Were you injured in a bicycle accident due to someone else’s negligence? The Silver Spring bicycle accident lawyers of Marks & Harrison are ready to help you seek fair compensation for your injuries and losses, including your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.

Our experienced personal injury lawyers have recovered millions for our deserving clients, and we’re ready to file a bicycle accident claim on your behalf against the party or parties responsible for your injuries. Contact us today to learn more in a free consultation.

What Should I Do If I Am Involved in a Silver Spring Bicycle Accident?

The three most important steps to take in Silver Spring bicycle accident cases are:

  • Seek medical attention – Always seek immediate medical attention and follow your treatment plan. Doing so will improve your well-being and prevent the insurance company from claiming you didn’t take your injuries seriously.
  • Collect evidence – You should also collect evidence from the accident scene, such as photographs of the road conditions and your visible injuries. If you cannot do so because of your injuries, you should ask someone at the scene to help you collect this evidence.
  • Contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Marks & Harrison – A Maryland bicycle accident lawyer at Marks & Harrison can handle your case from start to finish. You will owe us no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.

What Are Some of the Causes of Bike Accidents in Silver Spring?

Most common causes of bike accidents in Silver Spring involve careless and reckless driving. They are the biggest dangers cyclists face, leading to the following types of bicycle accidents:

  • Overtaking accidents – These occur when a vehicle attempts to overtake a cyclist in their lane, resulting in a collision.
  • Right-hook accidents – A right-hook occurs when a driver passes a cyclist and then makes a right turn directly in front of them because they forgot the cyclist was there or thought they could execute the turn safely.
  • Failure to yield – Drivers must yield the right of way to cyclists, the same as they would to other motorists. Failure to yield can result in devastating accidents for bicycle riders.
  • Poor road conditions – Not all bicycle accidents involve motor vehicles. Poor road conditions, including cracked pavement and potholes, can sometimes lead to accidents.

Where Do Most Silver Spring Bicycle Accidents Occur?

Most Silver Spring bicycle accidents occur in the following areas: 

  • Urban areas – The high number of cyclists and motorists means collisions between them occur more frequently. Even when bike lanes are present, cyclists still must often take evasive action to avoid colliding with vehicles.
  • Intersections – Failure-to-yield and right-hook accidents occur most often at these locations. Many motorists are so busy looking out for other cars and trucks that they fail to notice the cyclists they’re sharing the road with.
  • Rural highways – These highways pose particular risks to cyclists due to their lack of bicycle lanes, narrow shoulders, and high speeds. Collisions on these roads can be catastrophic or fatal.

What Steps Can You Take to Keep Yourself Safe While Biking in Silver Spring?

The best ways to keep yourself safe while biking in Silver Spring or elsewhere in Maryland are to follow these safety tips for bicyclists: 

  • Follow all traffic signs and signals.
  • Ride with traffic, not against it.
  • Use hand signals when turning.
  • Use bike lanes when available.
  • Wear a helmet regardless of your age.
  • Don’t expect that motorists will see and stop for you at intersections.

What Are Common Silver Spring Bike Accident Injuries?

A Silver Spring bike accident could leave you with serious injuries, including:

  • Head and brain injuries that leave victims with permanent cognitive and physical disabilities.
  • Spinal cord injuries can result in chronic pain or paralysis in severe cases.
  • Broken bones that take months to heal and may lead to a permanent reduction in mobility.
  • Soft-tissue injuries affecting muscles, ligaments, and tendons that may require surgical repair, such as tears.

Who Can Be Held Liable for My Bicycle Accident?

Several parties could be liable for your bicycle accident injuries. The parties most frequently held liable for these accidents are motorists who cause accidents by engaging in dangerous behavior such as drunk driving, distracted driving, speeding, or ignoring designated bike lanes. However, if the accident resulted from poor road conditions, you could seek compensation from the government entity responsible for maintaining the road.

Additionally, you may have suffered injuries due to defective products that could open other entities to liability. For example, if you suffered a head injury due to a defective helmet, the helmet manufacturer could be liable.

What Compensation Could I Receive for My Bicycle Accident Injuries?

Through your bike accident claim, you may be able to recover compensation for the following losses:

  • Past and future medical expenses
  • Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
  • Physical pain and emotional distress
  • Loss of consortium, which is the impact your injuries have on your marriage
  • Property damage, including the cost of repairing or replacing your bike.

What If I Am Partly Responsible for the Bike Accident?

If you are partly responsible for your bike accident, it may impact your ability to recover compensation from the other party involved. Maryland follows a strict contributory negligence rule. In most cases, the rule bars victims from recovering compensation in personal injury claims for bike crashes they contributed to.

However, you should never assume you will be unable to recover full and fair compensation after a bicycle crash. A skilled bicycle accident attorney may use various types of evidence to demonstrate that another party was solely responsible for the accident and the catastrophic injuries you have suffered.

Does Maryland Have a Statute of Limitations for Filing a Bicycle Accident Claim?

Maryland’s statute of limitations gives cyclists three years to file lawsuits against the parties responsible for their injuries. This deadline is a hard one. Missing it could result in losing your right to seek the compensation you need. For this reason, you should always work with an experienced lawyer who can file your personal injury lawsuit within the time limit.

Contact a Silver Spring Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near You Today

After suffering injuries in a Silver Spring bicycle accident, you need a team of highly skilled Maryland personal injury lawyers. At Marks & Harrison, we have 32 personal injury attorneys and over 130 support personnel ready to tackle your case and help you seek fair compensation for your injuries. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay no legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Our law firm has been helping injured individuals and families for over 100 years. We’re available to speak to you 24/7. Don’t wait. Contact our firm today to get started.