Bicycle Accidents Attorney in Altamonte Springs, Florida

Bicycling is popular in the Sunshine State. Most days are perfect for getting out and enjoying the weather while getting some exercise on your two-wheeler. Bicycles, however, do not offer the same personal protection as do four-wheelers, where driver and passenger are surrounded by metal. If you get hit on a bicycle, your personal injuries can be much more severe than if you’re in a motorized vehicle. What’s even more frustrating is if your injuries were through no fault of your own. 

In Florida, as a no-fault auto insurance state, your injuries will most likely be covered by the personal injury protection (PIP) feature of your own auto insurance policy, even if you’re riding your bicycle. Nonetheless, there are circumstances when a personal injury lawsuit can be filed based on the severity of your injuries and other factors. 

If you or a loved one has been injured on a bicycle in a collision with a motorized vehicle in Altamonte Springs or anywhere else in Florida—or worse, you’ve lost a loved one in a fatal accident—contact me at the Law Office Of Mark A. Cornelius P.A. I have more than 25 years of experience in handling personal injury claims, and I’m ready to help you move forward. 

My office proudly serves clients in Altamonte Springs and other communities throughout Central Florida, including Seminole, Orange, Osceola, Volusia, and the counties of Polk and Lake. 

What to Do After Your Bike Accident

Any kind of bike wreck can feel overwhelming in the moment. But if you are injured by a collision with a vehicle while out bicycling, try to keep these important steps in mind: 

• First, you need to take care of yourself and your injuries. Call 911 to get medical assistance if needed and also to report the accident to police, who may come and investigate. If they do, you can later try to obtain a copy of their report. 

• While waiting for medical assistance, if your injuries aren’t that debilitating, you should use your phone and take pictures or videos of what happened, including images of your injuries and damages to your bicycle.  

• Be sure to obtain the necessary documentation, including the driver’s contact and insurance information, as well as statements and contact information from any witnesses. 
   

• Write down in your own words all the details of what happened, especially when the incident is fresh in your mind. Your pictures, any witness statements, and your first-hand account will all prove vital in making an insurance claim or in filing a lawsuit. 

• Attend to your injuries, even small ones. It may be tempting to shrug everything off and say to yourself, “Okay, I’m fine” because you don’t immediately feel anything severe. This is a mistake. An adrenaline rush could help mask your pain following your collision, so you should seek immediate medical evaluation regardless of how few symptoms you have in the moment. Symptoms have a way of not showing up until hours—or even days—later. 
   

• The last and most important step is to seek out the guidance of an experienced personal injury attorney. 

Florida Laws Pertaining to Bicycle Operations

As a bicyclist in Florida, you are expected to observe the same traffic laws as drivers in vehicles. You must travel in a bicycle lane if one is available if you’re not traveling at the same speed as vehicles, and you must obey all traffic lights and signs. If you’re on a sidewalk, you have the same duties and rights as pedestrians.  

You are also required to meet several physical requirements for your bicycle, including a light or lamp to turn on between sunset and sunrise. Of course, there must also be a braking system. Additionally, you must use a fixed, regular seat and carry no passengers. 

Filing a Claim in Florida

If you’re injured while riding a bicycle, you should be covered by your own auto insurance policy, so your first claim for injuries would be on the personal injury protection (PIP) feature of your policy. You can go beyond that and seek damages from the driver if your injuries are serious enough. 

If you do end up seeking damages from the driver, be sure to contact a personal injury attorney for guidance. Florida has made updates to its statute of limitations (or, time limits for filing personal injury claims), and you’ll need skilled counsel to navigate these complexities. 

What if your loved one was killed? You may have a path forward. A wrongful death lawsuit is possible if the deceased, had he or she survived, would have been eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. In Florida, however, only the personal representative of the deceased’s estate can file a lawsuit.