In the event that you are severely injured in a bike accident in Texas, you have the right to pursue legal action against the party that harmed you. However, you won’t receive much compensation if you are unable to prove the other party’s liability or determine your claim’s worth.
The following are the types of evidence that a bike accident attorney will use to help you build a successful claim:
Police Reports
After anyone calls 911, some of the first people to arrive at the scene of a bicycle accident are the police, who will perform an initial investigation into what took place. The results of their investigation are then logged in a report, which your bike accident attorney can use in several ways.
It should have a list of all involved parties, including witnesses, and it will also indicate whether the driver of the vehicle received any citations for their driving. If they did, your lawyer can use that information to further bolster your claim.
Photographic and Video Evidence
Bicycle accidents are sometimes recorded on nearby cameras, including those equipped in cars or on bikes themselves. If there is any footage (or even still images) of your bicycle accident, your lawyer can use them to support your claim and explain your version of events.
Eyewitness Testimony
Cameras aren’t the only things that may have observed the accident; other people may have also observed it. Your attorney will interview any potential witnesses as soon as they can; the sooner witness memories are recorded, the better they will be for your case.
Expert Testimony
If there aren’t any witnesses or pieces of photographic evidence to go off of, your lawyer may need to reconstruct the accident scene. Doing so, however, is a complicated process that will most likely involve the work of a professional in the field of accident reconstruction.
These individuals are adept at determining details such as where the other vehicle ended up and how skid marks on the pavement indicate what caused an accident. Their work is a solid means of establishing fault in many accidents.
Medical Records
As alluded to earlier, proving who was responsible for an accident is only half of the equation; your lawyer also needs to demonstrate the value of your claim. A traumatic brain injury, for example, typically costs more to treat than a broken arm. As such, your medical records are crucial, as they reveal how seriously you were injured and what treatment for those injuries cost.
Physical Evidence
Your injuries aren’t the only evidence of how hard you were struck or where you were hit; damage to your bike and safety equipment also tells a story. Experienced lawyers can use that as evidence to further your claim.
Traffic and GPS Data
Even if you don’t have a dedicated GPS on your bike, the GPS data from your phone or smart fitness device may be able to provide a record of where you were and how fast you were moving. Even the driver’s car is likely to have some recoverable GPS data. All of these data points can help prove liability in a bike accident.
Driver Behavior Evidence
If the driver already has a record of driving under the influence or has several citations for texting while driving, that is evidence of bad past behavior, and it could sway a jury in your favor even if you lack other forms of evidence.
FAQ
Do I Have to Collect the Evidence Used by My Houston Bicycle Accident Lawyer?
After a bicycle accident, you will likely be too seriously injured to collect or preserve any evidence. That is why it is so important to contact the Ramsey Law Group as soon as possible after an accident: It will give our legal team the most time to gather and preserve all important evidence on your behalf.
How Long Do I Have to Collect Evidence Before Taking Legal Action?
According to Texas law, you have two years from the date of your accident to file a lawsuit. If your injuries are bad enough, we might spend most of those two years gathering as much supporting evidence as possible. Still, no matter what, we will always file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations deadline hits; it doesn’t matter how much evidence has been collected if the deadline to take legal action has passed, after all.
Is There a Cap on How Much Compensation I Can Receive From a Bike Accident Claim?
You are unlikely to face any cap on compensation unless the defendant is part of the local or state government. However, if you were hit, for example, by a municipal road repair truck, you would be limited to $250,000.
Why Should I Hire a Bike Accident Attorney in Houston?
Typically, accident victims who hire bicycle accident lawyers receive better results than those who don’t. That is even true after attorney’s fees have been paid. Experienced lawyers know what type of evidence is crucial to a case, how to gather it swiftly, and how to preserve it for use in negotiations or at trial.
Contact an Experienced Bicycle Accident Lawyer at Ramsey Law Group Today
If you are seriously injured in a bike accident in Houston, the experienced personal injury lawyers at Ramsey Law Group may be able to help you get compensation for those injuries. We will gather evidence to support your claim and fight to get you as much compensation as the law allows. Contact our law firm as soon as possible to discuss your legal options right away.