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Experienced Birmingham Bicycle Accident Lawyer

If you've experienced a bike accident in Birmingham, contact our experienced attorneys at Wettermark Keith today. 

Whether you're an avid biker who hits the streets every morning before work or you ride casually on the weekend with your children, you never know when tragedy might strike. When you hope on a bike, you feel a real sense of freedom from flying at high-speeds through the long, open-road. The adrenaline pumping through your veins as you round corners, climb upwards, or speed downhill is enticing. Cycling allows you to explore new spaces, join a community of people with a shared hobby, and can improve your mental well-being. But, suddenly, that freedom can be taken from you with an unexpected bicycle accident, impacting the way you feel about your beloved hobby and, possibly, injuring you for the long-term. 

A driver could simply be distracted by their phone and swerve into the bike lane, striking your bike and giving you a head injury; or, a driver overestimates a turn, crushing a wheel of your bike and causing serious bodily harm. Birmingham consists of an active and vibrant cycling community. Many roads are expanding to include bike lanes and there are plenty of natural spaces to enjoy time on your bike. However, as with the norms of the road, not all drivers in Birmingham respect your space on the road as much as they should.

Go cycling in Birmingham for any amount of time, and you will see drivers who drive too close or pass too quickly, drivers who pay more attention to their cell phones than the task at hand, or even just new, inexperienced drivers who have yet to learn all the rules of the road. When a driver’s contributory negligence causes you to get in a bicycle accident, you have to be ready to take action. With the help of a Birmingham bicycle accident lawyer from Wettermark Keith, you’ll be able to get justice for yourself and compensation to help you on your recovery journey. 

WE CAN HELP TELL YOUR STORY.

Danger place. Bicycle and silver colored car accident on the road at forest at daytime.

The Dangers of Bicycle accidents in Birmingham: Why You Might need to seek bicycle accident attorneys

Compared to driving a car at high speeds in congested traffic conditions, you would think that driving a bicycle would pose relatively little threat to your well-being. To assume that you will never get in a bicycle accident, though, would be ignoring reality. More bike accidents happen each year than you might think, and taking the proper safety precautions can help you avoid a severe bike accident in the future.

According to Alabama Public Health, in 2018, there were 209 bicycle crashes. 9 of those crashes were fatal, and about half of those crashes were caused by the actions of the cyclist. Additionally, despite bicycle helmets being required for those 16 and younger, according to the Alabama code, only 35% of cyclists wear helmets. It seems that, in addition to educating drivers about sharing the road with cyclists, bicycle riders need to remember to protect themselves, as well.

Helmets arWhether you're an avid biker who hits the streets every morning before work or you ride casually on the weekend with your children, you never know when tragedy might strike. When you hope on a bike, you feel a real sense of freedom from flying at high-speeds through the long, open-road. The adrenaline pumping through your veins as you round corners, climb upwards, or speed downhill is enticing. Cycling allows you to explore new spaces, join a community of people with a shared hobby, and can improve your mental well-being. But, suddenly, that freedom can be taken from you with an unexpected bicycle accident, impacting the way you feel about your beloved hobby and, possibly, injuring you for the long-term.

A driver could simply be distracted by their phone and swerve into the bike lane, striking your bike and giving you a head injury; or, a driver overestimates a turn, crushing a wheel of your bike and causing serious bodily harm. Birmingham consists of an active and vibrant cycling community. Many roads are expanding to include bike lanes and there are plenty of natural spaces to enjoy time on your bike. However, as with the norms of the road, not all drivers in Birmingham respect your space on the road as much as they should.

Go cycling in Birmingham for any amount of time, and you will see drivers who drive too close or pass too quickly, drivers who pay more attention to their cell phones than the task at hand, or even just new, inexperienced drivers who have yet to learn all the rules of the road. When a driver’s contributory negligence causes you to get in a bicycle accident, you have to be ready to take action. With the help of a Birmingham bicycle accident lawyer from Wettermark Keith, you’ll be able to get justice for yourself and compensation to help you on your recovery journey.

e extremely effective against head injury, and nearly ¾ of all fatal bicycle crashes involve some type of head injury, so wearing your helmet is a powerful first step. Secondly, if you’re driving in a low-visibility climate or time of day, wear reflectors and bright clothing to help other vehicles on the road see you. Take special caution if driving along an urban route, as most bicycle crashes occur in those settings. It’s vitally important to stay alert, properly indicate your turns, and follow traffic laws. Doing these things will help you identify situations that may be potentially dangerous for you as a cyclist, allowing you to avoid a serious bicycle crash.

Even with all of these considerations in mind, crashes still occur. If you are ever injured in a bicycle accident, call our team of professional Birmingham bicycle accident lawyers. We’re ready to help you sort out your legal options, prove your case, and get the compensation you deserve.

If I Was in a Bike Accident with a Motor Vehicle, does the law Consider me a Pedestrian in a bicycle accident case?

While this varies from state to state, in Alabama, a bicyclist is considered a vehicle and must follow the same, or similar, laws that are enforced on roadway vehicles. For instance, you cannot drink and drive a bicycle and you must obey all posted signs.

In some instances, there may be laws put in place or insurance company policies that are specific to bicyclists. For example, if there is a bike lane available to you, you are required to use it instead of using the right-most lane, unless you are turning left. Bicycles also cannot ride side-by-side on the roadway.

There are also plenty of laws in place to protect you form others on the road, just like there are laws to protect pedestrians from drivers. Cars passing you must maintain 3 feet of distance, and cars opening their doors onto streets must look for passing cyclists. In short, the best way to know your legal status as a cyclist is to hire a trusted bicycle accident lawyer.

If the Accident Occurred Because of a Problem with the Road, Can I Sue the city of Birmingham with the help of lawyers?

If you were injured because of road flaws like potholes or crumbling pavement, you should be able to firstly file a claim with the city, county, or state. The party responsible is the government level in charge of maintaining the roads in that specific area; however, it can be difficult to actually get compensation from these governments for your injuries. You must show that the government was negligent to the state of the road and that the road conditions caused you to crash. In order to make your case work, you have to show that your injuries are a result of negligence. 

Although it may be difficult, a skilled lawyer will know how to go about getting justice for you against the government. Contact a Birmingham personal injury lawyer at Wettermark and Keith, and we’ll investigate your case and get started.

bicycle accident

Wettermark Keith: Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Birmingham

We believe that everyone has an equal right to share the road, which is why we’re dedicated to taking a stand for Birmingham’s bicyclists. Bicycle accidents occur too often in our community, and taking legal action is just one way to get drivers to show more caution while on the road.

At Wettermark Keith, we believe in taking cases personally. Our purpose is to practice with care and compassion - to tell our clients’ stories and make their voices heard. We do this by building strong relationships based on constant communication and an unwavering dedication to truth and trust. Winning cases isn’t our goal - caring for you is. Winning is just how we show it.

Call us at (205) 952-0480 and we’ll get started on a free consultation that will help us determine how best to proceed with your case. You can also fill out our online contact form or chat with us online. When you choose a bicycle accident lawyer in Birmingham, make it one from Wettermark Keith.

No recovery on your bicycle accident claim, NO FEE - Our Attorneys guarantee

Throughout our practice area in the state of Alabama, we have years of serving injured workers behind us, as well as a large sum in settlements that we’ve won. Therefore, we never ask for anything from you unless we win your case. We choose to operate this way for the benefit of you, our client. Our goal is for you to have the most successful recovery possible, so let us take care of the rest.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

According to Alabama Public Health, in 2018, there were 209 bicycle crashes. 9 of those crashes were fatal, and about half of those crashes were caused by the actions of the cyclist. About 14% of all bicycles crashes are in rural areas and the other 86% occur in urban streets