Bicycle Accident Attorneys in Fort Collins Help Injured Clients to Deal with Insurance Companies

by | Jan 15, 2018 | Loan

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Bicycle accident attorneys in Fort Collins are ready to help when a bike rider has been seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle. Bicyclists can do everything right and still be hit by an inattentive driver. Vehicle drivers may turn left in front of oncoming bicycles and not bother to stop at red lights before making a right turn. They can make sudden stops when a bicycle is approaching behind them and open their doors in the path of bicyclists without looking.

Blaming the Bicyclist

The driver’s insurance company may try to place the blame on the bicyclist. Bicycle accident attorneys in Fort Collins are familiar with this tactic. They know that insurers look for evidence that the cyclist was distracted or was not following the rules of the road. They may even try to claim the bicycle was malfunctioning, not allowing the cyclist to react promptly to a traffic hazard.

Disputing Self-Employment Income

Another point of contention by insurance companies is a claimant’s lost income when that person does not have a conventional job. The insurer may agree to pay medical expenses associated with the accident and lost wages or money from a salary, but what about self-employed persons? The insurance company reps may insist that dividing the annual income by 52 weeks is not a valid way of determining self-employment income.

Increases in Accidents

With people increasingly choosing to commute by bicycle and enjoying an afternoon’s recreational riding, more cyclists are being injured by passenger vehicles than ever. Even if they’re wearing a helmet and can avoid a head injury, they can still experience serious medical issues that include bone fractures and damage to internal organs. Medical attention and hospitalization for these conditions is expensive, and the financial fallout can be devastating for people with high deductibles or no health insurance.

Motorists must safely share the road with bicycle riders; this is required by law. The bicyclist has just as much right to travel on a city street or a highway as automobile drivers do. A cyclist who has been hurt in a collision with a vehicle may click here to learn about one particular law firm: the Law Offices of Burton & Burton.