How Much is My Bicycle Settlement Worth?

If you or somebody you care about has been injured or sustained property damage in a bicycle accident caused by the actions of another driver, you should be entitled to various types of compensation for your losses. However, securing this compensation can present significant challenges. Here, we want to discuss how much your bicycle accident settlement is worth as well as whether or not you need to work with an attorney to ensure that you receive maximum compensation.

Bicyclists May be Entitled to Various Types of Compensation

Bicyclists in California and throughout the US may be entitled to various types of compensation in the event that they are harmed due to the careless or negligent actions of another driver on the roadway. These cases are handled much like traditional vehicle accidents and are typically resolved through settlements with insurance carriers. 

However, if the insurance carrier refuses to offer a fair settlement, it may be possible for a bicycle accident victim to recover compensation through a civil personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault driver.

In general, bicyclists will be entitled to various types of economic and non-economic compensation:

• Economic damages. These are also called special damages and revolve around the types of compensation that will be relatively easy to calculate after a bicycle accident occurs. This will be done by gathering bills and receipts associated with the incident and can include following:
  • Medical bills
  • Lost income
  • General household out-of-pocket expenses
  • Property damage expenses
• Non-economic damages. These are also called general damages and revolve around more immeasurable types of compensation in the aftermath of a bicycle accident. There are no direct bills or receipts that can be added up to measure a bicyclist’s:
  • Pain and suffering
  • Emotional distress
  • Loss of quality of life

The total amount of compensation a bicycle accident receives for economic and non-economic damages will vary depending on the various facts and circumstances surrounding each particular case. The reality is that there is no set amount of money paid to bicycle accident victims. In general, we will see that those who sustain more severe injuries will likely receive higher compensation amounts.

Working With a Skilled Bicycle Accident Lawyer

According to data available from the California Office of Traffic Safety, we can see that there were more than 10,000 bicyclists who sustained injuries and vehicle collisions across the state of California during the latest reporting year. Unfortunately, 133 bicyclists lost their lives in crashes during that same year.

We strongly encourage any bicycle accident victim to contact a skilled attorney as soon as possible. A bicycle accident lawyer in Orange County will have the resources necessary to conduct a complete investigation into the case in order to determine liability. When it comes to properly determine the value of a bicycle accident claim, an attorney can work with trusted economic and financial experts who can evaluate the evidence and the injury victim. An attorney will be able to use all this information and stand up to aggressive insurance carriers. If the insurance carriers refuse to offer a fair settlement, an attorney will be fully prepared to take the case to trial.