If you get in a bike accident in Houston, Texas, you could be left with serious injuries, significant medical bills, and lost wages. This can take a physical, emotional, and financial toll on you and your family. However, through a bicycle accident lawsuit, you may be able to recover compensation for those losses and be made whole again.

At The Patel Firm, our Houston bicycle accident lawyers have extensive experience handling a wide variety of cases, including right-hook accidents, doorings, and mechanical failures. No matter the cause of your injuries, our lawyers can help you seek fair compensation and hold the at-fault party financially accountable.

Contact our firm today for a free consultation with a member of our Houston legal team to discuss your accident. We’ll walk you through the legal process, explain how insurance handles bicycle accident claims, and answer any questions you have about your case in particular. You pay nothing unless we win your case.

Why Should I Hire an Attorney for My Houston Bicycle Accident Claim?

Hiring a bicycle accident attorney in Houston is one of the best ways to maximize your compensation following an injury. Your attorney will handle all aspects of your case while you focus on your recovery, relieving the stress of dealing with insurers and the legal system on your own.

Some of the key ways a bicycle injury attorney from The Patel Firm can assist with your case include the following:

  • Investigating the accident to identify the at-fault party or parties
  • Gathering evidence to support your claim
  • Filing your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit
  • Negotiating for a fair settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company
  • Representing you in court if your case goes to trial
  • Providing general legal advice and preventing you from saying things that could harm your case
  • Never charging you anything unless we successfully resolve your case

Contact our law firm today to speak with a bicycle accident lawyer in Houston. Your case review is free and fully confidential.

What Should I Do After a Bike Accident?

Following a bike accident, there are several steps you should take to strengthen your case and improve your chances of securing compensation for your injuries. They are as follows:

  • The first step is always to seek medical treatment and to follow up with it until you have recovered. Taking your injuries seriously is crucial for demonstrating to the insurance company that they are real and severe.
  • When possible, you should also gather evidence from the accident scene, including photographs of the road conditions and your visible injuries. If there are eyewitnesses, ask for their names and contact information so that your lawyer can follow up with them.
  • Next, it’s important to keep track of all medical bills, lost wages, and other ways your injuries impact your life. Keep copies of bills and wage statements in a folder, and write down your daily pain levels in a journal.
  • Finally, contact a bicycle accident lawyer in Houston. A lawyer from The Patel Firm can help you seek necessary medical treatment, gather evidence, and calculate the value of your claim based on your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses.

What Compensation Can I Recover After a Bicycle Accident?

The bicycle accident compensation you could recover through an insurance claim or a personal injury lawsuit may cover the following losses:

  • Past and future medical expenses related to your bike accident injuries, such as hospital stays, surgeries, medical devices, medical treatments, and physical therapy
  • Lost wages and loss of earning capacity caused by your injuries
  • Physical pain and emotional suffering you experience
  • The impact of your permanent disability on your life and the costs associated with accommodating it
  • Property damage expenses, including the cost of repairing or replacing your bicycle, helmet, and other personal property

How Long Do I Have to File a Bicycle Accident Claim in Texas?

Under Texas’s statute of limitations, cyclists injured in accidents have two years to file lawsuits against the parties responsible for harming them. This is a strict deadline, and missing it could result in the courts barring you from recovering compensation for your injuries.

In some cases, you may have more than two years to pursue legal action. For example, if a vehicle struck you and the driver fled the scene, the time limit may not begin until the driver has been identified. Or, if you were a minor at the time of the accident, the time limit will not begin until you have reached the age of 18.

One of the best ways to make sure you don’t miss the filing deadline is to have a bicycle accident law firm handle your case on your behalf. At The Patel Firm, our attorneys and support staff can keep track of the status of your case and make sure to submit all paperwork required throughout your case on time.

What Are the Texas Bicycle Laws?

Generally speaking, Texas’s bicycle laws require cyclists to follow the same rules of the road as motorists. Cyclists should follow all traffic signs and lights, travel in the same direction as other traffic, and use hand signals to indicate their intention to turn.

Cyclists are also entitled to use the full width of their lane, so long as they aren’t moving slower than other traffic. When moving slower than surrounding vehicles, cyclists should ride as close to the right-hand curb as possible to provide room for vehicles to pass.

When riding after sunset or before sunrise, cyclists should equip their bikes with the following safety devices:

  • A white light on the front of the bike that is visible from at least 500 feet away
  • A red light that is visible from at least 500 feet away, or a red reflector that is visible from 50 to 300 feet away on the rear of the bike

Notably, Texas does not have a helmet requirement for cyclists, regardless of their age. However, some municipalities may have helmet laws on the books, so you shouldn’t assume you don’t need a helmet when riding. It’s also always in your best interest to wear a properly-fitting helmet, as they can significantly decrease your chances of sustaining head and brain injuries.

What Are Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents?

Many bicycle accidents occur because motorists fail to look out for cyclists. Some of the most common causes of these accidents resulting from motorist negligence include the following:

  • Right-hook accidents, where a motorist passes a cyclist and then makes a right turn in front of them, causing the cyclist to collide with the side of their vehicle
  • Left-cross accidents, where a vehicle turning left fails to yield the right of way to an oncoming cyclist, resulting in a collision
  • Dooring accidents, where drivers of parked vehicles or their passengers open vehicle doors into a cyclist’s path, causing the cyclist to slam into it
  • Sideswipe and rear-end collisions, where a driver causes an accident because they failed to give the cyclist enough space
  • Distracted and drunk driving accidents, where a driver’s inattention (such as texting behind the wheel) or dangerous behavior causes them to hit a cyclist they didn’t see

In addition to these causes, some bicycle accidents result from poor road conditions, including cracked pavement, large potholes, and faulty traffic signals. When poor road conditions cause a bicycle accident, the government responsible for maintaining the road could be liable.

What Are Common Types of Injuries from Bicycle Accidents?

Bicycle accident injuries can range from mild to severe, and they include the following:

  • Head and Brain Injuries – Traumatic brain injuries and other types of head injuries are more frequent in cyclists who don’t wear helmets. These injuries can cause permanent physical and cognitive disability.
  • Spinal Cord Injuries – Damage to the spinal cord caused by the impact with a vehicle or the road surface can result in chronic pain conditions or paralysis in particularly severe cases.
  • Broken Bones – Broken bones are among the most common injuries seen in bicycle accident victims, with arms, legs, and ribs often sustaining severe damage due to blunt force trauma.
  • Soft Tissue Injuries – Soft tissues include muscles, ligaments, and tendons. These tissues can sustain strains, sprains, and tears due to an impact with a vehicle or the pavement.
  • Road Rash – Road rash is a type of abrasion injury caused by sliding across the pavement after a collision. Cyclists often sustain road rash following high-speed accidents.

Contact a Houston Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today

If you sustained injuries in a Houston bicycle accident, you need an experienced lawyer who won’t treat you like just another case number. That’s why you need The Patel Firm. Our lawyers are available 24/7 to discuss your case and answer your questions, and we always respond to calls, messages, and emails promptly. We know that having answers can significantly reduce the stress you experience throughout the legal process, and we aim to make everything as stress-free as possible.

Our law firm provides strong yet personalized representation and develops close relationships with our clients. Every case is unique, and understanding how your injuries affect your life is a crucial component of developing a robust legal strategy. Finally, our firm has a solid track record of success for accident victims throughout Texas. We’ve seen and litigated it all, and are prepared to put that experience to work for you.

Contact The Patel Firm today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation with a compassionate and highly qualified Houston bicycle accident attorney. We’ll explain your rights, the options for seeking the compensation you need, and the general timeline you can expect for your bicycle accident case. Your consultation is fully confidential, and there are no fees unless we recover compensation for you.