Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Virginia Beach

Have You Been Injured in a Bicycle Accident?

If you have been injured in a bicycle accident caused by the negligence of someone else, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer to get you the compensation you deserve.

Our firm has been representing the people of Virginia Beach and throughout Hampton Roads in personal injury caes since 1955. Contact us today to book a free consultation with our experienced bicycle accident lawyers.

Types of Bicycle Accidents

Bicyclists are particularly vulnerable in a car accident, with injuries ranging from minor to catastrophic. Accidents involving people on bicycles come in all varieties, such as the following:

Speeding

High speeds dramatically reduce a driver’s ability to stop or swerve to avoid collisions, and the faster a car moves, the greater the force it transfers in a crash. As every driver knows, speeding makes an accident more likely, as reaction time is reduced while braking distance is increased, and the injuries from an accident involving speeding are more severe, particularly when a bicyclist is involved. The outward signs may not be noticeable for mild TBIs, but your mental clarity is diminished. Severe TBIs can impair speech and motor skills or lead to seizures, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.

Distracted Driving

When drivers divert attention from the road to activities like texting, eating, or adjusting music, they slow reaction times to potential hazards. When a bicyclist is involved, a distracted driver is not only a menace on the road, he or she is potentially deadly. The injuries suffered by bicyclists in a car accident are often severe, if not life-changing, because bicyclists have no protection in a car accident.

Drunk or Drugged Driving

Alcohol, marijuana, and other impairing substances can dramatically reduce driver coordination and reaction times, making drunk drivers extremely dangerous to bicyclists and everyone else on the road. In Virginia, a heavily intoxicated driver who causes an accident may be required to pay punitive damages in addition to compensatory damages. Punitive damages are meant to punish the wrongful conduct of the drunk driver and serve as an example to others who might consider driving drunk. In contrast, compensatory damages are meant to compensate for the injuries suffered by the innocent victim of an accident. Here at Preston, Wilson & Crandley, PLC, we help people injured by the negligence of drunk drivers get the maximum recovery for their injury claims, including all compensatory and punitive damages they are entitled to.

Aggressive Driving

Weaving through traffic, following too closely, speeding up to “beat” lights, and other reckless behaviors are particularly dangerous when bicyclists are present. Aggressive driving is the cause of many accidents, but as with all manner of automobile accidents, the stakes are higher when a person on a bicycle is involved.

Failure to Maintain a Proper Lookout

Drivers are responsible for maintaining a proper lookout, which means they have a duty to see what is clearly there to be seen. That means that a driver has the duty to look in all directions for vehicles and persons, to see what a reasonable person would see, and to react as a reasonable person would to avoid a collision. Bicyclists often go unnoticed by careless drivers, particularly in poorly lit areas, and the consequences can be catastrophic.

Catastrophic Injuries From Bicycle Accidents

Because bicyclists have no protection against motor vehicles, the injuries suffered are often severe and life-altering. Some such injuries include:

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Being struck by a car or truck can violently shake and rotate the head, stretching or tearing neural pathways in the brain. Bicyclists are especially vulnerable to head injuries from car accidents, particularly if the bicyclist is not wearing a helmet. A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a disruption of normal cognitive function with long-term, if not permanent, consequences, such as:

  •  Memory loss
  •  Difficulty concentrating or paying attention
  •  Headaches, dizziness, and fatigue
  •  Slurred speech and confusion
  •  Personality changes like irritability or depression
  •  Disturbed sleep cycles and insomnia

The outward signs may not be noticeable for mild TBIs, but your mental clarity is diminished. Severe TBIs can impair speech and motor skills or lead to seizures, vomiting, and loss of consciousness.

Internal Injuries

The impact of a vehicle on a person riding a bicycle can damage internal organs like the liver, kidneys, and spleen; fracture ribs that can puncture the lungs; and/or cause rapid, uncontrolled internal bleeding. Signs and symptoms include:

  • Severe abdominal pain
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Chest tightness and shortness of breath
  • Low blood pressure, clammy skin, and weakness
  • Bloody urine

Spinal Cord Injuries

The blunt force trauma of a bicycle accident can fracture vertebrae, tear ligaments in the spinal column, and cause other injuries to the spine, the crucial bundle of nerves that control virtually all bodily functions below the injury location. Below is a list of some severe forms of spinal injuries and the effects that such injuries have on the body:

  • Partial paralysis may impair movement and sensation, but some function remains
  • Complete paralysis results in loss of all function and feeling below the trauma site
  • Loss of bowel and bladder control is common, requiring catheters and colostomy procedures
  • Paraplegia causes impairment in both legs
  • Quadriplegia causes paralysis in all four limbs
  • Spinal cord injuries can also increase the risk of infection, blood clots, chronic pain, and a shortened life expectancy

Broken Bones

Fractures of the arms, legs, hips, ribs, or other bones are common in vehicle collisions with bicyclists. While not all fractures lead to permanent damage, many require extensive treatment, including:

  •  Closed reduction to realign the broken bone without surgery, with a cast or splint providing stability during healing
  • Open reduction using surgery for implants, plates, screws, or rods to set complex or severely displaced fractures
  • Physical therapy to regain strength, balance, and range of motion after immobilization

Depending on age, overall health, and fracture severity, bicycle accident victims may never fully recover pre-accident mobility or functionality.

Our Bicycle Accident Attorneys Can Help You

No matter how the crash happens, victims can be left with devastating injuries, lost income, and massive medical bills. If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, you need a law firm with a record of success to fight for maximum compensation. Our bicycle accident attorneys can help you.

Your Right to Compensation

In Virginia, bicyclists injured due to the negligence of the driver of an automobile have the right to compensation. Below is a discussion of some of the things injured bicyclists can seek recovery for.

Medical Expenses

Bicyclists injured due to the negligence of the driver of an automobile are entitled to seek compensation for bills for emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, doctors’ visits, medications, medical devices, physical therapy, and other treatment necessitated by the accident. Particularly in bicycle accidents, these expenses can be substantial and include services such as:

  • Ambulance transport
  • ER treatment
  • Inpatient and outpatient hospital care
  • Diagnostic scans like x-rays and MRIs
  • Orthopedic procedures and implants
  • Prescription drugs
  • Mobility equipment like wheelchairs
  • At-home nursing care
  • Physical, speech, and occupational therapy

Lost Income

Few bicyclists can immediately return to work while recovering, resulting in lost earnings. A bicyclist injured by a negligent driver has a right to seek compensation for lost income incurred as a result of the accident.

Pain and Suffering

No dollar amount can undo the trauma and disruption resulting from a bicycle accident, but “pain and suffering” damages attempt to compensate for profound life changes like:

  • Physical pain
  • Emotional anguish
  • Depression and mood changes
  • Loss of enjoyment and quality of life
  • Grief, anxiety, and stress
  • Loss of ability to perform ordinary activities

 

Wrongful Death

When negligent drivers take an innocent life, the emotional devastation spreads through entire families. While no amount of money can replace this loss, financial recovery can help the victim’s loved ones move forward.
If your family member was killed in a bicycle crash, you may be entitled to compensation for:

  • Funeral and burial costs
  • Loss of income
  • Loss of companionship
  • Your grief and bereavement

No Upfront Fees

At Preston, Wilson & Crandley, PLC, we believe bicyclists facing devastating injuries through no fault of their own deserve strong advocates in their corner. This is why we handle bicycle injury cases on a contingent fee basis. This means we only get paid if you receive compensation.

Get Help From an Experienced Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Give us a call today to schedule a free consultation. Here are Preston, WIlson & Crandley, PLC, our attorneys have the experience to put you in the best position to receive maximum compensation if you have been injured in a bicycle accident.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

“Throughout the case, John always kept us up to date by letter or phone. He told us exactly where we were and what could and could not be done. He doesn’t build it up. John is a top-notch personal injury lawyer who I have recommended to friends and would recommend to anyone needing a great lawyer.”

“I needed a lawyer for a personal injury case. After I did a lot of internet research, my wife’s lawyer suggested John Crandley Jr. from Preston, Wilson & Crandley. I read through their website and liked their style, so I called John.John’s best two qualities are that he’s direct and knows his craft inside out.”

“The law firm of Preston, Wilson & Crandley handled my case very well. Very professional. I’m very pleased with their service. Anytime I needed to reach them, they were either there for me or called me back immediately. Anytime I needed to know something, they explained it to me very thoroughly, very detailed so that I had a better understanding of it.”

 “I was very pleased with the way Preston, Wilson & Crandley handled my case. Their services were excellent from beginning to end — answering all of my questions, helping me through concern and stress, and handling my case correctly. I would absolutely use them again if needed.”