If you suffered injuries from being hit by a car in Ouachita Parish or elsewhere in northeastern Louisiana, the Morris Bart law firm is here to help. A Monroe bicycle accident attorney will discuss your legal options for justice with you for free today. You may be able to recover compensation based on the costs and losses you experienced.
Louisiana law allows accident victims to hold the drivers who caused a crash legally responsible via an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit. Our personal injury law firm can help from our office in Monroe, LA.
Morris Bart, LLC, Prepares and Files Insurance Claims for Our Clients
The Monroe personal injury attorneys at Morris Bart law firm may be able to gather evidence to support your financial recovery and file an insurance claim for compensation for you. This is the most common way we secure monetary damages for our clients. We can usually reach a fair settlement in these cases without going to trial.
The compensation we recover for our clients hurt in a Monroe bike-versus-car collision includes:
- Medical treatment and all related expenses
- Future care and support costs
- Lost wages and other income
- Diminished ability to earn
- Property damages
- Miscellaneous accident-related costs
- Pain and suffering damages
- Other non-economic losses
We also manage wrongful death actions based on traffic accidents, including bicycle crashes. Under La. Civ. Code Art. 2315.2, Louisiana law allows designated surviving immediate family members to pursue a lawsuit based on their loved one’s fatal injuries and accident. We seek damages in these cases that include:
- Medical bills
- Funeral costs and related expenses, such as burial or cremation
- Lost income and benefits
- Loss of services
- Intangible losses family members endured
For a free legal consultation with a Bicycle Accident lawyer serving Monroe, call (318) 884-0904
A Morris Bart, LLC, Attorney May be Able to Manage Your Monroe, LA, Case
At the Morris Bart law firm, we represent traffic accident victims and victims of other personal injuries. This includes cyclists who are injured by careless or reckless motorists. We have handled cases like these for more than 40 years. We are a contingency fee law firm. As such, we do not ask for any upfront fees or charge a retainer to represent you.
How Our Monroe Bicycle Accident Attorney Can Help You
When we take on a bicycle accident case for a client, we begin by investigating the crash. We need to determine who caused it, what happened, and why it occurred. Proving negligence and liability are the first steps in recovering compensation. This allows us to identify the liable party and their insurer. From there, we:
- Gather claim-supporting evidence
- Value the case with a fair settlement range
- Prepare the paperwork and a demand letter
- Ask the insurer for a just payout
- Negotiate on our client’s behalf until we reach a fair insurance settlement
If we cannot settle the case at this point, we may need to sue the at-fault party in an Ouachita Parish civil court. We will present the evidence to the judge and jury and ask them to rule on behalf of our client. They will determine how much money, if any, our client receives.
In 2019, we won cases for more than 6,500 clients. Our case results, including a $430,000 settlement for a bicycle accident victim in New Orleans, show we know how to build cases, navigate the claims process, and get results for our clients.
We have a Monroe, Louisiana, office. The address is:
1900 N 18th St #301
Monroe, LA 71201
However, a lawyer from our team can meet with you at the hospital, your home, or another better location for you, if necessary. We want you to feel comfortable during your free consultation and throughout your relationship with our firm.
Building a Claim to Prove Negligence and Liability After a Monroe Bike Accident
When developing a case against a careless or reckless motorist, we must show they acted negligently and are liable for our client’s injuries. We need to show four elements to prove negligence occurred:
- The driver had a duty to follow a specific law or take a certain action to keep cyclists safe.
- They breached that duty, failing to take the required action.
- Their breach caused a collision.
- The cyclist suffered injuries that led to damages.
By proving these four elements, we can show the at-fault driver is legally responsible for the crash. The evidence we use to prove negligence will support our insurance claim and allow us to build a strong compensation case.
For example, imagine you were riding your bike along Riverside Drive when a motorist pulled out from an intersection without seeing you. You crashed into the side of their vehicle and were thrown from your bike. To prove negligence, we must show:
- They had an obligation to come to a complete stop and yield to traffic when turning right on red.
- They failed to yield.
- This caused your collision.
- You suffered physical, financial, and psychological harm.
Click to contact our Monroe Personal Injury Attorneys today
Proving Liability for a Monroe Bicycle Accident
Liability refers to legal and financial responsibility for an accident and a victim’s related losses, such as medical bills and lost wages. In Louisiana, the liable party in a personal injury claim is generally the individual or entity most at fault for causing the accident. In most bicycle accident cases, establishing liability requires proof of the accused party’s (defendant’s) negligence.
The burden of proof in a personal injury case is a preponderance of the evidence, meaning enough evidence to convince a jury that the defendant is more likely to be responsible for the accident than not. While this is less than the burden of “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that applies to criminal cases, it can still be difficult to meet without assistance from a bike accident attorney.
An attorney can help you prove liability with clear and convincing evidence, such as a police accident report, medical records, cell phone records, eyewitness statements and testimony from experts who are at the tops of their fields. Your lawyer can handle evidence collection and witness interviews to build the strongest possible bicycle accident claim on your behalf.
How Long do I Have to Sue If We Cannot Reach a Settlement?
Louisiana law generally gives accident victims up to one year to sue under La. Civ. Code Art. 3492. However, exceptions could alter this timeline. As a result, you may have more or less time based on your case’s facts.
We usually settle these cases out of court, even if we file a lawsuit. They rarely go to trial. We may need to go in front of a judge and jury if:
- The insurer blames you for the accident.
- There is disagreement about the case’s facts.
- The insurer will not cover some or all your damages.
Common Injuries From Bicycle Accidents
At Morris Bart, our attorneys have the knowledge and experience to represent a client who is dealing with any type of injury after a bicycle accident in Monroe. We can help if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with any of the following crash-related injuries:
- Back and neck injuries
- Broken bones and dislocations
- Disfiguring scars
- Emotional distress and psychological trauma
- Facial and dental injuries
- Internal injuries
- Road rash or traumatic tattooing
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Torn muscles or ligaments
- Traumatic brain injuries
We can connect you to top doctors in Monroe and make sure you have everything you need to heal and move forward. If a loved one sadly passed away from fatal bike accident injuries, our wrongful death attorneys can represent your family in a civil action to pursue compensation for reasonable funeral and burial costs, loss of consortium, loss of inheritance, and other related losses.
Louisiana Bicycle Laws
The majority of bicycle accidents in Monroe occur because one or multiple parties violate Louisiana’s bicycle laws. Bike laws are in place to promote safety among drivers and bicyclists and prevent them from colliding.
Louisiana’s bicycle laws include:
- All bicycle riders under the age of 12 are legally required to wear a helmet.
- Bicyclists must obey the same rules and regulations as motor vehicle drivers.
- Bicyclists have the right to ride on the road.
- Bicyclists must obey all traffic signs and ride in the same direction as vehicles.
- Bikers may not ride more than two abreast in a single lane.
- Bicyclists must signal their intent to turn or stop.
- Motor vehicle drivers must maintain at least three feet of distance when passing bikes.
- If riding at night, a bicycle must be equipped with a front white light and rear red light.
If these rules are broken, this can greatly increase the odds of a bicycle accident. Proof of one or more broken bicycle laws could serve as evidence in an injury claim against a motor vehicle driver, bicyclist or third party.
Speak with a Lawyer from Morris Bart, LLC, Now at No Cost to Your Family
You can talk with one of our attorneys about your potential personal injury case for free today. We provide complimentary consultations for bicycle collision victims and their families. We will answer your questions and help you understand the best route for you to recover compensation based on the unique aspects of your case.
Call (318) 884-0904 to reach our Monroe, LA, office now.
Questions?Call (318) 884-0904
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
