If you have been involved in a bike accident in DC, you should know if you may be entitled to damages based off of some of the potential injuries you may have. It is important to consult with a DC bike accident lawyer to discuss your case further and deal with health insurance companies and learn what damages you may be able to receive.
Anyone involved in a collision while operating a bicycle can sustain many different types of injuries. The nature and extent of the injuries suffered by injured persons are evaluated on a case by case basis. Typically, people who are involved in bicycle accidents can suffer broken bones, sprains, or strains in their back, neck, legs, and arms. Head injuries are common in bicycle cases, as well as road rash or skin irritations and loss of consciousness.
Additionally, other injuries from a bicycle accident could include:
A traumatic brain injury involves any kind of significant force to the head, skull, face, or brain area. It can occur from a bike accident because the bicyclist is not wearing a helmet, is wearing an improper helmet, or is wearing a defective helmet, and then suffers an injury to their head. Most likely these head injuries occur when the bicyclist is thrown from the bicycle, dragged under a car, thrown into another car, or falls to the ground and strikes their head on the ground.
If someone has a traumatic brain injury, typically, they will lose consciousness, experience dizziness or loss of vision, loss of hearing, or some form of amnesia. They want to make sure that they get medical treatment right away so that the doctor can monitor and care for those injuries.
People can get broken bones in a bicycle accident by being thrown from a bicycle and hitting the ground, a tree, another vehicle or they can even suffer broken bones after being struck by a car and being dragged under the car. Basically, any time a bicyclist is struck by a vehicle and is either pushed into something or thrown from the bicycle, they could potentially suffer broken bones throughout their body, typically in the legs or the arms.
Some part of their body may even get mangled or distorted after being involved in a car accident, because they do not have the same protection that they have on a bicycle as they would in a car. The car has a metal frame to protect them from other cars, a bicycle rider has no such protection.
On top of the physical injuries, the mental anguish that follows a bike-car collision can be significant. The general idea from a personal injury case is to return the plaintiff to their state before the accident, as much as possible.
A large portion of this is the mental aspect of the injury. Common examples of mental anguish include:
Health insurance is important to all injured persons to pay for the cost of treatment. When someone does not have health insurance, they may be required to pay for the cost of medical treatment for their DC bike accident injuries out of their own pocket.
Any number of issues can occur when someone does not have health insurance and is injured through the negligence of another. Generally, anyone whose medical treatment is paid through their insurance carrier is subject to a lien by that health insurance carrier. That lien is paid off through any and all recovery. Health insurance companies establish their contract with the individual. The terms and conditions of that contract spell out the manner in which the insurance companies may assert a lien, if and when a person is injured due to the negligence of another party.
People should use their health insurance for all treatments provided following a motor vehicle collision. The person should not treat differently the injury or medical treatment caused by the negligence of another person just because they were involved in a collision.
It is essential to work with a skilled injury attorney when dealing with injuries and health insurance companies because they can communicate directly with the injured person’s insurance company and resolve any and all issues that occur throughout the course of the claim.
If you or a loved one has been injured while riding a bicycle in DC, a skilled bike accident is available to help. They will understand the nature and extent of injuries that can result from DC bicycle accidents and the impact that they have on a person’s life. Your focus should be on feeling better and getting your life back to normal.
An attorney can help by dealing with the insurance companies, gathering medical records, and negotiating on your behalf. Get in touch with a lawyer that will fight for you.
