Bicycle Accident Attorney in Baton Rouge

Bicycling has become an increasingly popular form of transportation, exercise, and recreation. Cyclists are more common than ever on Baton Rouge streets. But despite their increasing presence, some motorists still drive dangerously around cyclists, putting vulnerable bike riders at risk of catastrophic accidents.

If you’ve suffered injuries in a bicycle accident in Baton Rouge, you deserve compensation and accountability from the motorist who harmed you. A bicycle accident attorney from The Thibeaux Firm can help you pursue justice and find a path forward after an injury. We strive to provide a respectful, understanding, caring environment to help you feel comfortable speaking with us about your case and your needs, goals, and concerns. We’re here to make sure you feel supported throughout your recovery.

Attorney Omar Thibeaux, who founded our law practice, understands the financial challenges you’re facing, which is why he’s proud to hold the moniker of “The 25% Attorney.” His business model is different from other lawyers, in that he charges a flat and fair 25 percent on what he recovers for accident injury cases. This way, you can keep more of the money we win for you through a settlement or trial verdict — plus, you pay nothing upfront for Attorney Thibeaux to get started on your case.

After a bike wreck in Baton Rouge, you have the right to demand compensation from those responsible. Contact The Thibeaux Firm for a free, no-obligation initial case evaluation. Discover how a bicycle injury attorney from our firm can help you pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and more.

Benefits of Hiring a Baton Rouge Bicycle Accident Attorney

A bicycle accident can leave you with devastating injuries that can cause debilitating physical impairments and significant financial complications. You deserve to seek financial relief from the driver or other parties responsible for the accident and your injuries.

When you hire a Baton Rouge bicycle accident lawyer from The Thibeaux Firm after a crash, you won’t have to worry about the legal legwork. Instead, you’ll benefit from a dedicated advocate who can handle all the details of pursuing the compensation you need, so you can focus your time and energy on your medical recovery.

Let our firm fight to hold those responsible for your injuries and losses accountable by:

• Thoroughly investigating the crash and securing the evidence to support your claim
• Working with accident reconstruction experts to fully understand the collision and its causes and identify all liable parties
• Documenting your injuries, medical expenses, and other costs to determine full and fair compensation for your losses
• Preparing and filing your insurance claim
• Managing all interactions with third parties, including insurers and defense counsel
• Negotiating in pursuit of maximum compensation
• Filing a lawsuit and fighting for justice in court, if necessary
• Never charging you anything unless we recover compensation for your accident claim

Compensation is a strong reason why accident victims across the Pelican State trust Attorney Thibeaux. Besides being professional, compassionate, and dedicated, he provides extra value, which is why he is known as “The 25% Attorney.” The way most law practices work, clients get charged an industry standard of 33 to 40 percent of whatever their attorney recovers. But Attorney Thibeaux believes that people who suffer accident injuries due to no fault of their own deserve more money in their pocket. This is why if he wins your case, he charges a flat, fair, and reasonable 25 percent fee, which is considerably lower than other injury lawyers.

What to Do After a Bike Accident

You must take specific actions to put yourself in a favorable position to seek financial compensation for injuries and losses in your bicycle accident case. Steps you can take to protect your rights and interests after a bike accident in Baton Rouge include:

• Report the accident to law enforcement
• Seek immediate medical attention
• Follow all treatment instructions and attend all follow-up appointments
• Retain copies of all accident-related documents, including the police report, medical records, bike repair records, and income statements
• Contact your insurance company to report the accident

Finally, contact a bicycle accident lawyer in Baton Rouge from The Thibeaux Firm as soon as possible to start pursuing the financial resources you need to put your life back together after a devastating crash.

What Compensation Can I Recover After a Bicycle Accident?

After being hit while riding your bicycle, you may have a claim to financial recovery for past, ongoing, and future losses or expenses you incur due to injuries and property damage from the bike crash. Bicycle accident compensation may provide you with financial relief for:

• Medical treatment and rehabilitation, including hospitalization, surgeries, pain management, doctor appointments, medical equipment, and physical therapy
• Long-term disability care costs
• Costs for replacement of household services, including housekeeping and childcare
• Costs of necessary home modifications to accommodate a disability or impairment
• Lost income, including lost earning capacity if your injuries prevent you from working or force you to take a lower-paying job
• Physical and emotional pain and suffering
• Property damage

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

Under Louisiana’s statute of limitations for accident claims, you typically have one year after a bike crash to file a bicycle accident lawsuit against the driver or party responsible for causing the crash and your injuries. Because the law gives you limited time to file, talk to The Thibeaux Firm as soon as possible to give yourself the best chance to file your claim before the applicable deadline expires. Otherwise, you may lose the opportunity to seek financial recovery for your injuries and losses from liable parties.

What Are the Louisiana Bicycle Laws?

While some laws apply only to motor vehicles, in Louisiana, bicyclists who ride on public roads must follow most of the same traffic laws and rules as drivers of motor vehicles, since the law treats bicycles like vehicles. However, some traffic laws apply specifically to bicycles to keep riders safe on public roads.

Some of the most critical bicycle laws include:

• Drivers overtaking a bicyclist proceeding in the same direction must exercise care and leave a safe distance of at least three feet between their vehicle and the bicycle. Drivers may pass bicycles in no-passing zones only when it is safe to do so.
• People under 12 riding a bicycle, including operators and passengers, must wear a protective bicycle helmet.
• Any vehicle occupant parked or stopped along the street or road must ensure that opening their door will not interfere with traffic, including bicycle traffic. Vehicle occupants may not leave doors open longer than necessary to load or unload passengers.
• Bicycle riders should ride as close as possible to the right-hand edge of the road, except in certain conditions specified by Louisiana law. These include when overtaking and passing another bicycle or vehicle, when preparing to turn left at an intersection, and when necessary to avoid hazards along the ride-hand edge of the road.
• Bikes must have a front white light and a rear red light or reflector when riding at night. All bikes must have brakes capable of making the bicycle skid on dry, level, clean pavement.

Furthermore, many municipalities require bicycle riders to use designated bike lanes instead of traffic lanes when available, and to refrain from riding on sidewalks throughout the municipality or in designated neighborhoods.

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents

Many bicycle accidents in Louisiana occur due to careless or reckless driving by motorists who don’t take sufficient care when sharing the road with cyclists. Some of the top causes of bike crashes in Baton Rouge include:

• Tailgating or following too closely behind a cyclist
• Leaving insufficient distance when passing a cyclist
• Speeding or driving too fast for current conditions
• Engaging in reckless driving behaviors, such as swerving through traffic
• Aggressive driving and road rage
• Failing to yield the right-of-way at stop signs, red lights, and crosswalks
• Driving while distracted, impaired, or fatigued
• Operating without headlights at nighttime or in inclement weather
• Turning or changing lanes without checking blind spots or mirrors
• Opening doors of parked vehicles in front of oncoming cyclists
• Driver inexperience

Common Types of Injuries from Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle riders have little protection in a crash besides helmets and joint pads. This makes them extremely vulnerable even in relatively minor accidents. As a result, bicycle accidents frequently cause severe injuries, especially when riders collide with motor vehicles. Common types of bicycle accident injury include:

Additionally, a bicycle accident can result in severe psychological trauma, including post-traumatic stress, anxiety, fear of getting back on a bicycle, nervousness around motor vehicles, and depression. These effects can be just as debilitating as physical injuries, as they can affect a victim in all areas of their life.

If you’re experiencing psychological or emotional symptoms following a bike accident, seek assistance from a mental health professional. Our bicycle accident law firm can also help you pursue compensation for these mental health effects resulting from the crash, including the cost of the treatment you need to heal.

Contact a Baton Rouge Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today

A bike accident can cause traumatic physical and psychological injuries that may require weeks, months, or a lifetime of treatment to manage. You deserve financial recovery, accountability, and justice from the driver who hit you — and The Thibeaux Firm can help.

Contact us today for a free consultation with a Baton Rouge bicycle accident attorney to discuss your legal options. We’ll listen to your story, understand your needs, goals, and concerns, and work with you on your bicycle accident claim so you can put your life back together.