Dallas Bike Accident Lawyer

A car may have won the battle on the road, but our Dallas bicycle accident lawyers can win the battle in the courtroom. Contact Rasansky Law Firm to discuss your bike accident.

Over the past decade, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of bicyclists sharing the roadways across the state of Texas. Riding a bicycle is often considered a healthier and cost-effective method of transportation. Although riding a bicycle can be a fun and rejuvenating experience, sharing roads with negligent drivers can create a dangerous atmosphere.

Cars and all motor vehicles have a legal obligation to be attentive to bicycle riders. Drivers of cars must treat bicyclists with the same respect as other drivers. Drivers of vehicles are expected to follow all traffic laws at all times, and especially when bicycle riders are nearby, because they are more at risk due to having virtually no protection from an impact. Our bike accident lawyers have seen the damage cars cause to cyclists first-hand.

The attorneys at Rasansky Law Firm have nearly three decades of experience fighting to protect the legal rights of bicyclists injured in collisions. Our team goes to the site of each accident, gathers evidence, and carefully puts together a claim to ensure those harmed are fully and fairly compensated after their accidents. If you were injured in a bike accident as a result of an automobile driver’s actions, contact our Dallas bicycle accident attorneys at your earliest convenience to schedule a free consultation to discuss the legal options available for you.

Staggering Bicycle Accident Statistics

Regardless of the numerous laws are that have been enacted to protect bicyclists throughout Texas, they are continually injured at an alarming rate. Bicycle accidents are some of the most catastrophic types of collisions due to the fact that riders have very little protection from impact. Careless and negligent drivers causing serious personal injury to bicycle riders and bicyclists have resulted in some staggering statistics:

• A bicyclist is fatally injured every 6 hours in our country.
• Nearly one million children are injured each year in bicycle-related accidents.
• Nearly half of all bicycle fatalities occur to children under the age of 16.
• 75% of all severe injuries and fatalities from bicycle accidents are from head injuries.

Age also plays a critical role in determining your risk of being injured in an accident. Statistics surrounding bicycle accidents over a five year period include:

• Under age 14 – 25% of all accidents
• Between the ages of 15 and 24 – 24%
• Between the ages of 25 and 34 – 14%
• Between the ages of 35 and 44 – 11%
• Between the ages of 45 and 54 – 13%
• Between the ages of 55 and 64 – 7% 
• Ages 65 and older – 3%

There are a plethora of reasons why bicycle accidents occur. In many cases, bike accidents are caused by one of the following reasons:

• A driver turning directly in front of a bicyclist
• A car entering the street from a driveway or parking spot pulls out into traffic in front of the bicyclist
• Drivers opening doors into bicycle lanes without checking for travelers (dooring accidents)
• Inclement weather conditions causing poor visibility
• Poor road conditions like potholes, detours, construction lanes, or not having designated bicycle lanes
• Drivers failing to check their blind spots before changing lanes
• Speeding drivers who fail to yield the right of way to bicyclists
• A driver’s failure to yield at an intersection or running a stop sign or red light.
• A driver’s inattention while driving past a bicyclist
• An automobile driver’s failure to look both ways when resuming travel after stopping at a stop sign
• A drunk or impaired driver

If you sustain injuries in a bicycle accident as a result of another driver’s actions, it is crucial that you act quickly to protect your legal rights. You may be entitled to compensation to help alleviate the financial burdens you face moving forward. Contact our Dallas bicycle accident lawyers as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation to see how we can help you.

Bicycle Accidents are Increasing Throughout Texas

Although bicycle accidents can take place at anywhere in the state of Texas, there are ten counties where bicycle accidents happen at an alarming rate. The counties with the highest number of bicycle accidents each year include:

• Harris County: More than 1,150 bicycle accidents are reported annually
• Travis County: More than 1,100 bicycle accidents occur annually
• Dallas County: More than 680 bicycle accidents are reported each year
• Bexar County: Roughly 600 accidents are reported each year involving bicyclists
• Tarrant County: Approximately 460 bicycle accidents are reported annually
• Collin County: Over 215 bicycle accidents take place here annually
• Denton County: Around 160 bicycle accidents occur annually
• Nueces County: more than 150 accidents involving bicyclist occur each year
• El Paso County: Around 160 bicycle crashes occur each year
• Hidalgo County: Around 140 bicycle accidents are reported annually

Some of the largest cities in the state are located within the top four counties, which drastically increases the probability of bicycle collisions. Looking further into each county, it is important to take into consideration where bicycle accidents happen most often. Over a five-year period, patterns involving bicycle accidents throughout Texas showed these accidents occurred on the following roads:

• 69% of bicycle accidents took place on city streets
• 15% of accidents occurred on US and state highways
• 8% of bike crashes occurred on farm to market roads
• 5% of accidents took place on county roads
• 3% of accidents occurred on interstate highways

As you can see, city streets are far more likely to be the scene of a bike accident than other roadways. Alarmingly, fatal accident statistics appear somewhat differently. Accidents surrounding fatal incidents demonstrate that about the same amount of fatal accidents happen on highways as they do on city streets. Both can be extremely dangerous to bicyclists. Here are the statistics concerning fatal accidents involving bicycles:

• Roughly 33% of fatal bicycle accidents occur on US and state highways
• 31% of fatal bike crashes occur on city streets
• 19% of fatal bicycle collisions occur on farm to market roads
• 9% of fatal bicycle accidents occur on interstate highways
• 8% of fatal collisions involving bicycles occur on country roads

Roads with higher speed limits generally result in catastrophic or fatal injuries more often than roads with slower limits.

Have you been injured while riding your bicycle? Are you a surviving relative of someone who died in a bike accident? If so, contact our Dallas bike accident lawyers for a free consultation to see if you have a personal injury case against a negligent party.

Common Injuries From Bicycle Accidents in Dallas

Being injured in a bicycle accident can have an overwhelming impact on your life. Unfortunately, many people are left with serious injuries that impact their lives forever. Although no two accidents are alike, there are many similarities in the types of injuries sustained in all bike accidents. Common injuries reported by bicyclists involved in accidents with motor vehicles include:

• Broken bones: Bones can be broken in a number of ways, including being hit by a car or landing on a hard surface after falling off your bike. Depending on the severity of the break, you may need surgery, casting, and long-term therapy and rehabilitation. If you suffer a serious injury, you may have to go through further treatment or repeated surgery.
• Internal organ injuries: The force of the impact can cause the rider to be thrown from the bike and land on their stomach or back. This can result in serious injuries to the lungs, kidneys, spleen, and other organs. In addition, internal bleeding can occur. This type of severe injury often requires emergency medical treatment or it can become life-threatening.
• Spinal cord injuries: Spinal cord injuries are often incredibly debilitating. These injuries can lead to paralysis. In some cases, the paralysis that is experienced may be temporary. However, there are many instances where the injury can result in permanent paralysis to the arms or legs, or both. Even if the paralysis is only temporary, you may require extensive physical therapy to regain full use of your body. If the paralysis is permanent, you will need to adjust to a new way of life. This can be a difficult and emotionally challenging process and can be incredibly challenging to deal with.
• Neck and soft tissue injuries: Neck and soft tissue injuries are typically common in bicycle accidents. These injuries are more common when the head gets jerked back and forth, or the person gets thrown to the ground. These types of severe injuries can be extremely painful and may require extensive medical treatment. Some common soft tissue injuries include whiplash, ligament strains, or even muscle damage.
• Road rash: When bicyclists are thrown to the ground, they are at an increased risk of suffering road rash. This type of injury can be incredibly painful and require medical care. In some cases, the affected person is left with permanent scarring.
• Permanent scarring and disfigurement: When severe cuts, lacerations, and even punctures happen, they sometimes leave behind permanent scars or disfigurement. These can be extremely difficult to deal with, both physically and emotionally.
• Traumatic brain injuries: Traumatic brain injuries suffered by those injured in bicycle accidents can be incredibly debilitating. These catastrophic injuries can impact nearly every aspect of your life. The symptoms of a traumatic brain injury can range from mild to severe and can cause a variety of extreme symptoms. Common symptoms reported by people who suffer from traumatic brain injuries include dizziness, problems concentrating, mood instability, and constant headaches.

As a person injured in a bicycle accident, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against the person who caused the accident. That person should be held responsible for the pain and suffering that you have been forced to endure, and you have the legal right to do so under Texas law. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer can help you seek the maximum amount of compensation possible for the damages you face.

In order to prevail in a bicycle accident case, it is important that you take several steps following your accident to protect your legal rights and provide yourself with the best opportunity to gain justice.

What to Do if You are Injured in a Bicycle Accident

If you are involved in a bicycle accident, it is imperative that you take the following steps to ensure your well being and interests are protected. Some tasks you should perform after being involved in a collision include:

Collect information: If your injuries aren’t so severe that they prevent you from doing so, try to gather contact information and insurance information from those involved. You will need to obtain the driver’s insurance information, name, and license plate number. If possible, take pictures of the scene of the accident. Additionally, collect the names and contact information from any witnesses to the accident.

Visit your doctor: You should seek immediate medical attention following a bicycle accident. Even if you do not feel as if you are injured, it is imperative that you receive a thorough medical exam and go through testing following an accident. You may have injuries that do not present symptoms immediately. Adrenaline can sometimes mask the pain of new injuries due to the emotional overload of the accident. It is crucial to get treatment and then in the days after your accident, track any symptoms you are having early on in case your injuries worsen.

Retain an attorney: Working with a knowledgeable and aggressive Dallas bicycle accident lawyer is the best thing you can do to protect your legal rights after being harmed in an accident. A Dallas bicycle accident attorney from Rasansky Law Firm will handle all communication with the insurance companies and aggressively negotiate full and fair compensation on your behalf.

Contact Rasansky Law Firm at your earliest convenience to explore legal options available for you. Our team is available to meet with you to discuss the circumstances surrounding your case and to determine the best path forward to getting you the justice you deserve.

Injured Bicyclists Deserve Full and Fair Compensation

If your bicycle accident was the result of a negligent or reckless driver, you may be entitled to compensation. Many auto insurance companies try to avoid taking responsibility for the injuries and damages bicyclists suffer in collisions due to negligent drivers. In many cases, insurance companies will undervalue the damages sustained and even try to blame victims for their injuries and damages.

At Rasansky Law Firm, our Dallas bicycle accident attorneys are familiar with all of the gimmicks that big insurance companies try to use. This enables us to fight aggressively to ensure our clients are able to obtain the maximum amount of compensation available for their legal claims. Our team is prepared to hold those at-fault accountable for their actions.

Depending on the circumstances surrounding your bicycle accident, you may be entitled to compensation including, but not limited to, the following:

• Medical bills: Being involved in a bicycle accident means that you will most likely have to deal with towering financial burdens related to the medical care that you need. Following your bicycle crash, you can seek compensation with a bicycle accident lawsuit to cover the medical bills that you face as a result of your accident. Medical bills can include hospitalization, surgery, doctor appointments, and other treatment that you need immediately and long-term following your crash.
• Long-term care expenses: You can also seek compensation to cover medical bills that you face for long-term care. This can include compensation to cover therapy, rehabilitation, in-home health services, and other long-term treatment you require.
• Property damage: If your bike was damaged as a result of a motor vehicle accident, you can seek compensation from the driver’s insurance company to cover the cost to repair or replace it. In addition, if you have suffered any other property damage in your crash, like your phone for example, your personal injury claim can provide you with compensation to repair or replace that as well.
• Long-term disability benefits: If you have been left permanently disabled as a result of your accident, you can recover compensation for long-term disability. These payments can help to alleviate the impact of lost earnings that you face as a result of your accident.
• Lost income or diminished earning capacity: If your accident left you unable to work or forced you out of your current line of employment, you can seek compensation for your lost income or diminished earning capacity. A financial expert will be able to determine the total lost earnings that you will experience as a result of being unable to return to work after your bicycle crash.
• Pain and suffering: If you have suffered severe injuries in a bicycle accident, you can seek financial compensation for the pain and suffering you endure. This type of damage is calculated by taking into consideration all of injuries you have suffered, the impact they have on your life, and the medical care you require.
• Mental anguish: If you have to undergo mental health treatment following your bicycle accident, you can seek compensation to cover the cost of it. This can pay for therapy, medication, or other services you require for anxiety, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, or other mental health-related problems.
• Disfigurements or loss of limbs: If you have suffered permanent disfigurement or the loss of a limb, you can seek financial compensation from the motor vehicle driver for these damages.
• Loss of consortium: If your significant other suffered as a result of the injuries that you have sustained in a bicycle accident, you may be able to seek compensation for the loss of consortium. This can include money to compensate for loss of companionship, loss of parental guidance, and loss of romantic relations.

If your loved one died in a fatal bicycle accident, our attorneys can help you as a surviving relative get compensation for your loss. Though nothing can ever bring your loved one back, we will strive to ease your burdens as much as we can by fighting for your right to all of the compensation you are legally entitled to under the law. Our bike accident lawyers strive to provide aggressive and responsive legal representation for our clients to ensure that they are in the best position possible to move forward and recover. Contact our law firm today to discuss legal options available to you after losing loved ones in a fatal bike accident.

How Much Is My Bicycle Accident Case Worth?

After being involved in a bicycle accident, you will most likely want to know how much your bicycle accident case is worth. Unfortunately, no Dallas bicycle accident lawyer will be able to answer this question without first meeting with you to discuss the details of your case. No two cases are alike.

At Rasansky Law Firm, our legal team will meet with you for a free consultation to discuss the circumstances surrounding your accident. We will review any evidence that you bring to us in order to determine the best course of action. After gathering evidence on your behalf, we will be able to provide you with a better picture of what you can expect your case to be worth. Some of the factors that are taken into consideration when determining the amount of damages that you may be able to recover include:

• The severity of injuries that you have suffered as a result of your Dallas bicycle accident and the impact they have on your life.
• The scope of medical care that you require for the injuries that you have.
• If you are ever going to be able to return to work following your accident.
• If you have suffered any familial relationship strains as a result of the injuries that you have from your crash.
• Whether there are motor vehicle drivers that were grossly negligent to cause the accident.

If you are interested in seeing how much your bicycle accident case is worth, contact our Dallas bicycle accident lawyers as soon as possible to schedule a free consultation.

What Causes Bicycle Accidents in Dallas?

Dallas bicycle accidents are caused by a variety of factors. Some of the common scenarios that our Dallas bicycle accident injury lawyers see include:

• Distracted drivers: When drivers become distracted while behind the wheel, they are more likely to crash into bicyclists nearby. There are several distractions that are commonly identified in bicycle crashes across the Some of the most common distractions include cell phone use to call or text people, eating food while operating a vehicle, drinking, or even talking to other people inside the car. Drivers taking their attention off the road can cause severe consequences for others.
• Impaired drivers: When drivers are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, they are likely to lose control of their vehicles. They are also less likely to be able to make responsible decisions while behind the wheel. As a result, they are more likely to strike bicyclists who are traveling nearby.
• Drivers who are speeding: When drivers are speeding, they are likely to miss bicyclists nearby. As a result, they may crash into them without even knowing it. Unfortunately, speeding can also increase the severity of injuries that are suffered by bicycle accident victims.
• Aggressive driving actions: When drivers engage in reckless and aggressive driving, they place the lives of innocent people at risk. We see far too many people suffer catastrophic injuries and bicycle accidents caused by drivers who are weaving between travel lanes, tailgating other vehicles, and engaging in other reckless actions.
• Drivers who fail to yield: When drivers fail to yield the right-of-way to bicyclists, they can cause severe injury accidents. These accidents are incredibly common at intersections while pulling onto the roadway out of parking lots, and while traveling in other locations where drivers typically share the road with bicyclists.
• Dooring accidents: When a motor vehicle driver hits a bicyclist by opening their door suddenly into a bicycle lane, they can cause them to be ejected. Unfortunately, this type of Dallas bike accident can cause catastrophic injuries to the cyclist.
• Drowsy driving: When motorists are too tired to operate their vehicles, they sometimes fall asleep while behind the wheel and drift into other lanes. In some cases, they may drift into bicycle lanes or off the road, where they strike bicyclists nearby.
• Running red lights: When drivers run red lights or pass stop signs at intersections, they run the risk of striking bicyclists traveling nearby. Intersections are one of the leading locations for bicycle accidents to take place in Dallas and across the entire state.

Acts of negligence by motorists cause catastrophic injuries in bicycle accidents across our state. If you have been hurt as a result of an automobile driver's negligence, you should seek the assistance of our Dallas bicycle accident lawyers right away. Our team at Rasansky Law Firm will thoroughly investigate the crash that caused your bicycle accident injuries and help you take legal action against the responsible party. Schedule a free consultation with our Dallas bicycle accident lawyer today to get started.

An Increase in Bike Traffic May Lead to an Increase in Auto-Bike Accidents

Many cities now recognize the increase in bike traffic and have constructed special bike lanes. Parks have now made bike trails accessible to bicyclists and bike riders. However, many drivers do not respect the bicyclists’ rights to share the roads, and, more importantly, many bike riders have not been educated on how to legally and safely share the roads with automobiles.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a bike accident, call the Rasansky Law Firm and let us put our years of experience to work for you today.

Legal Rights of Bicyclists

Bicycles are considered vehicles under Texas laws. As such, riders are afforded all the same legal rights as others sharing the road. Conversely, they are also required to adhere to the strict laws of the road.

Speak With a Dallas Bicycle Accident Lawyer For Free

It is no surprise that being involved in a bicycle accident can have a detrimental impact on a person’s life. Many are forced to endure overwhelming pain and suffering – mentally, physically, and financially. The burdens that the injured parties face related to medical treatment, lost wages, and other economic damages often extend to their families.

When someone is injured in bicycle accidents as a result of other drivers’ negligent and reckless actions, it is crucial that they act quickly to protect their legal rights. Seeking the help of a knowledgeable team of bicycle accident lawyers can help to ensure that you are better positioned to protect your legal rights and get justice.

The Dallas bicycle accident attorneys at Rasansky Law Firm in Dallas, TX have decades of experience helping those injured in an accident recover compensation due to someone else’s negligence. We are dedicated to getting the compensation they deserve to cover the financial burdens they face moving forward. Let us help you get through the most stressful time in your life by fighting for your right to compensation.

Our competent and trusted attorneys fight diligently to ensure you are in the best position possible to move forward after being harmed by another driver.

Speak With our Dallas Bicycle Accident Lawyers For Free