Were you or a family member hurt in a bicycle accident in Lima, OH? You may be entitled to compensation if the accident occurred due to someone else’s negligence. An experienced Lima bicycle accident lawyer at the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis can help you fight for full compensation to cover medical costs, lost wages, and more.
Collectively, we have over 150 years of experience advocating on behalf of injured clients and their families. We have already recovered millions of dollars in life-changing settlements and verdicts for our clients.
Do not hesitate to reach out and learn about your legal options after an accident. Call our law offices in Lima, Ohio at (419) 404-4444 to schedule a free consultation today with a Lima bicycle accident attorney.
Why Call the Attorneys at the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis for Help After a Bicycle Accident in Lima?
Personal injury cases can be messy. Hiring an experienced Lima personal injury lawyer is important, even if you think your case is a clear victory. Insurance companies rarely offer victims a fair deal without a fight. They’ll use all sorts of tricks to avoid paying the full amount you deserve.
When you hire the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis, you hire an award-winning law firm with decades of experience successfully representing clients. Over the years, we’ve been recognized by The National Trial Lawyers and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
We can help maximize the value of your case by:
- Launching an independent investigation
- Locating all evidence to prove your case
- Hiring experts who can testify about contested elements of your case
- Defending you when you’re inevitably blamed for your own injuries
- Determining how much compensation you really deserve
- Rejecting unfair insurance offers and negotiating for every dollar
- Taking your case to trial if necessary to win the full amount you deserve
Are you ready to learn more? Call our Lima personal injury attorneys to schedule your free case evaluation today.
How Common Are Bicycle Accidents in Ohio?
1,321 car accidents involving bicycles were reported across the state of Ohio in 2024. At least 879 injuries were reported due to those crashes. Unfortunately, 23 victims lost their lives in fatal bike accidents that year.
While bicycle accidents are less common than crashes involving only motor vehicles, they’re also more dangerous. Nearly 70% of all Ohio bicycle accidents resulted in at least one injury or death in 2024.
How Much Money Is My Lima Bicycle Accident Case Worth?
Everyone suffers the consequences of an injury differently. While the severity of your injuries is a key factor in assessing your case value, there’s no standard settlement amount. Unique variables will ultimately dictate how much money you can recover.
Your case value will depend largely upon the following:
- Whether your injuries will result in a severe or long-term disability
- How your injuries are impacted while you recover
- The length of your recovery
- Your expenses, including medical costs and out-of-pocket expenses
- Your physical pain
- Whether you share any fault
- How your future earnings and quality of life will change
The insurance company will fight to limit the amount of compensation you receive. If you were injured, you’ll want to have an experienced attorney assess your case value. Otherwise, you risk walking away with much less than you deserve.
What Types of Compensation Can Bicycle Accident Victims in Lima Pursue?
If your case succeeds, you can seek compensation for both economic damages and non-economic damages. In the end, you should be compensated for any loss you have suffered.
All victims are different, but some typical examples of compensatory damages are:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Rehabilitation
- Nursing assistance
- In-home assistance with housework, childcare, etc.
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- PTSD
- Reduced quality of life
- Physical disfigurement
- Scarring
Additional damages may be available in fatal injury cases. These damages often include lost financial support, funeral expenses, and loss of consortium (loss of a relationship with a spouse).
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Ohio?
There are no upfront costs when you hire our law firm. Like most injury lawyers, we work on a contingency fee basis. Our attorneys’ fees are based solely on the amount of compensation we recover in your case. After your case is resolved, we take a pre-set percentage of your settlement or verdict to cover our attorneys’ fees.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for a Bicycle Accident in Ohio?
Ohio’s comparative negligence law is a system for allocating blame between all parties who share blame for a single accident. Even the victim can share fault. That’s true even if the other party was driving a motor vehicle and you were on a bike.
When your share of fault is found to be less than 51%, your compensation is reduced by your share. If your share of fault reaches 51%, so that you were mostly responsible, you lose your right to receive any damages at all.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Bicycle Accident Injuries
Bicyclists are always at a disadvantage when they’re involved in a car accident. You just don’t have the protection of a strong metal vehicle. Even with a helmet, cyclists are vulnerable to severe injuries.
Some examples of bike accident injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones and crushing injuries
- Concussions
- Knee and leg injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Road rash
- Back injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Burns
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
The cost of treating these and other injuries often catches bike accident victims off guard. If someone else was responsible for your injuries, our Lima bicycle accident attorneys can help you prove you deserve compensation. Contact us today to learn how we’ll put our experience to work for you.
What Are the Leading Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Lima, Ohio?
While negligent driving does cause every single bicycle accident, it’s an extremely common reason why accidents occur.
Some of the most common causes of bicycle accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Failure to yield the right-of-way to cyclists
- Veering into the bike lane or shoulder
- Speeding
- Drunk driving or drug use
- Aggressive driving
- Unsafe passing
- Dangerous or illegal turns
- Failure to check blind spots
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Fatigued drivers
- Lack of bike lanes, barriers, and infrastructure to protect bicyclists
Bicyclists in Ohio are generally permitted to share the lane with motor vehicles. That doesn’t mean that drivers are watching out for hard-to-see bicyclists. If you were injured in an accident, count on our lawyers to find out why it happened. Once we determine the cause, we can identify the party–or parties–who owe you compensation.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Bicycle Accident in Ohio?
Negligence is the primary cause of accidents in Ohio. Negligence means that someone failed to exercise a reasonable amount of caution, and someone else was hurt because of that failure.
The four legal elements of negligence are:
- A duty of care existed
- The defendant breached their duty
- That breach was the direct and proximate cause of the accident
- As the victim, you suffered damages
The standard of proof is a “preponderance of the evidence.” This is a lower standard than the “beyond a reasonable doubt” standard that applies in criminal cases. Essentially, you must show that it is “more likely than not” true that the defendant caused your injuries.
How do you prove your case? By presenting evidence about each element.
When you hire us, our lawyers will work to uncover any evidence to support your claim, including:
- Accident reports
- Medical records
- Evidence from the crash scene about vehicle placement, damage, and general condition
- Statements from witnesses
- Traffic citations
- Videos
- Photos of the accident scene
- Toxicology reports that show whether drug or alcohol use was an issue
- Cell phone records
- Expert testimony
If you were seriously hurt, the police report alone likely won’t be enough to prove your case. While you work toward your physical recovery, our lawyers will be digging deep to find the strong evidence you need to prove your negligence case.
How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Lawsuit After a Bicycle Accident in Ohio?
Personal injury victims in Ohio have two years from the date of an accident to file a lawsuit. This two-year time limit is the statute of limitations. Once the statute of limitations expires, you cannot sue the at-fault driver for damages.
Exceptions to the rule are few and far between. We always recommend consulting a lawyer sooner rather than later if you were injured in an accident.
Contact a Skilled Lima Bicycle Accident Lawyer for a Free Case Evaluation Today
If you’re recovering from bicycle accident injuries in Lima, OH, you deserve to have a strong advocate in your corner. Our team at the Law Office of Michael J. Tremoulis has the skills and resources to handle even the most complex personal injury claim. Contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced Lima bicycle accident lawyer.
