Bike Injury Lawyers in Salt Lake City
There are two main components of any personal injury lawsuit — liability (fault) and damages (compensation). Despite the massive injuries typical in a bicycle accident, a victim can't get full compensation unless liability is established.
The Salt Lake City trial lawyers of Elegal are skilled at demonstrating negligence, even in complex cases in which the cyclist was assumed to be at fault. We enlist the services of accident reconstruction specialists, human factors experts, mechanical engineers and other professionals as necessary to fight for our clients.
If you believe an automobile driver or bicycle manufacturer bears responsibility for an injury or death in Utah, call 801.366.9100 or e-mail us to arrange a free consultation.
Driver Liability in Bicycle Accidents
When cars and bikes collide, the liability of the motorist is often clear-cut: speeding, turning left into a rider with the right of way, failing to stop, driving in the bike lane, yapping on a cell phone or other obvious negligence.
If fault is disputed, we can bring in professionals to study skid marks and debris, impact dents on the car and damage to the bike, and reconcile statements of the victim, driver and witnesses to reconstruct the events.
Product Liability of Bicycle Manufacturers
Where other law firms might have concluded there was no case, the seasoned lawyers of Elegal were convinced there was more to the story in the case of one critically injured man. The 20-year cycling veteran had been riding on a dirt road when he inexplicably lurched over the handlebars. He landed on his head and, despite his helmet, was paralyzed from the accident.
The wheel frame had collapsed, but was it because of the road, the operator or the wheel itself? From many defective tire cases, we were familiar with metal fatigue, design defects, manufacturing flaws and other complex factors at play. At considerable expense, we had the wheel tested and recreated the accident through video animation. We obtained a good settlement for our client to provide for his lifelong care needs and compensate him for the economic and personal loss.
We can review any case of suspected defects in bicycles and accessories — frames, forks, wheels, seats, helmets — to determine if there is grounds to sue the manufacturer.