St. Louis Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Injured in an accident while riding your bike?

Cycling continues to grow in popularity in St. Louis due to the economic and environmental benefits that come along with riding a bike over driving a car. But when you’re injured while riding due to someone else’s negligence, it can be a painful and devastating situation.

Not only do you have to seek treatment for the bicycle accident injuries you sustain, but you may have to refrain from riding as you heal. If your bike is your primary mode of transportation, this can create difficulties for you in getting around. If you’re suffering from injuries after a bike accident, St. Louis Bicycle accident lawyers can help you get the compensation you deserve from your personal injury settlement.

St. Louis Bicycle Accident Facts

The Gateway City has become increasingly bike-friendly in recent years and was even named a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community in 2021 by the League of American Bicyclists.

As St. Louis aims to make biking even safer in the future, however, bicycle accidents continue to pose a risk of bodily injury should they occur. Out of 62 total bicycle accidents reported in St. Louis in 2020, 51 people were injured.

Common Bicycle Accident Injuries

When a car and a bicycle collide, the level of injury sustained by the cyclist is often much more intense than those of the vehicle driver. After all, bicyclists don’t have the built-in layer of protection that an enclosed vehicle provides.

Serious injuries after bicycle accidents include:

• Head trauma, skull fractures, and brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Neck and back injuries
• Damage to vital organs
• Soft tissue damage
• Nerve and joint damage
• Strains, sprains, and dislocations
• Broken or fractured bones

Due to the severity of the injuries often seen after a car accident involving a bicyclist, there’s often a more devastating impact on the injured person’s life post-recovery.

Compensation for Bicycle Accident Damages

There are two main categories of damages that can be recovered in a bicycle accident case: Economic damages and non-economic damages. The amount of your personal injury settlement will depend on the severity of your injuries and their effect on your life.

Economic Damages

These types of damages are measurable and easily proven. They include:

•  Medical expenses resulting from the injury – both present and future
• Lost wages due to the car accident
•  Property Damage

Also referred to as “compensatory damages,” economic damages can be calculated using documentation such as medical bills, physician statements, wage statements, and bicycle repair estimates.

Non-Economic Damages

There are other damages that occur after an accident injury that are a bit more subjective than compensatory damages. Non-economic damages refer to other losses associated with the injury and include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Mental anguish
• Disfigurement or disability
• Reduced or lost capacity for earning income in the future

It’s a good idea to seek treatment from a mental health professional to have any trauma-related conditions diagnosed after a serious bicycle accident. This will bolster your personal injury case and prove the negative impact that the accident had on your life and overall well-being.