Cottonwood Personal Injury Lawyers

CASE STUDY:Cottonwood Heights Bike Ride Takes Tragic Turn for a Utah Bicyclist

Summary

In September of 2009, Sam was enjoying a fall afternoon bike ride through the neighborhoods near Brighton High School. A motorist failed to yield to the right of way of traffic and hit Sam head on. The force of the impact propelled Sam 20 feet into the air. Fortunately, Sam was wearing his helmet. Sam hit his head upon impact with the asphalt with enough force that his jaw was broken. Sam sustained serious injury in this Utah bicycle verses automobile accident. He also had a broken wrist, a broken ankle, road rash and a laceration that required stitches. A family friend referred Sam and his family to Attorney Ken Christensen at the Christensen Law Firm, PLLC. Together, they have successfully filed a personal injury claim with Allstate Insurance Company.

How to Protect Your Utah Bicycle Injury Case

Get a Police Report

Sam was fortunate that a couple was walking their dog in the area and witnessed the bicycle verses car accident. They quickly called Cottonwood Heights Police Department and were able to provide statements which confirmed that Sam had signaled properly and that he had the right of way. Since the motorist was cited at the scene of the accident, Allstate Insurance company was compelled to accept liability for the personal injury claim much more quickly than they would have.

Document Property Damage

Sam’s bicycle was totaled. The windshield of the SUV was broken. The front passenger lights were broken. Upon Sam’s request, photographs were taken of all the property damage and the scene of the accident. Attorney Ken Christensen can now use these pieces of evidence to give further weight to Sam’s personal injury claim. This includes getting Sam fully compensated for the loss of his road bicycle—the custom tires, clip on shoes and pedals, and eye wear. Without proper documentation, the bicycle accessories that were destroyed in the collision would have been difficult to recover for full value.

Get Medical Attention

As Salt Lake Personal Injury attorneys, we have seen the numerous tragedies following the dangerous trend of cyclists not going to the emergency room after a bicycle accident. Unless they have visible wounds or broken bones, Utah bicyclists often wait a few days before seeing a medical professional. This is an unwise and unsafe practice. Along with the common injuries such as road rash, many cyclists sustain severe head injuries called traumatic brain injury (TBI) and can have long-term or even lifelong effects.

Symptoms of TBI

Victims from TBI can suffer from a range of debilitating symptoms, including minor to severe amnesia, subdural hematoma, brain hemorrhaging and seizures. Minor forms of TBI are dizziness, short term memory loss, blurred vision, depression attention loss, or personality changes. Cyclists have suffered a brain hemorrhage and died because they waited to see a doctor. I f you are involved in a bicycle accident, be sure to seek medical treatment right away. It’s better to rule out all possible brain and spine injuries than to find out you could have prevented further injury or death.

Why Talking to a Qualified Bicycle Accident Lawyer Matters?

Attorney Ken Christensen wrote The Utah Bicycle Accident Handbook to educate bicyclists on what to do if they ever find themselves in an accident. He knows Utah Accident law, what cyclists rights are and how to directly deal with insurance adjusters. You can order a free copy of this book today by calling 801.506.0800.

Whether or not to hire an attorney and begin the legal process is a big decision that can have long-lasting consequences. That is why we offer a Free no obligation meeting with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys. At this meeting you have the opportunity to ask any questions you may have regarding your legal options, insurance benefits and what lies ahead in your personal injury claim. At the Christensen Law Firm, PLLC, we find it important that you have a relationship with your attorney. Please feel free to contact Ken Christensen at 801.506.0800.