Broken bones from bicycle crashes require specialized medical and legal care. Whether your bike accident happened on busy roads or a quiet path, our attorneys fight to protect your rights and recover maximum compensation for bicycle accident victims.
Meet our Team
Meet Our Broken Bones Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Getting fair compensation for broken bones requires specialized legal expertise in personal injury and bicycle accident cases. Our team helps people and clients navigate the aftermath of serious bicycle crashes, while your injury lawyers handle every detail, from evidence collection to negotiations, including all financial losses. Explore our website for detailed information about our legal services, or contact us for a free consultation.
injuries
What Are the Most Common Broken Bone Injuries in Bicycle Accidents?
After traumatic brain injuries TBIs, including concussions, spinal cord injuries, and other head injuries, bone fractures are the most common serious nonfatal injury from bicycle crashes. Many bicycle accidents involve negligent drivers or hazardous roads. According to the IIHS, fatal bicycle incidents among riders aged 20 and older have nearly quadrupled since 1975. The serious injuries sustained in these accidents, from traumatic brain injuries TBI to compound fractures, often result in injuries, lost income and extended rehabilitation.
Any bone fracture caused by another party’s negligence is typically eligible for compensation, and injuries like road rash often accompany these fractures. Here are the types of fractures we see most often when helping injured cyclists:
Collarbone (clavicle) fractures
Clavicle fractures happen when cyclists fall over handlebars, striking the pavement at speed on busy roads. Always wear a helmet, while it won’t prevent a collarbone break, it protects against head injuries. Treatment ranges from sling immobilization to surgical fixation, with recovery taking six to eight weeks.
Wrist and hand fractures
The most common wrist fracture in a bicycle crash is the distal radius. Wrist fractures often require surgery when bones are displaced, with recovery taking six to twelve weeks.
Arm breaks (humerus, ulna, radius)
A fall from a bike can fracture the humerus, ulna, or radius. Simple fractures heal with a cast in six to eight weeks, but compound fractures often require surgical repair.
Leg breaks (femur, tibia, fibula)
Whether caused by a collision involving reckless driving or a bike landing on a leg, broken leg bones can take six months or more to heal. Femur fractures almost always require surgery.
Hip and pelvis fractures
These injuries often result from a collision with a car, or from a bicycle crash involving a motorist who failed in their duty of care. Recovery almost always requires surgery and months of physical therapy, especially for older cyclists.
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Types
Types of Bone Fractures
Fracture classifications commonly seen in bicycle accidents include:
- simple (closed) fractures treated with a cast.
- compound (open) fractures requiring emergency surgery.
- displaced fractures needing plates and screws;
- comminuted fractures common in crashes between motorists and cyclists.
- Stress fractures often require MRI for diagnosis.
- Greenstick fractures are more common in younger cyclists.
Cyclists involved in high-speed collisions face the highest risk of comminuted and compound fractures.
The severity of your fracture directly affects your medical expenses, recovery time, and compensation.
What
What Types of Bicycle Accidents Cause Broken Bone Traumas?
Here are the most common causes of broken bone injuries in bicycle accidents. Many bike accidents and car accidents that cause broken bones share similar patterns of negligence involving vehicles, and bike accidents with larger vehicles tend to cause more severe fractures.
Types of Bicycle Accidents That Cause Broken Bones
- Dooring accidents occur when a driver opens their car door into a cyclist’s path.
- Opening car doors carelessly is a common bicycle accident cause.
- Cross collisions happen when drivers turn without looking.
- Rear-end impacts involve distracted driving, motorists hitting cyclists from behind, and these can escalate into fatal bicycle crashes.
- Intersection crashes occur when drivers disregard traffic laws.
- Sideswipe accidents take place when cars pass too closely or merge into bike lanes, often due to careless driving.
- Parked cars can also obstruct a cyclist’s visibility.
Road hazards like potholes, cracked pavement, or unmarked road work also cause serious injuries. Bicycle crashes on poorly maintained roads are among the most common causes of fractures, and cyclists who suffer road rash alongside fractures face higher medical bills.
Steps to take after a bicycle accident
What to Do If You Break a Bone in a Cycling Accident
The actions you take after a bicycle accident take on critical importance. Follow these steps:
Seek medical attention right away
Fractures and concussions are not always obvious. Prompt medical attention creates critical documentation for your claim.
Call 911 and file a police report
This serves as key evidence when filing an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
Document the accident scene
Photograph your injuries, damage to your bicycle, and road conditions. Make sure to gather evidence and identify witnesses as soon as possible. The more you gather at the scene, the stronger your case.
Preserve physical evidence
Keep your damaged bicycle, helmet, and protective gear. This protection of evidence demonstrates the impact and severity of the collision.
Do not speak to insurers before talking to a lawyer.
Make sure you have proper legal protection before engaging with adjusters. Protecting your rights at this stage is critical.
Contact an experienced bicycle accident attorney
The attorney will provide essential information about your options and ensure your claim is filed correctly.
Costs
Who Is Liable for a Bone Broken in a Cycling Accident?
Car drivers are generally held accountable when they break traffic rules or drive distracted. Every motorist has a legal duty to share the road safely with cyclists. Local governments can be held responsible when poor road conditions or misleading traffic signals lead to bicycle crashes. Bicycle manufacturers may bear liability if a defective component contributed to the crash.
Example of at-fault parties:
- Car driver
- Another cyclist
- Pedestrian
- Government
- Bicycle or parts manufacturer
Every person sharing the road has a duty to act responsibly. It’s possible for multiple parties to share liability and determining each party’s fault requires careful investigation.
How
How Negligence Is Proven in a Bicycle Accident Case
Your attorney must prove four legal elements: duty of care, breach of duty, causation, and damages. In bicycle accident cases, duty of care means the legal obligation to act safely around cyclists. Establishing that duty, showing how it was violated, and proving that the violation caused your injuries are the foundation of the case. If you are partially at fault, the outcome depends on your state’s negligence rules. Under comparative negligence, your settlement is reduced by your percentage of fault, but you may still recover compensation. Under contributory negligence, any fault could bar recovery entirely. Your attorney will work to protect your rights and push back against unfair blame.
Recoverable Damages
What Damages Can Be Recovered in the Broken Bone Bicycle Accident?
You shouldn’t have to spend your own money on bills caused by someone else’s negligence. Every case is different, but your attorney will pursue maximum compensation across economic damages, non-economic damages, and in rare cases, punitive damages. In a California bicycle accident settlement, broken bone cases may vary widely depending on surgery, recovery time, and the long-term impact of the injury.
Economic Damages
Economic damages include medical expenses (emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, equipment), compensation for medical bills, lost wages and lost income, and property damage to your bicycle and personal items. These documented financial losses form the foundation of your claim, much like they do in a Pennsylvania bicycle accident settlement.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. Injuries such as road rash can contribute to disfigurement claims. Bicycle accident victims often underestimate the money they can recover for these damages.
Punitive Damages
In rare cases involving extreme recklessness, the court may award punitive damages to punish the at-fault party.
Filing your claim
How to File a Broken Bone Bicycle Accident Claim
Filing a personal injury claim involves several key stages. Understanding this legal process helps you know why having a bicycle accident attorney matters at every step.
First, consult with a bicycle accident lawyer during a free consultation. We offer services at no upfront cost. They will then gather evidence from witnesses, medical records, the police report, and surveillance footage.
Your lawyer will send a demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurance company and negotiate a fair settlement. If the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, the attorney will file a lawsuit in court. Filing a lawsuit sends a clear message that you are serious about full compensation.
Don’t Wait Too Long to File Your Claim
Every state has a law deadline for filing a lawsuit, typically one to three years depending on your area. Take these steps now to protect your rights. Don’t let a missed deadline prevent bicycle accident victims and other accident victims from recovering the money they deserve.
How it works
Why Should You Hire a Bicycle Accidents Lawyer for Your Case?
When you manage everything yourself after a crash caused by reckless driving, there’s a chance to overlook critical details. Professional lawyers think steps ahead, including costs unique to bicycle crashes, helping you pursue maximum compensation for every loss.
Experienced attorneys know every tactic insurers use, they won’t let those tactics work. An experienced personal injury attorney will identify every available source of compensation, handle all the challenging aspects of your accident claim while you focus on healing.
Settlements
Our Settlements
Our attorneys hold negligent parties accountable and ensure accident victims receive the compensation they deserve. Our clients trust us because we consistently deliver results in bike accident cases and broader personal injury claims.
Benefits
How to Choose a Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Not every lawyer handles bicycle accidents. While you might discover a personal injury law firm, choose professionals with a particular background in bike accidents and broken bone cases.
Look for a lawyer who understands the challenges cyclists face, from dangerous intersections to poorly marked bike lanes. Look for attorneys with specific experience handling bicycle crashes and bike crash claims.
The traffic laws, driving rules, and regulations in your area matter. In most states, cyclists and bicycle riders are classified as vehicle operators with full legal rights to use public roads. Riders in any area benefit from an attorney who understands local cycling laws.
Check their website and review their legal services — a strong website with detailed case information is a good sign.
no need to wait!
Contact Our Broken Bones Lawyers for a Free Consultation!
We’re a Bicycle Accident Lawyers Group, and our team has expertise in bicycle accident cases involving broken bones. As your bicycle accident attorney, we’ll build your case from the start, just as we’ve done for hundreds of satisfied clients. Call us for a free consultation to learn about your legal options. You don’t pay us unless we win.
Get a FREE case evaluation today
If you’re a cyclist who has been in an accident, call today for a free initial consult about your legal claim. We’re here to help with your legal questions. Contact our law firm for coast-to-coast bike accident and personal injury representation.
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888-521-6377
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