While Anchorage does not have a reputation for a cyclist-friendly climate, the area still offers plenty of opportunities for bikers to get out in the fresh air to exercise, commute to work, run errands around town, or ride for fun. Unfortunately, this also means there are plenty of opportunities for negligent motor vehicle drivers—and additional hazards stemming from other types of misconduct—to cause bicyclists serious injury through completely preventable crashes.
If you were recently hurt in a bike crash due to someone else’s reckless or careless actions, knowing what kinds of physical trauma justify civil litigation could be crucial to effectively enforcing your right to recovery. The following are some examples of common injuries from bicycle accidents in Anchorage that our experienced bike injury attorneys here at Libbey Law Offices, LLC may be able to help you file suit over.
How Injury Severity Affects Your Right To Seek Civil Restitution
Not all forms of physical trauma are equally valid grounds for a lawsuit. In order to file suit against someone for harming you through negligence, you must be able to prove that person directly caused an accident through a specific reckless or careless act, and that you suffered a physical injury serious enough to require professional medical care as a direct result of that accident.
Minor injuries, such as cuts, bruises, or road rash, do not always justify litigation on their own, especially if basic first aid is sufficient to treat them. However, if you had to see a licensed physician for any reason whatsoever because of your Anchorage bicycle crash, you could seek compensation for your damages stemming from that accident, including losses connected to additional minor injuries—such as road rash—that typically would not serve as the basis for a lawsuit by themselves.
What Are Some Common Injuries in Bike Crashes?
The injuries bikers most commonly experience in Anchorage bike wrecks depend on the circumstances leading to the accident. For example, someone struck by a car while riding a bicycle is more likely to sustain fractures, soft-tissue injuries, and other forms of trauma in their lower legs where the car’s bumper struck them, while someone falling off a bicycle after hitting a pothole is more likely to suffer trauma in the arms and upper torso from their impact with the ground.
In virtually all types of bike crashes, head and brain injuries are much more common when riders do not wear helmets. The state has no law requiring a bicycle rider of any age to wear a helmet, but doing so anyway could help you avoid a lot of pain and financial expense, and it might even save your life.
Talk to an Anchorage Attorney About Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
No one deserves to suffer a serious injury while going out for a bike ride, and certainly not due to someone else’s misconduct. If you sustained severe harm while biking because of another person’s negligence, you may have legal options. An experienced bicycle injury attorney could help you take full advantage of these.
At Libbey Law Offices, LLC, we have extensive experience helping people deal with situations much like yours, and we do not charge you any fees unless you receive compensation for your losses. Call today and schedule a consultation to learn more about filing lawsuits over common injuries from bicycle accidents in Anchorage.
