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In bicycle accident cases, establishing liability can impact the overall likelihood of recovering the damages you deserve. With the increase of bicycling on Chesterton’s roadways, bicycle accidents continue to increase. Drivers may be negligent when driving, especially towards bicyclists. When this negligence causes harm, the injured may benefit from consulting with a Chesterton bicycle accident lawyer. A skilled personal injury attorney can talk to you about potential legal options for the recovery you deserve.
There are a couple of common types of collisions between vehicles and bicycles. A driver, unfamiliar with bike lanes, may make a right-turn after only checking for oncoming vehicular traffic and overlooking the bicyclist in the lane to the immediate right.
Another common scenario is parked vehicle that may open a door facing the road without checking to see if a bicyclist is on the road. When the driver opens the vehicle’s door, the bicyclist could collide with it. This phenomenon is common enough that bicyclists refer to it as getting doored.
While much less common than a collision with motor vehicles, sometimes bicyclists collide with other bicyclists. In this instance, the party responsible for the damages caused by the collision will be at-fault. This may be a bicyclist who disobeyed the traffic laws. It may be critical for injured parties to speak with a Chesterton bicycle accident attorney about determining who is responsible for the harm that has been caused.
Because of the comparative sizes of bicycles and commercial trucks, bicyclist collision with a commercial truck or bus can produce substantial damage to bicyclists. Unfortunately, many of these collisions are the result of inattentive drivers or large blind spots. Similar to collisions with cars, a bicyclist may be able to recover for the damages in an accident if the truck driver was negligent or reckless.
Recovering damages from these type of accidents is typically easier. Drivers of commercial trucks are typically held to a higher standard than drivers of passenger vehicles. The companies that hired or contracted the truck driver may also be responsible for damages caused by the action or inaction of the driver. These trucking companies are usually well-insured in preparation for potential truck accidents.
After an accident, gather as much evidence as possible. It is essential to take pictures of the incident and get the names and contact information of any potential witnesses. If the police came to the scene, be sure to get a copy of the police report.
It is also important to contact a Chesterton bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible. There are certain time limits on when someone may file a lawsuit over a bike crash. The availability of evidence and the memory of any potential witnesses tends to erode over time. Perhaps most importantly, learning about your legal options and pursuing any potential recourse under Indiana law may allow a bicyclist to quickly recover and get back to riding.