San Antonio Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you were injured in a bicycle crash with a car, you need an experienced San Antonio bicycle accident lawyer who will fight the insurance companies tooth and nail. Call us for a free consultation.
Serious Injuries in Bicycle Accidents
The injuries are typically severe when a bicycle collides with a car, whether the rider strikes the body of the vehicle or is thrown to the pavement. The hardships are made worse when the driver and insurance company try to deflect blame onto the victim.
The law firm of Rush & Gransee, L.C., looks out for your interests and works to set the record straight about who was at fault. Our experienced bicycle accident attorneys have a solid track record of holding negligent drivers accountable in pursuit of full compensation.
Talk to a lawyer today if you or a family member was injured on a bicycle.
Why did this Accident Happen?
San Antonio and other Texas communities have made an effort in recent years to be more bike-friendly, including designated cycling lanes and passing laws to protect the space around bicyclists when cars pass.
This creates dangerous situations in which motor vehicles collide with bikes by:
- Turning left into the path of a rider
- Cutting off bicyclists when turning right
- Sudden lane changes
- “Dooring” a bike rider when exiting a parked car
- Pulling out of a side street or parking lot
- Drifting into a bike lane or the shoulder
- Driving too fast in a residential zone
- Rolling through a stop sign
Our attorneys have been investigating and litigating motor vehicle crash cases for more than 25 years. Drawing on outside experts and our in-house experience, we establish liability and position clients for the maximum settlement or a favorable jury award.
Frequently Asked Bicycle Accident Questions
What should I do if I was involved in a hit and run bicycle accident?
One of the scary things about riding a bicycle here in Texas is the chance of a hit-and-run. If you are involved in a bicycle accident with a hit-and-run driver, you still can be helped. Number one, maybe somebody witnessed it. Maybe somebody got a license plate.
These days there are cameras everywhere, depending on what road you were on. You need an experienced bicycle accident lawyer, who knows how to uncover every avenue to identify that hit-and-run driver, so that you can get c you deserve for going to the hospital, suffering those injuries, and suffering them long into the future.
What mistakes should I avoid after a bicycle accident?
If you’re out riding your bike and some person in an automobile is not paying attention, runs up on you, pushes you over, knocks you off the road, you’ve got real problems. You’ve probably been to the hospital. You need to take action.
You need an experienced bicycle accident lawyer. The laws apply differently, or they apply the same in certain circumstances. Yes, you need to follow the rules of the road, but so do they. They don’t get to say, “Oh, that bike shouldn’t have been there,” “Oh, I didn’t see that bike because it was small. It wasn’t a big car.” If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident here in Texas, you have rights that need protecting, and the only way to protect them is with an experienced attorney.
Should I accept a settlement offer from the insurance company after my bicycle accident?
After a bicycle accident in Texas, the insurance companies oftentimes call and start offering a check. A lot of times they use language like “Let us pay for your medical bills,” “We’re very sorry you’re going through this,” “Let us give you $500 for your trouble.”
The reason they do that is because along with that offer, that makes it sound like they’re trying to help you comes what’s called a release; a release of all claims. They make you sign that. That means that once you accept that check, it’s over. A lawyer’s not going to be able to help you anymore. Do not accept quick offers from insurance companies. They are trying to hurt you and help themselves.
How do I choose the best attorney for my bicycle accident claim?
Following a bicycle accident, when you’re looking for an experienced attorney to help you, you need to make sure that they’ve been down this road before. These cases are different. You don’t need someone who’s never handled a case like this before.
They’re not going to understand the intricacies of the law that applies to bicycle riders versus automobile drivers. The only way for you to know who to hire is to call and talk to the lawyer that’s going to represent you, not an assistant, not someone who’s just checking boxes on a form, but someone who can answer all of your questions about your bicycle accident case here in Texas.
Should I talk to the insurance company after a bicycle accident?
If you were riding your bike and somebody ran into you, you may have ended up in the hospital. You get back home and all of a sudden, an insurance company’s calling you. They say they just want to talk to you. Do not talk to the insurance company.
They’re not on your side. They’re not there to get your side of the story. They’re there to try and figure out a way to get out of responsibility.
Can I be partially at fault for a bicycle accident?
I get asked a lot, “What if I was partly to blame?” “I was in a bicycle accident. I was riding along the roads here in Texas but I wasn’t completely in the bike lane.” Well, maybe that does mean you have some part of that fault, but that doesn’t excuse all of the fault on the driver that wasn’t paying attention.
It doesn’t excuse the fault if they were texting and driving. The way we look at things here in Texas is on a scale of zero to one hundred, and we break it down. Maybe you were 10% at fault, but they’re 90% at fault and that means they need to be held accountable. Just because you think you could’ve done something differently, that does not mean you shouldn’t go to an experienced bicycle accident attorney. They can explain to you what your rights are.
How long do I have to file a bicycle accident claim in Texas?
In Texas we have a statute of limitations. If you were involved in a bicycle accident here in Texas, you have two years to take action. Now, we don’t encourage anyone to wait two years.
You need to take action now because probably now the bills are piling up, you’re worried about supporting your family, and you’re worried about what tomorrow’s going to bring. Technically, you have two years. If for some reason something has prevented you from bringing the case and you’re still within two years, hire an experienced bicycle accident lawyer to help you out.
How do I determine the value of my bicycle accident case?
How do you know how much your case is worth? The truth is, only an experienced attorney can answer that question. Because those injuries can be so devastating, you probably have all sorts of medical bills piling up on you.
So the value of your claim can only be determined by a lawyer who is experienced in bicycle accident cases. You want someone who understands the medicine behind injuries, and the law that holds those people accountable.
How long will my bicycle accident case take to settle?
You were riding your bike, following the rules of the road, a car hit you and you ended up in the hospital because they weren’t paying attention. You’re worried. You have bills piling up, and maybe you’re not able to go to work. How long is this going to take? That question is always asked. Doesn’t matter where in Texas I am, if I’m helping somebody who was involved in a bicycle accident, they want to know how long this is going to take. It’s going to take as long as it takes for us to know what your injuries are. What are the extent of your injuries? How long are your injuries going to last?
Insurance companies, once you get a good lawyer on your side, try and delay; they don’t want to be held accountable. An experienced attorney knows how to push, and move it along. We’re not going to take a quick offer from them. If you’ve been seriously injured in a bicycle accident here in Texas, it’s going to take a while, but the only reason it’s going to take a while is because you deserve full compensation.
Experienced Representation for a Devastating Accident
Robert Rush is a board-certified trial lawyer* who understands the value of your case and the strengths of your case. He is also attuned to your family’s needs and losses as he aggressively pursues fair damages.
To discuss your rights in a bike accident case, contact us today for a free consultation. We handle personal injury cases in Bexar County and throughout South Texas.
* Certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy as a Civil Trial Lawyer