Riding a bicycle in Manhattan has many advantages. Bikes can fit in spaces where cars can’t, biking is a great way to stay fit and there are many protected lanes reserved solely for bicycle use.
However, collisions involving bicycles are often catastrophic. Riders often sustain serious or life-threatening injuries; some even lose their lives. If you or a loved one is involved in a bicycle accident, you can benefit from hiring a bicycle accident lawyer near you.
How To Look for a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near You
Technology and the internet offer many ways to find a local bicycle accident lawyer, but there are also other effective methods. You can ask family, friends and coworkers if they know of a reputable attorney they recommend. Other lawyers who don’t handle personal injury cases or bar associations can also make recommendations.
An easy way to find potential attorneys is using an internet search, simply typing “bicycle accident lawyer near me.” The results should list several law firms, but you’ll need to review each one carefully to find the best option.
How To Choose the Right Attorney
Recommendations and search results will probably provide you with countless attorney options, so how should you narrow down the list and select one? There are several things to look for. When you’ve excluded unsuitable candidates, request a consultation with your top choices.
Compose a list of questions and concerns, then ask each bicycle accident lawyer the same things. Make detailed notes so you can compare the answers.
Online Ratings and Reviews
Many sites gather client reviews and ratings of law offices and other kinds of businesses. Some law firm websites also include client testimonials.
When looking at reviews, don’t just look at how many stars a lawyer received. Read the actual reviews to get a fuller picture of how that attorney operates.
Payment Structure
Bicycle accidents can create a tremendous financial strain. Medical bills pile up while you are unable to work during your recovery, so you face additional expenses with no income. That can make it impossible to pay any upfront costs to hire a lawyer.
You need to ask each attorney if you’ll need to pay them upon hiring, how they calculate their fees and when you will have to pay. Cellino Law doesn’t require any upfront fees when you hire us. You won’t pay us until we win compensation on your behalf.
Focus on Personal Injury Law
Any attorney can technically handle a bicycle accident claim, but not every lawyer should. Each area of law has specific procedures and requires a knowledge of the applicable statutes. For the best outcome, you should hire an experienced personal injury lawyer from a reputable firm.
Experience and Results
Similarly to needing a personal injury lawyer to assist with your claim, you should hire an attorney with experience handling bicycle accidents successfully. Look for a well-established firm and published case results.
Communication Options
Those involved in bicycle accidents usually have serious injuries that prevent them from traveling to a lawyer’s office. Ask about suitable communication options, which may include video or phone calls, in-home or in-hospital visits, online chat, email or texting.
You should also find out how your legal team will contact you for any questions or updates to be sure your preferred method of communication is available.
Location
Online search results can be misleading. Although you searched for bicycle accident lawyers near you, the results might list attorneys who are too far away from you and the location of the accident.
There are many reasons to hire a lawyer in the same jurisdiction as where your accident happened.
Why It’s Best To Hire a Local Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Advanced communication options allow you to work with an attorney across the country; however, that usually won’t offer the best results.
Investigations
Your attorney will likely need to investigate your bicycle accident to gather the evidence we need to support your claim for compensation. A thorough investigation can take a lot of time and expense. While some investigative work is accomplished through phone calls or online, there are times when investigators need to be physically present at the accident scene and in that local area.
Local lawyers typically have investigators on their team, while out-of-town attorneys may have to hire an unknown investigator from afar. They might also send their own investigator to your location, which creates additional travel expenses.
Knowledge of Local Laws
Each state has laws that govern personal injury claims, and they can differ significantly. If your bicycle accident happened in Manhattan, you must follow New York’s laws even if you live in another state.
A Manhattan personal injury lawyer is your best bet because we know the applicable New York laws and how the local courts operate.
New York’s Personal Injury Laws
Your case may involve other laws, but the main statutes that can affect your bicycle accident claim are the statute of limitations and pure comparative negligence laws.
Statute of Limitations
Most personal injury claims begin by filing an insurance claim to seek compensation from the at-fault parties. Your attorney can often negotiate a favorable settlement offer without needing to file a civil lawsuit.
The statute of limitations for most personal injury claims in New York is three years from the date of your accident, although exceptions may apply. This deadline is different from any insurance company’s claim deadline. If you don’t file a lawsuit before your statute of limitations expires, you’ll usually lose your right to do so.
Pure Comparative Negligence
New York uses pure comparative negligence when more than one party is responsible for causing an accident. Under this law, you can file a claim even if you are 99% at fault. Some states limit your amount of fault to 50% or 51%, while others prevent you from filing claims if you bear even 1% of the blame.
Your degree of fault also directly impacts how much compensation you can receive. For example, if you are 20% at fault, you can only expect to obtain 80% of your total damages. Getting as much as you deserve is usually challenging unless you have a bicycle accident lawyer representing your best interests.
How a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near You Can Help
Bicycle accident injuries are usually extremely serious, requiring a long, painful recovery period. Your Cellino Law legal team can take care of many necessary tasks for you so you can focus on getting past your accident. We will:
- Help you decide on the best course of action
- Take care of case-related paperwork and other administrative tasks
- Handle communications with insurance companies
- Investigate your accident
- Negotiate to obtain a favorable settlement offer or take your case to trial
Contact Cellino Law 24/7 to request a free case evaluation. We’ll explain more about how we can help.
Cellino Law Is a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near You
With multiple locations in New York, Cellino Law is truly a bicycle accident lawyer near you. Since 1958, a Cellino Law firm has successfully handled countless personal injury claims like yours, obtaining millions in recoveries and over $2 billion in settlements.
We are so confident in our abilities that we don’t charge any upfront fees, and you won’t pay unless we win compensation for you. Contact Cellino Law today.