Were you recently injured in a bicycle accident in Navarre, Florida? Call Gross & Schuster Injury Lawyers at (850) 757-2898 for a free consultation. You may have the right to receive compensation for your medical expenses, suffering, and lost income. Working with our Navarre bicycle accident lawyers can help fight for your damages.
You don’t have to take on your legal case alone. We’re ready to help you demand the best possible recovery in your bike accident lawsuit. Reach out to our Navarre personal injury attorneys to get started.
Why Choose Gross & Schuster Injury Lawyers After a Bike Accident in Navarre?
Gross & Schuster Injury Lawyers is a trusted name in personal injury litigation, known for its fierce and unwavering commitment to financial justice. For over 40 years, injured bicyclists and families in Navarre, FL, have trusted us to help them fight for compensation after life-changing accidents.
Bike crash victims in Florida continue to choose our firm because we’re backed by more than 75 years of collective experience. Our award-winning Navarre personal injury lawyers have also successfully obtained more than $200 million in compensation from powerful insurance companies, government entities, and at-fault parties.
Our personal injury law firm has over 500 five-star reviews on Google, and members of our team have been recognized as:
- Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyers by the Florida Bar
- AV Preeminent-rated litigators by Martindale-Hubbell
- Members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum
We appreciate that you’ve experienced a tragedy due to someone else’s carelessness, and it’s our goal to be there to support you on your road to recovery. Take the time you need to heal and recover, and count on us to take charge of your legal battle. Call our Navarre bicycle accident attorneys to set up a complimentary case review.
What Is My Bicycle Accident Case Worth?
Every bicycle accident case is different. Most often, the extent of your injuries will have the greatest overall influence on your claim’s potential value.
It’ll be important to consider:
- Whether you needed hospitalization or might require long-term medical treatment
- The amount of time you’re out of work during your recovery
- Changes in your income and/or overall earning capacity
- Your age at the time of the bicycle accident
- Whether you share any responsibility for the bicycle accident in which you were injured
- Available insurance benefits
- How the bike accident and your injuries affect your overall quality of life
The more severely you’re injured, the more likely it is you’ll experience widespread consequences in your life. In turn, the more money you could potentially need to help you on your road to recovery.
Working with an experienced Florida bicycle accident attorney can help to ensure that you know what your claim is worth, engage in productive settlement negotiations with the defense, and give yourself the best opportunity to win your case.
What Kinds of Damages Are Available to Bicycle Accident Victims?
When you’re the plaintiff in a bicycle accident case in Florida, you can generally request two types of compensatory damages through insurance or a lawsuit.
Economic damages help to offset the monetary costs of your bicycle crash, which often include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Diminished earning capacity
- Disability
- Property damage
- Nursing assistance
- Rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages help by acknowledging the trauma and painful life changes you’ve been forced to endure because of the bicycle accident, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Chronic physical pain
- Physical disfigurement
- Scarring
- Embarrassment
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
While not awarded often, punitive damages can be on the table if your bicycle accident lawsuit goes to trial in Santa Rosa County. At trial, a jury can decide that punitive damages are appropriate as punishment and/or a deterrent when a defendant’s conduct was clearly intentional or grossly negligent.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Bike Accident Attorney?
There’s no out-of-pocket cost or upfront expense to hire Gross & Schuster Injury Lawyers after a bicycle crash in Navarre. Our contingency fee payment structure means we don’t receive payment until we secure compensation for you.
Our fees won’t come out of your pocket. Instead, we’re paid directly out of the financial settlement or jury award we obtain on your behalf. Fees are a pre-arranged percentage of that award.
If we don’t win, you pay our Florida bicycle accident attorneys nothing.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Bicycle Accident in Florida?
It is possible. Under Florida’s modified comparative negligence system, the more responsibility you bear for a bike accident, the more it’ll usually hurt your ability to recover compensation. The right to demand damages from an at-fault third party is typically lost if your shared fault is greater than 50%.
When contributory fault is less than 51%, you can generally recover compensation, but your award will be reduced proportionately to fault. If you’re 10% liable, your damages are likely to be reduced by 10% of their value.
It’s common for insurance companies and defendants to point fingers and blame bicyclists for the accidents in which they’re injured. Hiring our experienced bicycle accident lawyers in Navarre can help to protect you from these tactics and put forward the best possible arguments to get you the compensation you deserve.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries in Navarre, Florida
Bicyclists in Navarre, FL, can suffer serious injuries in traffic accidents, including:
- Burn injuries
- Road rash
- Crushing injuries
- Chest injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Back injuries
- Thoracic injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis injuries
- Neck injuries
- Head injuries
- Concussions
- Brain injuries
- Eye injuries
- Dental injuries
- Leg injuries
- Knee injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
Wearing a bike helmet—which is required by Florida law for riders under the age of 16—can significantly reduce the risk of suffering a catastrophic injury or dying in a bike accident. It’s essential to be proactive and take any steps you can to minimize the injuries you might suffer and their severity whenever you share the road with larger vehicles in busy cities like Navarre.
What Causes Most Bicycle Accidents in Florida?
Many bicycle accidents happen because someone, usually a driver, is careless.
Common causes for car accidents involving bicyclists include:
- Unsafe lane changes
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Driver fatigue
- Dooring
- Failing to leave enough space between a vehicle and a bicycle when passing
- Following too closely
- Failing to yield the right of way at an intersection
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Speeding
- Unsafe turns
- Illegal turns
While Navarre has some ride roads and dedicated bike lanes to enhance rider safety, not all of the city’s streets are safe for cyclists. Road defects, such as potholes or uneven pavement, can also contribute to bike accidents across the city.
Other factors, such as auto defects, adverse weather conditions, or a general lack of awareness of local bike laws, also contribute to accidents involving riders.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Bicycle Accident in Florida?
While different rules may apply, many bicycle accident lawsuits in Florida are generally subject to a two-year statute of limitations. This law provides a two-year window from the date you’re injured in a bicycle crash in Navarre to formally pursue damages for your medical expenses, loss of income, and other losses.
Unless an exception applies, you’ll lose the ability to file a claim once the filing deadline has passed.
Contact Our Navarre Bicycle Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Contact the award-winning legal team at Gross & Schuster Injury Lawyers for immediate assistance after a bicycle wreck in Navarre, FL. We can help you assert your rights, stand up to the insurance company, and demand the top-tier financial award you deserve.
We know what you’re up against and are ready to bring the tools, resources, and strategies to your case to make it a success. Call our Navarre bicycle accident lawyers to schedule a free consultation.