Bicycle Accidents

Bicyclists share the road with motorists but have almost no protection against the weight and speed of a motor vehicle. Injuries from a bicycle accident can significantly disrupt the victim’s life in many ways. At Injury Lawyers of NJ, we help injured bicyclists pursue their rights to recover compensation under New Jersey law. A bicycle accident case often involves complex legal, factual, and insurance issues that must be addressed. Our bicycle accident lawyers Sheri Breen and Natalie Zammitti Shaw apply more than 50 years of combined personal injury experience to obtain maximum compensation for injured bicyclists and offer every client extraordinary personal attention and support throughout the entire legal process.

Bicycle Laws in New Jersey

Now more than ever bicycle riders and e-scooter riders share the road with cars, motorcycles, buses, and trucks. New Jersey law states that a person riding a bicycle on a road way has all the same rights and duties of a motor vehicle driver. Similarly, the motor vehicle and traffic laws include numerous provisions that apply to vehicle driver conduct when a bicycle shares the road.

Bicycle and e-scooter riders have little protection with large vehicles. Cyclists and e-scooter riders who have been injured have a legal right to seek compensation as a result of a driver’s negligent acts. When a bicycle accident occurs, the bicycle rider’s and vehicle driver’s compliance with state law provisions is a critical component in determining legal liability. Our bicycle accident lawyer team knows how to gather evidence, investigate all the circumstances, and analyze the details surrounding the accident to determine the specific laws that apply. We aggressively pursue full compensation from the responsible parties.

Proving Legal Liability in a Bicycle Accident

For an injured bicycle rider to recover compensation from a driver who caused an accident, New Jersey law requires the victim to prove that the driver owed and breached a duty of care to the rider. The breach of duty usually occurs in the form of negligence, such as failure to abide by applicable traffic laws, by the at-fault driver. In addition to proving negligence, an injured bicyclist must demonstrate that the driver’s negligence caused the injuries and also establish the financial value of the damages and losses.

What You Should Do To Preserve Your Rights:

• Call the police to make an accident report
• Take photos of the accident scene including bicycle, e-scooter, and vehicle involved
• Photograph and/or video your injuries
• Talk to eyewitnesses at the scene and keep their information
• Save your bicycle or e-scooter and helmet
• See a doctor as soon as possible

Establishing the legal basis for recovering from a person who caused a bicycle accident requires specialized legal knowledge and the ability to investigate and analyze every detail of the facts and circumstances of the accident, which is why it is crucial to contact an experienced New Jersey bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible after the accident.

Insurance Coverage For Your Medical Bills

There are often staggering medical bills associated with a bicycle accident. Our bicycle accident attorneys work to immediately identify the insurance company that is responsible for your medical bills. Under the no-fault laws of New Jersey, it could be your own car insurance company or that of a relative who resides with you, even though your car was nowhere near the bicycle accident.

New Jersey Modified Comparative Negligence Rule

A complicating factor in a bicycle accident case is that the New Jersey modified comparative negligence rule, which applies in personal injury cases in the state, may be raised as a defense by the driver. Under the rule, fault by the bicyclist may reduce or eliminate compensation, even when the driver was at fault. Insurers use comparative negligence issues to try to reduce or deny compensation. Our bicycle accident lawyer team knows how to address comparative negligence issues during settlement and at trial.

Bicycle Accident Lawyer Fighting for the Compensation You Deserve

Injury Lawyers of NJ is committed to obtaining maximum compensation for our clients. Determining damages in a bicycle accident case involves calculating damages based on a wide-range of losses, including both economic and non-economic or intangible losses, such as:

• Permanent disability and/or disfigurement
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of consortium (loss of marital companionship and services)
• Past, current, and future medical and treatment bills and expenses
• Current and future lost wages and diminished earning capacity
• Cost of long-term rehabilitation treatment
• Costs to repair or replace your bicycle or e-scooter

Our bicycle accident lawyer team has decades of experience collecting and analyzing compensation evidence and know how to maximize damages recovered for the victim’s injuries. While there are no guarantees, proper determination of full compensation is one reason that a victim with legal representation is likely to recover more damages than an injured person who does not seek legal counsel after an accident.

Injury Lawyers of NJ — Bridging the Gap From Victim to Victor

To build the best case for liability and compensation, our bicycle accident lawyer team conducts an exhaustive investigation into all the circumstances relating to the accident and the nature and impact of the victim’s injuries, including their present and future medical condition.

We will:

1. Fully investigate your accident, gather surveillance video and photos, interview witnesses, and more.
2. Consult with experts that are knowledgeable regarding accident reconstruction and medical injuries, and others if needed, to prove your case.
3. Submit a claim with the responsible insurance company and, if necessary, file a lawsuit.
4. Negotiate a full and fair settlement.
5. Take your case to court if the insurer fails to negotiate a settlement in good faith.

In most bicycle accident cases, victory comes through a negotiated settlement, rather than in a courtroom verdict. However — unlike many bicycle accident lawyers who try not to take a case to trial — our attorneys at Injury Lawyers of NJ never hesitate to try a case to verdict when court proceedings are necessary to secure the full compensation the client deserves. The remarkable proven success of the negotiation and litigation skills of our lawyers is one of the most notable distinctions that sets us apart from other law firms.

Schedule a Free Consultation With a New Jersey Bicycle Accident Lawyer

If you suffered injuries in a bicycle accident, contact our bicycle accident lawyer team to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your case. We help clients throughout the State of New Jersey. Our lawyers are also licensed in the State of New York. For families who have lost a loved one in a bicycle accident, our attorneys help with wrongful death claims.

If you retain us to represent you, we take the case on a contingent fee basis. You do not pay us any legal fees unless we recover compensation for you. We welcome you to use the online contact form to schedule a no-cost consultation to discuss your case.