Bike Accident Lawsuit Loans

Bike Accident Lawsuit Loans Overview

Bicycle accidents happen more frequently than you might think. Unfortunately, bicycle accidents often severely injure plaintiffs—this is where Uplift Legal Funding comes in. Like most motorway-related accidents, bicycle crashes are fairly simple. We offer approval in as little as 24 hours and industry-leading simple, non-compounding rates on bike accident loans. If you receive a contract from another legal funding company and send it to Uplift, we will be able to beat it.

If you have a bicycle accident lawsuit and have hired an attorney, give us a call to discuss your case and its potential for a bicycle accident lawsuit loan.

Bicycle accidents vs. car accidents

While riding a bicycle does give the rider some mild protection in the form of a helmet and maybe knee and elbow pads, bike accidents can still result in severe injuries to the rider. There are a few differences in how you would pursue a bicycle accident case compared to a car accident case.

Below, we have listed a few of these differences.

Liability

There are differences in liability standards in bicycle accidents. This is because, generally, bikes and cars have the same right of way. However, even if a biker is acting within the full rights of the law, they may still be held partially liable for the bicycle accident.

It is harder for bicyclists to carry the burden of proof because they have a similar right of way as cars. As such, bikers have to be more vigilant when riding to ensure they don’t get hurt. Failure to do so can result in severe injuries, and it may be difficult to prove that the passenger vehicle was primarily at fault.

When riding on the road, bikers have to follow the same laws as motorized vehicles while also adhering to specific bicycle laws.

Many cyclists are unaware of this and end up doing one of the following, which can hold them liable for their accident:

• Not stopping – Bikers are supposed to yield the right of way in accordance with motor vehicle laws.
• Ignoring traffic signs – Some bikers are unaware that they must stop at stop signs and traffic lights.
• Crossing without signaling – Turning or changing lanes without signaling to the cars around them.

Safety

While a bicyclist has more protection than a pedestrian, it is not by much. At most, a bicyclist will wear a helmet to protect themselves. Less than half of bicycle riders report wearing a helmet.

This means that when a biker is hit by a car or truck, there is a high likelihood of them being severely or fatally injured.

Bicycle accident statistics and what causes them

Below, we have listed national biking accident statistics and their common causes. It’s important to be extra vigilant when riding a bicycle, since proving liability for biking accidents can be extremely difficult.

Statistics

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 857 bicyclists were killed in 2018. This is a 6.3% increase from 2017. According to the IIHS, only 29% of bike riders report that they routinely wear a helmet when riding. Alcohol usage is involved in 37% of biking accidents.

Adult bicycle accident deaths, which involve people older than 20, have tripled since 1975, accounting for 87% of deaths. Children’s bike accident deaths have decreased significantly since 1975, making up 13% of fatal accidents.

Typically, bike accidents are more likely to occur in urban areas, which accounted for 79% of all fatal bike accidents in 2018. Men are eight times more likely to be in a fatal bike accident than women.

8 common causes of biking accidents

Below are some of the most common causes of biking accidents:

• Dooring accidents – Car drivers opening doors without checking if there are bikers approaching.
• Sideswiping bicyclists – When switching lanes, cars may sideswipe a biker.
• Rear-ending the bicyclist – If a biker is going too slow, a car is more likely to follow closely. This causes rear-end collisions when the biker must make a stop.
• Crossing in front of the bike – Drivers do not properly estimate the speed of the biker and, when moving in front, hit the bike.
• Drivers turning into bicycles on their right side – Bikes generally stay on the far right side of the road. If a driver does not check, they may collide with the biker.
• Speeding – Speeding cars may hit bikers who are in the middle of the lane.
• Drugs and alcohol – Either the biker or the car driver is under the influence and less aware of their surroundings.
• Failure to follow traffic control devices – Bikers are not always aware that they must follow traffic signs. When this happens, it increases the likelihood of bike accidents.

Different liability standards

There are different liability standards when it comes to bike accidents. While this is not always the case, in a bicycle accident, the cyclist will often have a harder time proving they were not liable for the accident.

Bicycles have the same right of way as cars. If there is no specific bike lane, cyclists are supposed to ride in the far right lane of traffic. There are ‘side of the road’ laws that protect bicyclists who are riding in that area.

Here are some incidents where drivers would be held liable for injuring a bicyclist:

1. Opening a door and hitting a cyclist
2. Brushing a cyclist with a car or truck
3. Striking a cyclist while turning right

However, a bicyclist is not confined to the right side of the road. If the rider is keeping pace with traffic, they can ride in the middle of the lane.

Here are some other reasons a bicyclist can leave the side of the road:

1. If the lane is too narrow to share safely with passing cars
2. To make a left turn
3. To avoid debris or other road hazards

In these situations, one way liability is determined is by whether the motorist gave the bicyclist enough space. Because ‘side of the road’ laws force cyclists to share a lane with passing cars, drivers must give bicyclists a reasonable amount of space. Generally, most states define this as three feet.

However, if the cyclist did not conform to proper right-of-way laws or follow traffic laws while riding in the middle of the lane, liability can be placed on them.

Protection from bike accidents vs. car accident protection

Bikers have little to no protection when they are in an accident. As stated earlier, only 29% of bike riders report consistently wearing a helmet whenever they go riding.

Wearing a helmet has been proven to increase safety for bike riders because it lessens the risk of traumatic brain injury. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), most of the 80,000 bike-accident-related head injuries treated per year are brain injuries.

Other common injuries in bike accidents include:

• Amputations
• Broken bones or fractures
• Lacerations
• Soft tissue damage
• Wrongful death

While each of the injuries listed above can occur in a car accident, they are less likely. This is because cars are equipped with new technology designed to lessen injuries and fatalities during an accident.

Bikes, however, have no such innovations to help protect the rider. As such, bike accidents are often more deadly than car accidents. There is nothing to protect the rider from a car or truck that has collided with them.

Who pays for these severe injuries?

If you are able to prove liability, the driver’s insurance company will pay for your injuries. Unlike in car accidents, you may not have underinsured or uninsured (UIM or UM) coverage in play while riding your bike. That means you might only have one potential insurance policy to go after (the insurance of the person who hit you).

FAQs about bicycle accident loans

Below we have listed some commonly asked questions about bike accident lawsuit loans with Uplift.

What benefits does Uplift offer in my bicycle accident settlement?

There are many benefits to choosing Uplift for legal funding. We have listed just a few ways we can help you.

• Larger settlement – Getting a lawsuit loan can help you get a larger settlement. This is because you will be able to stay in your lawsuit longer instead of having to take a lower settlement.
• Fast approval – We can often approve funding within 24 to 48 hours of your application.
• Quick and easy – From start to finish, we keep you informed about your funding process.
• Direct transfer – Once approved for funding, we have it sent to you in as little as 24 hours.

Why choose Uplift for my bicycle accident lawsuit loan?

Even though legal funding is not regulated in most states, Uplift still follows best practices. This means that we do what is in the best interest of our clients.

We never try to get you to sign a risky contract or take more pre-settlement funding than you need. This is so you can keep more of your settlement. Additionally, we never check credit or employment history. This is because you get our pre-settlement funding based on the quality of your case and not your personal credit.

We offer simple, non-compounding rates. This means we only charge interest based on the original amount. We never charge interest based on already accumulated charges. This is how we keep our rates low and manageable.

Is getting legal funding for my bicycle accident like getting a loan?

There is a big difference between legal funding and loans. Legal funding is contingent on the success of your case. If you do not win your case, you get to keep the cash advance. It’s that simple.

With traditional loans, you have to pay back your loan regardless of whether or not you win your settlement. Also, traditional loans typically have extremely high, compounding rates. This means you might end up paying back over 100% in interest once your case has concluded.

Legal funding with Uplift is different. We offer simple, non-compounding rates. Additionally, all of our pre-settlement funding is non-recourse, meaning you don’t pay it back if you don’t win. Lastly, we always advise that you only take what you absolutely need because we want you to keep as much of your accident lawsuit settlement as possible.

How Uplift helps injured bike accident plaintiffs

We help personal injury plaintiffs cover living expenses while waiting for a bicycle accident lawsuit settlement. Bicycle accident lawsuits can take a while, and insurance companies know you might be in bad financial shape. Uplift settlement loans help you wait for a better deal, rather than caving to early settlement pressure.

Our case managers work with your law firm to process cash advances quickly, with no credit check necessary. Give us a call today for a free consultation. We can quickly estimate a bicycle accident case’s value and see how much in bicycle accident lawsuit loans you qualify for.

You can apply online (it takes as little as 5 minutes!) or give us a call at (800) 385-3660.