Missouri Bicycle Accident Lawyer
According to the Missouri Bicycle Federation, Inc., bicycling is the most popular recreational activity in the United States, second to walking. There are two million bicyclists in Missouri who take about twenty million bicycle trips each year. Since a large number of Missouri bicyclists share trails with motor vehicle drivers and pedestrians, the state records hundreds of bike crashes mostly due to drivers’ negligence or recklessness.
Bicycle accident cases in Missouri can sometimes involve serious injuries including traumatic brain injury, broken bones, or organ damage. In such situations, it’s necessary to seek legal recourse against the negligent parties and get financial compensation.
If you were involved in a bicycle crash or injury, contact an experienced bicycle accident lawyer at the Injury Lawyer Team today. All confidential information you share with our attorney will remain private through an attorney-client relationship.
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Contact our Missouri bicycle accident lawyers to schedule a free consultation. All confidential or sensitive information shared with your Missouri bicycle accident lawyer remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Statistics Related to Missouri Bicycle Accident Cases
Though Missouri is striving to improve its trails and create stricter bicycle-lane regulations to protect cyclists, hundreds of bicyclists get injured or killed in motor vehicle crashes. Here are the key bike accident statistics for Missouri:
- Almost 2% of all bicycle accidents in Missouri are fatal and 85% of crashes cause at least 1 injury to individuals.
- In 2019, the total number of fatal and injury bike accidents was 3,904 in Missouri. The city of St. Louis witnessed 1,980 bicyclists suffer injuries and lose their lives in traffic accidents. Out of these victims, 74 were 15 years old or younger.
- The Missouri State Highway Patrol recorded a total of 444 bicycle-related crashes throughout the state in 2022 in its Traffic Safety Compendium. In total, bike accidents increased by more than 16% compared to the recorded total of the previous year.
- According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), the death rate for male bicyclists is 7 times higher than for female counterparts.
- Nearly 21 percent of all cycling fatalities occur between 6 pm and 9 pm; only 10 percent of cycling fatalities occur between 9 am and noon.
These statistics related to bicycle accident cases in Missouri highlight the importance of safe riding practices and bike laws to reduce the number of accidents. If you need legal assistance regarding a bicycle accident case, hire a qualified bicycle accident lawyer having a track record of achieving favorable outcomes for their clients.
What Causes Bicycle Accidents in Missouri?
Bicycle accidents can happen due to a variety of reasons, but the majority are attributed to negligence or human error. If you are a victim of someone else’s negligent driving or carelessness, talk to a bicycle accident lawyer immediately.
The causes of Missouri bike accidents are as follows:
- Drunk Driving or Biking – Drunk driving is the reason behind 26% of fatal accidents in Missouri. In 2020, around 25% of bike accidents involved a bicyclist who had been riding under the influence of alcohol.
- Distracted Driving – Distracted driving caused over 3,100 deaths in 2020, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. Getting distracted to use mobiles, check social media, or attend phone calls can cause the motor vehicle to crash into a bicycle.
- Speeding – Speeding a bicycle escalates the risk of a severe injury due to reduced control, hindering reaction time and increasing collision impact force. Over 40 percent of all traffic fatalities in Missouri involve exceeding safe speeds, the most common factor in Missouri crashes.
- Unsafe passing – Under Missouri law, a driver overtaking a bicycle must maintain a safe distance until safely past the overtaken bicyclist. Motorists passing too closely to cyclists put them at risk of bicycle accidents.
- Poor road conditions – Riding a bicycle on a poorly maintained or defective road increases the risk of bicycle crashes in Missouri. Potholes, debris, or inadequate bike lanes can encourage accidents, for which the local government is mainly responsible.
- Visibility issues – Cycling can become riskier in low light conditions or when cyclists face difficulty seeing due to a lack of reflective gear. Using front and rear lights as well as installing reflective bike accessories can lessen collisions.
- Incorrect lane use – Many drivers are still not used to sharing the road with cyclists, which oftentimes results in unsafe lane changes or incorrect lane use. The FHWA’s Bikeway Selection Guide recommends separated bike lanes or shared-use paths on roadways with more than 7,000 vehicles per day and observed speeds of 35 mph or more.
- Failure to yield – Missouri state laws dictate when a bicyclist is supposed to yield to a motor vehicle and vice versa, if not followed, it can cause accidents. According to the NHTSA, failing to yield the right of way is the topmost factor in fatal bike crashes, followed by bicyclists not being visible.
- Dooring – Simply put, “dooring” is when a driver opens the door of a car or other motor vehicle into the path of a bicyclist. Dooring accidents make up 2% of accident cases nationally but account for up to 27% of bicycle accidents in urban areas like Los Angeles and San Francisco. Accidents related to dooring can be prevented if motor vehicle drivers check their rearview mirror before opening doors.
Statute of Limitations for Missouri Bicycle Accidents
Under Missouri’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases, bike accident victims have up to five years to file a bicycle accident claim against any at-fault parties, starting from the date of the accident.
The same deadline applies if a bicycle accident causes property damage. If a victim dies from injury, their family members or representatives have a maximum of three years to file a wrongful death claim, starting from the date of the victim’s death.
Once this time limit passes, your bicycle accident claim to recover economic and non-economic damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering will be dismissed.
If you are involved in a fatal crash due to another driver’s fault, hire a bicycle accident attorney right away to ensure your financial compensation.
How Much Compensation Can I Secure for a Bicycle Accident in Missouri?
Individuals who have suffered injuries or damages in Missouri bicycle accidents are entitled to recover compensatory damages, typically divided into economic and non-economic losses.
Economic damages are calculable monetary losses an accident victim has suffered as a result of their injury, for example:
- Present and future medical bills
- Lost income
- Lost capacity to earn money
- Repair costs for damaged property
- Expenses for rehabilitative care and housekeeping services
- Travel costs
Non-economic damages cannot be calculated in monetary value, but are as significant as economic damages. Some examples of non-economic damages are:
- Loss of companionship
- Diminished quality of life
- Emotional pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Permanent disability and or disfigurement
Missouri’s Comparative Fault Law
Missouri has adopted the pure comparative fault law for all kinds of personal injury cases, entailing bicycle accident claims too. Pure comparative fault allows victims to seek compensation for injuries and damages even if they are 99% at fault. Meaning, a cyclist could file a lawsuit and recover 1% of damages from an accident they primarily caused.
Is Missouri a No-Fault State for Bicycle Accidents?
No, Missouri follows at-fault rules for accident cases, including bicycle accident cases. This means that victims of bicycle crashes can seek compensation from the responsible parties through a third-party insurance claim. Typically, the liable motorists are required to cover the damages of the victim using their minimum liability coverage.
The minimum liability coverage requirements in Missouri are:
- $25,000 for the bodily injuries of one person.
- $50,000 for the bodily injuries of multiple people.
- $25,000 for any property damage.
Apart from liability coverage, injured bicycle accident victims can use uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. In Missouri, uninsured motorist coverage becomes valuable in situations where the driver responsible for a bicycle crash does not have insurance to compensate for the victim’s damages.
How an Experienced Missouri Bicycle Accident Lawyer Can Help in Your Case
As experienced trial attorneys, our Missouri bicycle accident lawyers will be your reliable legal representatives. From the initial consultation to a favorable jury verdict, our bicycle accident lawyer will assist you in the following aspects.
- Missouri bicycle accident lawyers use their extensive knowledge of traffic laws, cycling regulations, and the unique legal requirements of bicycle accidents.
- They investigate the accident and gather key evidence such as physical proofs, security camera footage, and depositions from eyewitnesses. Sometimes a Missouri bicycle accident attorney will consult with experts to determine who is at fault.
- Ensure you get the necessary medical care and rehabilitation services
- Bicycle accident attorneys determine the full extent of your economic damages and noneconomic damages like medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other accident damages.
- Injury lawyers draft and send a “settlement demand package” to the liable parties’ insurance companies
- On your behalf, a Missouri bicycle accident lawyer will negotiate with insurance companies or negligent parties to seek fair and maximum compensation.
- They deal with a resistant insurance provider if they refuse to give a fair settlement.
- In addition, our Missouri bicycle accident lawyers offer helpful advice based on decades of legal experience.
- If your bicycle accident case reaches trial, our lawyer will present a compelling case and advocate for your rights before the judge or jury using our courtroom skills.
- Handles administrative and legal aspects of your Missouri bicycle accident case so that you can have peace of mind.
Contact Our Missouri Bicycle Accident Lawyers to Schedule a Free Consultation
When your bicycle crashes with a larger vehicle, it can be frustrating to recover from resultant injuries and intimidating to take legal action against negligent parties. Engage the services of an experienced Missouri bicycle accident attorney and seek financial compensation for losses.
The bicycle accident attorneys at the Injury Lawyer Team, sponsored by the Rosenfeld Law Offices, are experienced in handling complex legal processes in Missouri. We will provide you with the best options for your injury case and if needed, represent you fiercely in court trials.
Contact our Injury Lawyer Team law office today at (888) 424-5757 for a free consultation with a qualified Missouri bicycle accident attorney. All shared confidential or sensitive information with our law firm remains private through an attorney-client relationship.