Snohomish County is a bicycle-friendly region filled with scenic cycling routes including the iconic Centennial and Burke-Gilman Trails. Many Snohomish residents are health-conscious and open to eco-friendly options like riding a bike to work or school during warm weather seasons. But when a cyclist experiences a traffic accident, the injuries are often severe and sometimes catastrophic. Bicycle accident deaths in Washington hit a 20-year high in 2021. There was also a 28% increase in serious injuries to both cyclists and pedestrians.
A bicycle accident survivor may face a long road to recovery, with mounting expenses at the same time that they’re unable to return to work. Serious injuries from a bicycle accident and the financial consequences that come with them are even more distressing when they occur due to someone else’s negligence.
If you or your loved one suffered injuries in a bicycle accident in Snohomish, the bicycle accident attorneys at Wells Trumbull are ready to advocate aggressively on your behalf so you can recover your losses. Call our Snohomish law office today for a free consultation on your bicycle accident injury case.
Why Choose Us for Your Bicycle Accident Claim in Snohomish?
At Wells Trumbull, our strong client advocates are committed to putting their decades of experience behind each client’s claim. We understand the long-term impacts of a serious accident on the victim and their family. If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident in Snohomish or the surrounding area, representation by an Snohomish personal injury attorney at Wells Trumbull will give you the following advantages:
- A free case evaluation and no attorney fees until we secure your compensation
- Open and honest communication throughout the process so you’re always up to date on the progress of your case
- A team of dedicated personal injury attorneys with a results-oriented approach to negotiating the maximum amount of compensation for each client’s unique case
- Decades of experience in courtroom litigation with a track record of success representing injured clients against powerful insurance companies
- A personal injury attorney to advocate for you throughout the complex injury claim process including investigating the accident, determining the liable party, and holding them accountable through the appropriate insurance policy to pay for your economic consequences plus compensation for pain and suffering
Your attorney from Wells Trumbull is ready to fight for your full compensation by navigating your Snohomish bicycle accident claim on your behalf while you focus on maximizing your physical recovery and spending time healing with your loved ones.
Common Injuries in Bicycle Accidents in Snohomish
Bicyclists are at high risk for serious injuries in a traffic accident. Although bike helmets offer significant protection, the rest of the cyclist’s body remains vulnerable. What’s more, bike helmets can’t protect from all types of brain injuries. Some serious brain injuries occur when the brain bumps against the inside of the skull from a strong jolt, which happens in a collision with a vehicle. Common injuries in bicycle accidents include:
- Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Broken bones, and multiple fractures, including of the limbs, hips, pelvis, clavicle, and ribs
- Spinal cord injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Soft tissue injuries
- Bruises, lacerations, and abrasions
Some bicyclists suffer life-altering injuries that leave them temporarily or permanently disabled. Even less serious injuries can cause financial disruption and hardship for victims and their families. When someone else caused the accident, the law holds them accountable for the damages. Typically, compensation for damages comes from the at-fault party’s insurance company. In a personal injury claim, the word “damages” refers to all of the consequences of an accident. Sadly, insurance companies don’t happily write out checks for damages but often assign an unfair percentage of fault to the victim of a bike accident in order to minimize the amount they pay out. They may also wrongfully deny claims completely. An attorney from Wells Trumbull knows how to counteract these common tactics and defend your rights and best interests against powerful insurance companies.
What Compensation Is Available for Washington Bicycle Accident Claims?
Bicycle accident victims often suffer serious financial damages after the accident as well as physical pain from their injuries. Painful injuries interfere with a victim’s ability to participate in the activities they enjoyed before the accident. Many bicycle accident claims result in compensation for the following damages:
- Past and future accident-related medical costs
- Lost income
- Future income loss and diminished earning capacity due to disability
- Compensation for pain and suffering
- Other non-economic damages that apply in individual cases such as emotional trauma, disfigurement, traumatic limb loss, or loss of enjoyment in life
An experienced Snohomish bicycle accident attorney from Wells Trumbull will carefully calculate your economic and non-economic damages to ensure you claim the maximum in damages.
Proving Liability in a Bicycle Accident in Snohomish
Before an injury victim can claim damages after a bicycle accident, it is their responsibility to prove the at-fault party’s negligence or reckless action caused the accident and injuries through a preponderance of the evidence. Proving liability in a bicycle accident claim in Washington requires documenting clear evidence of the following:
- That the at-fault party owed a duty of care to take reasonable measures to prevent causing injuries
- They breached this duty through an act of negligence or recklessness
- The negligent breach of duty directly caused the bicycle accident
- The accident victim suffered significant damages from the injury
Most bicycle accidents result from a negligent driver; however, other liable parties could be the manufacturer of a defective bicycle part or auto part, or a negligent road maintenance agency. Often, it takes significant investigative skills to determine liability and make a claim against the appropriate insurance policy. In some cases, multiple parties share liability, making a claim even more complex.
In Washington, even if a cyclist was partly at fault for their accident, they can still claim a portion of their damages. The payout on their claim is minus their percentage of fault for the accident.
Call the Bike Accident Lawyers in Snohomish From Wells Trumbull Today
When you’ve suffered serious injuries in a bicycle accident caused by someone else’s negligence, the Snohomish bicycle accident lawyers at Wells Trumbull are the best advocates to defend your rights and protect your best interests throughout the process of your claim. Over 95% of injury claims settle out of court through strong negotiations with the insurance adjuster assigned to the case. The results-oriented attorneys at Wells Trumbull are powerful negotiators but are also more than prepared to argue your case in court if required to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve for your injuries.
Call the Snohomish bicycle accident attorneys at Wells Trumbull today for a free consultation so we can begin a legal strategy tailored to your unique accident claim.