Florida Bicycle Accident Lawyer

If you were hurt in a bicycle accident involving a motor vehicle, you may be entitled to file an insurance claim or lawsuit to recover compensation for your damages. Your settlement or judgment should account for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

A Florida bicycle accident lawyer from Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers can help. Call us for a free consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis, so you do not pay us an attorney’s fee unless you recover compensation.

Legal Options Following a Florida Bike Accident

Under Florida Statutes § 627.736, you may file an insurance claim with your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage on your auto insurance policy. Florida PIP auto insurance laws mandate that PIP covers you regardless of who caused the accident, even if you were riding your bicycle.

If a driver caused your bicycle accident, you may qualify to file a liability claim against the at-fault driver. A liability claim may allow you to recover compensation beyond what is covered under your PIP policy.

A car accident attorney from Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers can identify all the claims you qualify to file, and help you navigate the insurance and legal processes. You will work directly with one of the founding partners who will help you pursue all the compensation you deserve.

Types of Bicycle Accidents in Florida

You may qualify to take legal action if your bike accident involved a motor vehicle. Some of the causes of bicycle-car accidents include:

• Distracted driving
• Drunk driving
• Failure to yield
• Negligent lane changes
• Left- or right-turn accidents
• Dooring
• Speeding and aggressive driving
• Following too closely
• Failure to follow road signs
• Violation of bicycle laws (see Florida Statutes § 316.2065)

To file a liability claim, your case must prove another party caused your accident. You may be able to file a PIP claim with your insurance company regardless of fault if the bike accident involved a motor vehicle.

Recoverable Damages in a Florida Bike Accident Case

PIP benefits under a Florida auto insurance policy allow recovery of:

• Eighty percent of reasonable medical expenses, including medical, surgical, X-ray, dental, and rehabilitative care. This also includes ambulance, hospital, and nursing services.
• Sixty percent of loss of gross income and earning capacity.

PIP also includes death benefits of up to $5,000 per individual.

A liability claim against the at-fault driver, however, allows you to recover more than your auto insurance policy limits. Recoverable damages in a liability claim may include:

• All medical bills, including for short- and long-term care
• All lost wages and earning capacity, including employment benefits
• Property damage to the bicycle or other personal property
• Pain and suffering and other noneconomic damages

Please speak with a Florida bicycle accident lawyer from Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers to review your accident and the recoverable damages specific to your case.

Investigating Your Bicycle Accident Case

Your attorney will investigate your accident and injuries to identify evidence that establishes fault. Some of the types of evidence or documents we may retrieve include:

• Accident or police reports
• Surveillance footage
• Photographs of the crash scene
• Eyewitness statements
• Medical records
• Income records (to prove lost wages)

Our Florida personal injury lawyers may also work with subject matter experts to provide testimony about how your accident happened or the long-term effects of your injuries. Subject matter experts we may work with include:

• Accident reconstruction specialists
• Medical experts
• Vocational experts
• Lifecare planners

Our team will retrieve any available evidence that helps us establish fault for your accident and the value of your damages. We work diligently to build a case that allows you to recover the compensation you need to get medical care, replace your lost earnings, and compensate you for your pain and suffering.

5 Reasons to Call Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers Right Away After a Bike Accident

1. There Is a Limited Time to Act

Florida law gives you two years to file a lawsuit, but other, shorter deadlines may apply to your case. For example, you have just 14 days to seek initial medical treatment after your accident to qualify for PIP benefits. You also have only10 days to report a car accident.

Further, the statute of limitations may be shorter for cases involving wrongful death or if you are suing a government entity.

Talk to a lawyer right away to ensure you meet all applicable deadlines.

2. High Rate of Success

We have an 85 percent rate of success when insurance coverage is available. Our firm has been fighting for Florida families since 1995, and we draw upon our decades of experience as we handle every step of your case from start to finish.

3. You Pay Nothing Unless You Get Compensation

We work on a contingency fee, so you do not pay any attorney’s fee until you recover compensation for your damages. If you do not recover compensation, you do not owe an attorney’s fee.

4. Work Directly with the Partners

Jason and Debi Chalik are the founding partners of Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers. When you work with us, you will work directly with a founding partner.

Our firm believes in personal representation, and so we do not pass off clients to associates. We ensure that our clients can work directly with a founding partner of the law firm.

5. Stay Informed About Your Case

We believe that personal representation includes keeping our clients up to date about their case’s status. You can call us any time, and we will return your call or email in a timely fashion.

Call Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers After a Florida Bike Accident

If you were hurt, a Florida bicycle accident lawyer from our firm can help.Call or contact us online to get a free consultation about your case.