What Damages Can I Recover from a Bicycle Accident in New Orleans?

What damages can I recover from a bicycle accident in New Orleans? Recoverable damages from a bicycle accident can include medical expenses, both immediate and long-term, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering from the accident, and emotional distress. 

If you have been involved in a bicycle accident, a New Orleans bicycle accident lawyer can help you receive compensation for all you have endured.

Economic Damages vs. Non-Economic Damages After a Bicycle Accident

After a bicycle accident, it is crucial to understand the types of damages you may be entitled to and how they are categorized. Working with a qualified attorney will help you determine what damages you can recover from a bicycle accident in New Orleans.

Economic damages include items that directly affect you financially. This can include medical expenses, property damage, lost wages, or lost earning potential. These items are generally easier to prove, as they are much more trackable. 

Non-economic damages include intangible items. These can include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, or emotional distress. These items are much more difficult to quantify and require a skilled lawyer to help you build your case. 

Medical Expenses are a Common Recoverable Damage after a Bicycle Accident in New Orleans

Medical expenses are among the most common costs covered after a bicycle accident. They are easily quantifiable and have receipts that go along with them. Injuries can be minor or severe, but you still deserve to be covered.

Common injuries may include:

• Lacerations
• Broken bones
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Soft tissue damage
• Internal injuries

Given the immense costs of medical care, it is important to ensure those expenses are recuperated. This does not just include current medical bills but future ones as well, as oftentimes you may require long-term care such as physical therapy or rehabilitation due to your injuries. A New Orleans personal injury attorney can help you get the payment you deserve. 

You Should Not Miss Out on Wages Due to Someone Else’s Negligence

Lost wages are another common type of damage you can recover after a bicycle accident in New Orleans. After an injury, it is common to miss work, which can be financially devastating to many. You may be entitled to compensation for that lost time, giving you back your financial stability. 

Wages are generally closely tracked by employers, so this is another item that is tangible and easy to see the numbers for. You may miss work due to doctor’s appointments, court proceedings, or just generally being unable to work due to temporary or permanent disability. 

You may also be entitled to loss of future earning potential. Let’s say, for example, that you work in a role that requires you to be on your feet for hours at a time, but after your accident, you now have issues with back or leg pain; you may no longer be able to work in the career that you have built, and could be entitled to damages.

If Your Property Is Damaged, You Could Receive Compensation

Bicycle equipment can be expensive, and if you are hit by a driver while riding your bike, it could damage your property. If this is the case, you could be owed money. Standard equipment that may need repair or replacement after an accident may include:

• Helmets
• Padding
• Cycling shoes
• Cycling clothing
• Wheels and tires
• The entire bicycle
• GPS devices
• Phones, smartwatches, and other electronics

Whether you are a competitive cyclist, a recreational rider, or a commuter, you have spent your hard-earned dollars on your bicycle equipment. If it is broken due to the negligence of others, you deserve to be compensated.

You May Be Owed Money for Your Pain and Suffering

Bicycle accidents are unique from typical car accidents, as while one party is in a two-ton steel machine, the other is protected by only a helmet and possibly some padding. This can lead to much more severe injuries for the cyclist, causing long-term pain and suffering.

Pain and suffering are intangible damages, and therefore more subjective after a bicycle accident. If you are in an accident, you should hire a personal injury attorney to look after your best interests. They can help you translate your pain into financial compensation.

While no amount of money can take away the suffering you have experienced, monetary compensation can help by ensuring you have the financial security to purchase items that bring you greater comfort.

This can make it one of the most valuable damages you can recover after a bicycle accident in New Orleans.

Having an Attorney Can Help You Get a Higher Payout

After a bicycle accident, you may not know where to start. It is important not to wait too long, as Louisiana has a two–year statute of limitations from the date of the accident (Louisiana Civil Code Article 3493.11). This means that you have two years from the day you were injured until you can no longer sue for damages.

A skilled attorney understands the justice system, and having a local lawyer is even more beneficial, as they know the courts, the judges, and others who work within the system. They are also more familiar with the layouts of different areas and roads, and can use that knowledge to represent you better. 

Your attorney will collect evidence, fill out and file documents, speak on your behalf to insurance companies, and help you understand the full scope of what damages you may recover after a bicycle accident. You should not have to navigate this alone.

Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers Know Bicycle Accidents

At Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers, we understand how to win bicycle accident cases in New Orleans. 

You deserve a team that you can trust and that will work tirelessly to get you the highest payout allowed for the injuries you have sustained. At Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers, we don’t just fight; we fight for the win.