If you or a loved one was recently injured in a bicycle accident in Gulfport, Mississippi, the law firm of Morris Bart can help you seek justice and a financial recovery. We know how to go up against insurance companies on behalf of bicycle accident victims and their family members. Our Gulfport bicycle accident lawyer is prepared to fight for your future and advocate for your rights as our client.
Contact us today to request a free case consultation. Our bike accident attorneys accept clients in Gulfport, Mississippi and throughout the Gulf Coast region.
Why Choose Our Gulfport Bicycle Accident Lawyer?
- Our highly experienced lawyers have a long track record of success. Morris Bart’s attorneys have collected over $1 billion for their clients in settlements and jury verdicts.
- We have over 40 years of experience and 15 office locations across four states. We take pride in being an institution of committed and compassionate legal professionals.
- You will communicate often with your attorney, not a paralegal or assistant. Clients trust us to guide them through each step of the complex court system while they focus on recovering.
- Our Gulfport bicycle accident attorneys operate on a contingency fee basis. This means you will not pay us anything in attorney’s fees unless we win your case.
For a free legal consultation with a Bicycle Accident lawyer serving Gulfport, call 800-537-8185
How Hiring an Attorney Can Help You
Insurance companies do not want claimants to recover maximum financial compensation after bicycle accidents. Instead, they will put their own profits first by downplaying bicycle injuries and attempting to avoid liability for accidents. Hiring a bicycle accident lawyer in Gulfport is the best way to ensure the protection of your rights and a fair financial outcome. Your lawyer will use aggressive litigation strategies to fight for positive case results on your behalf.
A bicycle accident lawyer will have the resources and staff to dedicate to your injury claim. Your personal injury attorney can revisit the scene of your accident, interview witnesses, obtain a copy of your police report, take over settlement negotiations with an insurance claims adjuster and take your case to trial, if necessary. Meanwhile, you can concentrate on healing and recuperating from a painful bike accident.
Financial Compensation Available After a Bicycle Accident
Filing a bicycle accident claim can result in a financial payout known as a damage award provided to you by the at-fault party’s insurance company. This is how the fault system works in Mississippi. If your attorney can prove that one or more parties are at fault for causing your bike wreck, you could receive financial compensation for various economic and noneconomic damages.
A damage award could cover the following:
- Past and future medical bills
- Ongoing necessary medical care
- Prescription medications and medical devices
- Therapies and rehabilitation
- Property damage repairs or bicycle replacement
- Lost wages
- Lost future capacity to earn
- Disability or disfigurement
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Wrongful death damages
A Gulfport personal injury attorney from Morris Bart can use proven legal strategies to pursue maximum financial compensation for your losses. You can trust our lawyers to use aggressive negotiation tactics to secure the best possible results for your injury claim, even if this means taking your case to court in Gulfport. However, the majority of bicycle accident claims in Mississippi reach settlements.
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Who Is Liable for a Bike Accident in Mississippi?
Mississippi is a fault state for automobile accident insurance claims. This means that after Gulfport car accidents and bicycle accidents, the person most at fault for causing the crash is responsible for paying for a victim’s injuries and losses. In a no-fault state, on the other hand, all injured parties seek financial benefits from their own car insurance providers, regardless of fault.
When a bicyclist gets into an accident with a motor vehicle driver, the driver’s insurance company is responsible for paying if there is evidence of driver negligence or fault. Negligence refers to the failure to exercise reasonable care. Evidence of four elements is required to establish negligence in a bike accident case: duty of care, breach of duty, causation and damages.
A duty of care is an obligation owed by all motor vehicle drivers to obey traffic laws and prevent collisions. A breach of the duty of care refers to an act or omission that a reasonably prudent driver would not have committed under similar circumstances, such as drunk or distracted driving. Causation is proof that the driver’s mistake was the proximate or actual cause of the bicycle accident. Damages refer to compensable losses suffered by the bike accident victim.
All motor vehicle drivers in Mississippi are legally required to carry at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury insurance and $25,000 in property damage liability coverage. These types of insurance will pay for an injured bicyclist’s medical bills and other losses if proof of fault or negligence is established by the biker’s personal injury lawyer.
Statute of Limitations in Mississippi
In Mississippi, a law called the statute of limitations can prohibit bike riders from filing personal injury claims if they do not take legal action soon enough. Waiting until after the statute of limitations expires means the courts will most likely refuse to hear the case – taking away the victim’s ability to obtain financial compensation. Every state has different statutes of limitations.
To file a bike accident claim in Gulfport, you must submit the required paperwork within three years of the date of the accident or the date when your injuries were discovered, according to Mississippi Code, Section 15-1-49. While there are some exceptions to the rule, such as for injured minors under the age of 18, the three-year rule applies to most personal injury claims.
Do not wait to consult with a personal injury lawyer about a potential bicycle accident case in Gulfport. Waiting puts you at risk of missing your deadline to file an injury claim. It could also lead to the loss or destruction of important evidence that may be available to support your case, such as the accuracy of witness statements. Contact an attorney as soon as possible.
Evidence Used to Support Bicycle Accident Claims in Gulfport
Winning a bicycle accident case in Gulfport requires the victim’s attorney to establish that another party is at fault based on a “preponderance of the evidence.” This means enough clear and convincing evidence to show that the defendant is more likely to be at fault for the bike rider’s injuries than not at fault.
Accident victims in Gulfport can support their injury claims by gathering the following types of evidence:
- A copy of the police report
- Signed eyewitness statements
- Photographs and video footage of the bicycle crash
- Expert witness testimony
- Accident reconstruction
- Cell phone records
- Medical records and documentation of injuries
A law firm can conduct a comprehensive investigation into your bicycle accident to determine its cause, identify the liable party or parties, and collect any evidence that is available to support your injury claim. You can help by obtaining copies of all relevant records and documents, as well as keeping any communications made between you and an insurance company.
Mississippi Bicycle Laws
It is critical to obey all of the roadway rules and traffic laws that apply to you as a cyclist in Mississippi. You should know your legal rights and duties to avoid getting into a bike accident. While you cannot always prevent a collision, you can reduce your accident risk by traveling at a safe speed, using bicycle lanes where available, using a full lane instead of sharing a lane with a motor vehicle, and obeying traffic signs. Although no law in Mississippi requires the use of a bicycle helmet, you should always wear one for your own safety and protection.
Steps to Take After a Bicycle Accident in Gulfport
An auto insurance company may use many tactics to avoid giving a car accident victim a large payout. This includes analyzing every step that a claimant did and did not take after a collision. If you get injured in a Gulfport bicycle accident, try to remain calm and remember to take the following steps to protect yourself and your rights:
- Check yourself for injuries and get immediate medical care.
- Remain at the scene and call 911 to report the bicycle accident.
- Do not admit fault for the bike accident.
- Exchange information with the driver who hit you.
- If there are any witnesses, write down their names and contact information.
- Take photographs of the scene before you leave.
- Speak to the police and write down your police report number.
- Go to a hospital and follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations.
- Obtain copies of all records and documents connected to the accident.
- Before beginning an insurance claim, contact a bike accident lawyer in Gulfport.
As a bicycle accident victim, it is natural to feel overwhelmed after a crash. The sooner you contact our bicycle accident attorneys, the sooner we can take over your legal claim. We can help you take all of the critical steps to protect yourself physically, emotionally and legally after a bike accident in Gulfport.
Mississippi Bike Accident Statistics
Bicycle accidents are a common cause of serious injuries and deaths in Mississippi and throughout the United States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2020, 1.2 percent of all traffic accident fatalities in Mississippi were bicyclists. There were 752 total fatalities and 9 bicyclist deaths in 2020. This equated to a bicyclist fatality rate of 0.30 per 100,000 population. Nationwide, 938 bicyclists lost their lives in traffic accidents in 2020 – a 9 percent increase from 2019.
Common Causes of Gulfport Bicycle Accidents
When a motor vehicle strikes a bicyclist, the latter always loses. This is why it is crucial for motor vehicle drivers to use the correct level of care when driving near cyclists. Unfortunately, many drivers are guilty of careless and reckless actions that increase the odds of bicycle-vehicle collisions. Driver error is the number one cause of deadly bicycle accidents in Mississippi.
Common bike accident causes include:
- Distracted driving
- Texting or cell phone use
- Driver inattention
- Drowsy driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Violating traffic laws
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Following too closely
- Unsafe passing
- Lane-change accidents
- Dooring
In addition to motorist mistakes, bicycle accidents in Gulfport may also be caused by dangerous road defects. Bikers are prone to unsafe road conditions, such as potholes or loose gravel. It is the city and state government’s responsibility to ensure the safety of public roads; failing to do so could lead to a liability claim against the agency. Finally, if a bicycle contains a defective part or piece of equipment, this could also cause a serious bike accident and result in a lawsuit against the product manufacturer.
Bicyclist Injuries From Accidents
A bike rider could suffer many injuries in an accident, ranging from minor bumps and bruises to life-threatening catastrophic injuries. Bicycle and pedestrian accidents are often the most severe types of collisions. At Morris Bart, our Gulfport personal injury lawyers have the knowledge and experience to help cyclists in Gulfport who have suffered any type of injury.
Contact us for help if you or a loved one suffered any of the following injuries in a bike accident:
- Head injuries
- Skull fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injury
- Paralysis
- Cuts or deep lacerations
- Road rash
- Bone fractures
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Muscle sprains and strains
- Internal injuries
- Crush injuries
- Lower extremity injuries
- Rib fractures and punctured lungs
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Permanent disability
Bicycle wrecks can leave accident victims with life-changing injuries and long-term disabilities that impact their ability to earn a living and enjoyment of daily life. Our mission as bicycle accident injury lawyers in Mississippi is to help victims secure the compensation they need to move forward with greater peace of mind.
Contact a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Gulfport Today
If you or someone you love was recently injured in a bicycle accident in Gulfport or the surrounding area, find out how the attorneys at Morris Bart can help. We are a team of experienced personal injury lawyers who are dedicated to helping accident victims hold wrongdoers accountable. We will guide you and your family through each step of the financial recovery process with tailored legal services and advice that you can trust.
We are here for you during this difficult time. Speak to a bicycle accident attorney at no cost or obligation today. Contact us online or call (800) 537-8185 to schedule your free case consultation.
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