Have you recently been injured in a bicycle accident in Kansas City, Missouri? Now is the time to reach out to the top-rated legal team at Dickerson Oxton, LLC. You have rights, including the opportunity to pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and suffering.
Our Kansas City bicycle accident lawyers can help you fight for a maximum recovery.
Since 2010, Dickerson Oxton, LLC has been trusted by bike accident victims and grieving families in Kansas City. As award-winning trial attorneys with decades of combined experience, we’ve forced insurance companies and other tough adversaries to pay our clients millions of dollars in life-changing awards.
Don’t settle for less than your bike accident claim is worth. Force the insurance company to take your case seriously. Put our acclaimed legal team in your corner. Your first consultation is free, so contact our Kansas City, MO, law office at (816) 268-1960 today.
How Dickerson Oxton, LLC Can Help You After a Bicycle Accident in Kansas City, MO
Riding a bike can be an environmentally friendly, healthy, and fun way to get around Kansas City. However, it can also be dangerous when you share the road with larger vehicles. If you get into a bike accident because someone else is negligent, you deserve to be compensated. However, a fight for compensation can be an uphill battle.
That’s why you’ll want our experienced Kansas City personal injury lawyers fighting for you.
At Dickerson Oxton, LLC, we’re recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal, Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers as leading personal injury litigators in the state of Missouri. We take our client’s stories to heart and do everything in our power to help them make things right.
When you choose our law firm to handle your bike accident case, we will:
- Take care of your case from start to finish so that you have time to focus on getting better
- Independently investigate the circumstances of your bicycle accident
- Evaluate medical records, police reports, 911 calls, cell phone records, maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, red light camera footage, and other evidence we gather during discovery
- Enlist expert witnesses to provide guidance as we build your case and testify on your behalf, if necessary
- Prepare to defend against allegations of comparative negligence that could hurt your chances of getting the compensation you deserve
- Work to recover a maximum settlement offer during negotiations with the insurance company and/or at-fault party
- Argue your bike accident lawsuit at trial if the defense refuses to offer you a fair settlement
There’s no upfront cost to hire our bicycle accident attorneys in Kansas City. Since we work on contingency, you only pay if we win compensation for your bicycle injury claim.
Contact our law office in Kansas City to learn more. Your first case assessment is free.
What Causes Most Bicycle Accidents?
Every year, hundreds of bicyclists are injured in traffic accidents in Kansas City and throughout the state of Missouri. Several riders are also killed. Most of these accidents are avoidable but happen because of someone’s careless or negligent actions.
Some of the top specific causes of bicycle accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Dooring
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Illegal turns
- Unsafe passing
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Failing to signal
- Fatigued driving
- Road defects, including obstructed signs or inadequate bike lanes
- Equipment defects
- Road rage
Some factors outside of a driver’s control, like weather or vehicle defects, can also contribute to car accidents involving bicycles in Kansas City.
How Much is My Kansas City Bike Accident Case Worth?
There’s no standard value for bicycle injury claims in Kansas City, Missouri. The facts that make your story unique will be what drives valuation.
Some important factors to consider include:
- The types and severity of your injuries
- Whether you’re able to continue working
- Changes in your income or earning capacity
- Temporary and/or permanent disability
- Costs of replacing or repairing damaged property
- Changes in your quality of life
- Your age and life expectancy
- Shared fault
- Steps taken to mitigate your damages
- Aggravated pre-existing medical conditions
The more your life is turned upside down by a bicycle accident, the more you can typically expect to recover through a legal claim for damages. Make the most of your pursuit of compensation by working with a trusted bicycle accident lawyer near you in Kansas City. Call Dickerson Oxton, LLC today to arrange a time for a free consultation.
What Damages Can I Recover If I’ve Been Injured in a Bicycle Accident in Kansas City, Missouri?
Filing an insurance claim or lawsuit after a bicycle accident in Kansas City will give you the opportunity to recover compensatory damages.
Compensatory damages are divided into two distinct categories – economic and non-economic.
Economic damages help you handle costs and monetary losses related to your bike accident, such as:
- Current and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and benefits
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Nursing care
- Rehabilitation
Non-economic damages help you deal with consequences of a bicycle accident that aren’t as easy to value, such as:
- Chronic physical pain
- Disfigurement
- Disability
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
- Pain and suffering
- Inconvenience
- Embarrassment
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
The at-fault party and their insurance company will try to play down the seriousness of your injuries. They’ll argue that the accident hasn’t really affected your life.
Our Kansas City bicycle accident attorneys won’t let these tactics hurt your ability to get the compensation you deserve. We’ll build a strong case backed by expert testimony, facts, and evidence.
When we negotiate, we’ll force the defense to be honest and engage in meaningful conversations about your trauma and losses. If they refuse, we’ll be fully prepared to bring your bicycle accident lawsuit to a Jackson County jury.
Who Could Be Liable For My Bicycle Accident?
Following a bicycle accident, an investigation will be critical. You’ll need to understand why and how it happened in order to determine who’s at fault.
Liability could be shared by a/an:
- Negligent motorist
- Employer of a negligent party
- Bicyclist
- Pedestrian
- Transportation company
- Government agency
- Manufacturer
- Property owner
Our Kansas City personal injury attorneys will carefully assess your case and work to pinpoint liability. Once we know who’s at fault, we’ll actively work to hold them fully accountable for your losses.
Can Sharing Blame for a Missouri Bicycle Accident Hurt My Settlement?
Yes, sharing responsibility for a bicycle accident can adversely affect your settlement in the state of Missouri. Under the state’s pure comparative negligence rule, damages are subject to proportionate reduction.
In simple terms, your financial recovery will be reduced based on how much responsibility you share for the bike accident.
If you’re 10 percent to blame, your financial settlement or jury award will be reduced by 10 percent.
Our legal team will anticipate attempts to shift blame and limit your ability to recover a full monetary award. We’ll fight back, armed with evidence and facts that help us protect your opportunity to get the compensation you deserve.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
As a bicyclist, you are more prone to suffer catastrophic injuries in a crash than an occupant of a motor vehicle. While you might be wearing a helmet and other bicycle safety gear, it can’t match the protection offered by airbags, seatbelts, and a strong steel frame.
As a result, some of the most commonly reported bike accident injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Crushing injuries
- Chest injuries
- Amputation
- Degloving injuries
- Burns
- Nerve damage
- Concussion
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Paralysis
- Leg injuries
- Road rash
- Catastrophic injuries
- Eye injuries
- Wrongful death
After an accident, make sure you report it to the local police in Kansas City right away. Then, get to the closest hospital for medical care. The sooner you get checked out, the better. Your medical records can help to establish a causal link between the crash and your injuries, and you’ll need that if you decide to pursue compensation in the future.
How Long Will I Have to File a Bicycle Accident Lawsuit in Missouri?
Once you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident in Kansas City, Missouri, you’ll typically have five years to file a claim for damages.
If you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal Kansas City bicycle accident, you’ll have three years from their death to file a lawsuit.
You lose the right to pursue compensation once the statute of limitations expires. It’s important to make sure that your legal claim is filed on time. Call Dickerson Oxton, LLC for help right after your accident. We’ll work to protect your rights.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Kansas City Bicycle Accident Lawyer
You don’t have to struggle with the consequences of a bike accident in Kansas City, MO, on your own. Call Dickerson Oxton, LLC. Our Kansas City bicycle accident lawyers are here to lend a helping hand and get you through this difficult time.
We’ve helped accident victims in Kansas City win millions in settlements and jury verdicts. Trust us to fight to get you top results, too.
Contact our Kansas City law office today at (816) 268-1960 to get started. Your initial case evaluation is free.