrisburg? Contact our law firm at (215) 569-0900 to learn how we can help you get the money you need to recover quickly.