victims for over 25 years.
Denver Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you’ve been in a bicycle crash in Denver, you are likely very injured and you need urgent legal help. Bicyclists have many rights in Colorado but very few drivers understand or heed them.
The result is a growing number of car-on-bike crashes and, let me tell you, the biker never wins in that matchup. I’ve helped bicycle accident victims and their families deal with incredibly egregious circumstances, where drivers try to blame bikers for causing crashes that were clearly not the biker’s fault.
When the insurance companies get involved, the stakes (and the blame-game) become even more challenging.
Call me today if you were in a bicycle crash. In a brief, free consultation, I can listen to your story, help you to see the strengths of your case, and suggest areas where you might face difficult opposition. If you choose to hire me, I will immediately tell the insurance companies to stop badgering you, and I will start investigating your bike crash. You can focus on healing.
Contact an experienced Denver bicycle accident lawyer today at (303) 388-5304 for a free consultation. I will go above and beyond for you.
Choose the O’Sullivan Law Firm for Help Today
- Scott O’Sullivan is a former insurance defense attorney who has been practicing personal injury law for over 25 years. He knows how insurance carriers think, act, and evaluate their claims. He will use this to your advantage.
- We keep our firm small on purpose. You will work directly with one of our three Denver personal injury lawyers. You will not be passed off to a paralegal or case manager.
- Our lawyers are successful in 99 percent of our cases, and we have resolved more than 2,000 cases since 2008 on behalf of Colorado clients.
- The O’Sullivan Law Firm is a full-service firm. We handle every aspect of the cases that we take, including property damages, health insurance disputes or delays, and of course, the injury claim.
Denver Bike Accident Resources
- Common Causes of Bike Accidents in Denver
- How a Denver Bicycle Accident Attorney Can Help Your Case
- What Injuries Are Common in Denver Bike Accidents?
- Compensation Available After a Bicycle Accident in Colorado?
- Colorado Bicycle Accident Statistics
- Partial Fault for a Denver Bicycle Accident
- Contact Our Denver Bicycle Accident Attorneys Today
What are the Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Denver?
Bicycle accidents occur in a wide variety of ways in and around the Denver area and throughout Colorado. Unfortunately, drivers inside of traditional passenger cars often fail to pay attention to bicyclists in their vicinity. In some cases, bicyclists are ignored altogether by motorists. Some motorists consider bicyclists nuisances that should be away from the roadway altogether. However, bicyclists have full rights to be on nearly every type of roadway in Colorado.
Some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents include drivers:
- Following a bicyclist too closely
- Dangerously passing a bicyclist
- Operating too fast for conditions
- Operating while impaired by alcohol or drugs
- Operating while distracted by phones or other devices
- Road rage incidents directed towards a bicyclist
- Failing to yield the right of way to a bicyclist
This is certainly not an exhaustive list of the causes of bicycle accidents that occur in the Denver area. We strongly encourage you to contact a bike accident attorney if you believe that your bicycle crash was caused by the negligence of another driver.
How a Denver Bicycle Accident Attorney Can Help Your Case
A skilled bicycle accident lawyer is going to be an integral part of these claims. An attorney can step in and use their resources to handle every aspect of the case, which will first include conducting a complete investigation into what happened. Some of the evidence an attorney will gather to help prove liability for a bicycle accident case includes the following:
- Photographs taken at the scene of the crash
- Possible video surveillance from nearby buildings
- Statements from eyewitnesses
- Mobile device data of the driver
- Vehicle “black box” data
- Police or accident reports
A skilled personal injury lawyer in Denver will also ensure that their client is evaluated by a trusted medical professional, as well as economic experts who can properly calculate their total losses. After thoroughly reviewing all insurance policies related to the claim, a bicycle accident lawyer will negotiate in an attempt to reach a fair out-of-court settlement on behalf of their client. However, it may be necessary to take these cases all the way to trial.
What Injuries Are Common in Denver Bike Accidents?
Bicyclists are incredibly vulnerable to severe injuries in the event an accident occurs on Denver roadways. Even when a bicyclist is just wearing a helmet, they do not have much protection from the force of a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds slamming into them. Additionally, bicyclists can be injured during the initial impact with the vehicle as well as a secondary impact with the ground. At The O’Sullivan Law Firm, it is not uncommon for our Denver accident lawyers to help clients who have sustained the following:
- Spinal cord injuries with paralysis
- Other severe back or neck injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Skull fractures or open head wounds
- Broken or dislocated bones
- Amputations
- Crush injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Significant scarring and disfigurement
What Compensation is Available After a Bicycle Accident in Colorado?
Bicycle accident victims in Colorado often have serious medical costs following the accident. An injured victim may find themselves unable to work, putting them in serious financial trouble. There may be various types of compensation available to bicyclists injured by other drivers in Denver. In general, our attorneys work diligently to recover both economic and non-economic types of compensation for bicyclists in these situations.
Colorado law states that bicycle riders can recover compensation for their injuries and other expenses following a bike accident. When filing a personal injury claim against an at-fault party, you can be compensated for:
- Economic Damages. Economic damages are the financial costs associated with your bicycle accident. These financial costs can include lost wages, medical bills, lost income, bicycle repairs, or the cost of ongoing care.
- Noneconomic Damages. General damages or noneconomic damages cover the loss of personal and intangible items. Noneconomic damages include emotional distress, pain and suffering, loss of life quality, and loss of companionship.
- Punitive Damages. Punitive damages occur in some cases and punish the defendant for reckless behavior, such as the disregard for the safety of others.
Our Denver bicycle accident lawyers will review your case and fight against insurance companies for fair compensation.
Colorado Bicycle Accident Statistics
Data presented by the Colorado Department of Transportation indicates that there were 878 total bicycle accidents across the state during the latest reporting year. Out of these incidents, we know that there were:
- 14 fatalities
- 341 minor injuries
- 44 serious injuries
- 115 possible injuries
This data shows us that the vast majority of all bicycle accidents result in some sort of injury or fatality for the bicyclist involved. This makes sense when we consider that bicyclists have very little protection from the force of a vehicle slamming into them. With passenger vehicles weighing thousands of pounds and with bicyclists having no metal frame, airbags, or seatbelts for protection, the reality is that a bicyclist is considered an especially vulnerable roadway user, along with pedestrians.
Partial Fault for a Denver Bicycle Accident
A bicyclist can still recover compensation if they are partially responsible for causing a crash, but only under certain circumstances. Colorado operates under a “modified comparative negligence” system (CO Rev Stat § 13-21-111 ). This means that if an injury victim is 50% or more responsible for their own injuries, they will not be allowed to recover compensation for their losses. However, if an injury victim is 49% or less responsible for their own injuries, they can recover compensation. The total amount of compensation awarded will be adjusted downward based on their percentage of default.
Contact Our Denver Bicycle Accident Attorneys Today
If you or somebody you love has been injured in a bicycle accident caused by the actions of another driver in the Denver area, contact The O’Sullivan Law Firm for help as soon as possible.
Our bike accident attorneys have the resources necessary to handle every aspect of these claims, and we will do what it takes to ensure our clients secure full compensation. This includes coverage of their medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, pain and suffering losses, and more. When you need a Denver bicycle accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case or call us at (303) 388-5304.
