Bicycle Accident Lawyer In Miami | Free Case Consultations

With its year-round warm weather, abundant sunshine, and flat landscape, Miami offers an ideal location for bicyclists to enjoy their hobby. While bicycles are a fun and healthy way to get around the city, Miami’s sprawl and traffic present many dangers to cyclists. In collisions with a car, the cyclist is almost always injured. Even a vehicle strike at slow speeds can lead to severe injuries for the bicyclist.

If you suffered injuries in a bicycle accident in South Florida, a member of the Miami personal injury lawyer team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine could protect your rights. We help you pursue the maximum compensation you deserve to pay for your medical bills, lost time at work, pain and suffering, and other damages. Let us handle the legal process and the insurance company negotiations so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries and getting back to your life.

Drivers Must Share The Road, But Many Do Not

Drivers in Florida must share the road with bicycles. Cyclists must follow all the same rules of the road as motorists, including stopping at red lights, yielding the right of way, and signaling for turns. Bicyclists are even allowed to ride in traffic lanes when no bicycle lanes are available, though they must move as far to the right whenever possible to let faster traffic pass.

Unfortunately, ignorance and impatience prevent many drivers from peacefully sharing the road with bicyclists. In fact, some drivers are unaware that cyclists have the same rights as they do. Sadly still, other drivers are aware but feel that bicyclists, who typically travel at slower speeds than motor vehicles, are a nuisance and in the way.

These attitudes can easily lead to an accident, which is particularly dangerous—potentially even lethal—for cyclists.

How Do Car-Versus-Bicycle Crashes Happen?

Some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents involving cars include the following.

Drivers Failing To Watch For Cyclists

Obviously, bicycles are smaller and slower than your average car, but that does not excuse a driver from failing to watch for them on the road. Many accidents between a cyclist and a car are simply due to the driver’s inattention, and they often occur at an intersection.

Drivers often do not watch closely enough for bicycles or pedestrians when turning or proceeding through an intersection. These accidents can take the following forms:

A “right cross” crash, where a driver turning right at an intersection strikes a bicyclist proceeding straight across the intersection
A “t-bone” collision, where a driver proceeds through an intersection and strikes the side of a bicyclist crossing in front of them
A “left turn” crash, where a driver turning left at an intersection fails to see a cyclist in their blind spot
A “side impact” or “rear end” crash, where a car driver attempts to overtake or pass a bicycle but does not leave enough room and strikes the cyclist, often causing the rider to flip off the bicycle

The causes of these accidents are frequently coupled with the driver failing to yield the right of way or obeying stop signs and signals.

Drivers Under The Influence Of Drugs Or Alcohol

Driving under the influence is still an issue today. According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there were eight fatalities in Miami-Dade due to alcohol or drug abuse in 2023.

Operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs will affect a driver’s reasoning and reactions. This reckless behavior places everyone on the road, drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists at risk of injury.

Other Causes Of Collisions

Door “clotheslines,” also called “dooring accidents,” are another common scenario. This type of collision often occurs on busy streets and involves an occupant of a parked car opening a door into the path of an oncoming bicycle.

Injuries Are Often Catastrophic For The Bicyclist

When collisions occur between a car and a cyclist, the cyclist often suffers catastrophic injuries, such as:

Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
Spinal cord injuries
Head and neck injuries
Broken and crushed bones
Internal injuries
Amputations
Loss of function

Injuries like these could require medical care from a level one trauma center. In Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center is the only level one trauma center in the county, so victims may also require emergency transportation depending on where the accident took place.

Were You In A Miami Bicycle Accident Involving A Car?

Not all bicycle accidents involve cars, but those that do tend to share a few common characteristics. Most significantly, bicyclists’ injuries are often severe due to the size and weight difference between a car and a bicycle. Also, the driver is usually partially at fault in a car-bicycle accident.

Sometimes, both the car driver and the bicyclists share the blame for a collision. Because Florida follows contributory negligence rules, you can win damages even if you were partially at fault. If a car collided with your bicycle, but you were distracted by your phone at the time, you could be partially to blame for the crash. If your share of the blame equals 20 percent, you would receive 80 percent of your total damages.

However, under Florida Statutes § 768.81, if you are found to be more than 50 percent at fault for the accident, you will not be permitted to collect damages. Insurance companies are aware of this law and may try to place greater blame on you to avoid or undervalue your claim. Our bicycle accident attorneys can investigate your accident and determine your actual degree of fault.

What To Do After A Bicycle Accident In Miami

Bicycle accident injuries can be severe, requiring hospitalization, surgery, and potentially months or even years of therapy and rehabilitation. The medical bills from these services can accumulate quickly. You can take action right from the accident scene to ensure your health and protect your right to fair compensation:

Move to safety: If you can move without hurting yourself, move to the side of the road away from any other traffic.
Check for injuries: Assess your situation and your injuries. If moving could make matters worse, then stay put where you are.
Call 9-1-1: By law, any accident with a vehicle that results in injury, death, or $500 worth of property damage must be reported. The police report generated can provide valuable information when building your personal injury claim.
Exchange information: You can ask for the driver’s contact and insurance information while you wait for emergency services. If there were witnesses, see if they would provide contact information.
Document the accident scene: Take as many pictures, videos, and notes you feel are necessary of the accident scene, your injuries, the other car, and your bike.
See a doctor: It is very important that you see a doctor as soon as possible. For one, it protects your health. For another, your doctor’s medical records help to create a link between the accident and your injuries.
Follow their orders: You must be diligent and follow through on all appointments and sessions your doctor orders. Missing any can cause the insurance company to doubt the severity of your injuries.
Limit what you say: Be careful of what you say to others or post online. Don’t apologize, don’t say it was your fault, and don’t make assumptions. Just state what you know to the officer and avoid giving any recorded statements to insurers.

Then, call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine for a free case consultation. An attorney from our personal injury law firm can protect your rights and aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve.

What Compensation Are You Eligible To Recover After A Bicycle Accident?

The legal team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine wants to help you recover the full damages you are eligible to receive after a bicycle accident. We do not let our clients leave any money on the table. Before you accept a settlement offer from the negligent driver who hit you or their insurance company, talk to us. Insurance company settlement offers tend to pay much less than what you could receive with an attorney negotiating on your behalf.

We have won substantial settlements for many of our clients in the Miami area. Your award might include some or all of the following damages:

Medical expenses: Both current and anticipated future bills from hospitals, surgeons, doctors, physical therapists, and more
Lost wages: Any paychecks you missed out on during your recovery
Reduced earning capacity: Your inability to return to the same level of work you were doing before the accident
Property damage: Compensates you for the full value of your bicycle and other personal property lost in the accident, like a smartphone
Pain and suffering: Money to compensate you for the physical pain and emotional distress you have experienced
Punitive damages: Only awarded by a judge or jury, this additional compensation punishes the responsible party if they were behaving recklessly or maliciously.

If your close relative died from a bike accident, our Miami wrongful death lawyers can seek additional compensation for the beneficiaries.

Is There A Deadline For Your Bicycle Accident Case?

Yes, Florida law limits the amount of time you have to file a lawsuit seeking compensation from the negligent party whose carelessness caused the accident that injured you. Under Florida Statutes § 95.11, your personal injury lawsuit must get filed in two years with the Miami-Dade County courthouse. If your loved one died from a bike accident, the deadline is also two years.

Please realize that merely negotiating with the liable party’s insurer does not satisfy the deadline. People who try to handle their injury or wrongful death cases without an attorney often miss the lawsuit filing deadline when, to their shock and distress, the claims adjuster no longer takes their phone calls.

Missing the filing deadline could forever bar you from holding the liable party accountable for your losses. The defendant and insurance company will not have to pay you a single dollar after the time limit for filing a lawsuit expires.

You Can Afford A Miami Bicycle Accident Lawyer From Our Firm

We handle bicycle injury and wrongful death claims on a contingency fee basis. That means that you do not pay us any upfront legal fees. We even take care of the litigation costs like court costs and expert witness fees during the case and wait until you win before we get reimbursed.

With this fee arrangement, we receive a preapproved percentage of the settlement proceeds or jury award. You do not pay anything until you win.

Find Out What Our Clients Think About Us

Reviews from previous clients are a great way to find out if people are happy with a law firm’s service. Here are some examples of reviews from our clients:

“Anidjar &Levine is a great law firm. They gave us a free consultation over the phone and we were able to resolve our case easily… Keep up the good work guys!” – 5 stars – Kharmen W.
“What unbelievable professionalism. If you have to hire an attorney to represent you during a difficult time, there is no other choice than Anidjar and Levine. Everyone I dealt with was great.” – 5 stars – Charles L.
“I had such an amazing experience here! Jonathan Holtz was my attorney and I could not have asked for a better person to take my case. He was very responsive and did a great job of keeping me informed! I would highly recommend letting them be your attorney.” – 5 stars – Sarah A.

We take pride in delivering the best service possible to our clients. Come find out for yourself.

Contact Us For A Free Case Evaluation On Your Miami Bike Accident Today

The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine team wants to get started on your case immediately. For your free case evaluation, contact us today.

At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, our bicycle accident attorneys offer complimentary consultations to help you understand your legal options for compensation. We can help you manage the claims process and recover the financial payout you deserve if a negligent motorist caused your crash. Contact our office today to learn more.