100+ years of combined experience and over $200 million won for our clients in Missouri and Illinois. Contact a personal injury lawyer near you.
Free Consultation
(314) 500-HURTMotorists are legally required to share the road with bicyclists, and in many areas, citizens have access to lanes devoted solely to bicycles.
over 600 Trusted Reviews
You owe nothing until we win
Over 600 five-star client reviews on Google and more than 210 video testimonials!
We have more than 100 years of combined litigation experience in St. Louis
Our firm boasts a track record of success, providing justice to our clients.
No fees unless success is achieved, without upfront costs.
Motorists are legally required to share the road with bicyclists, and in many areas, citizens have access to lanes devoted solely to bicycles. Unfortunately, laws and lanes cannot stop irresponsible drivers who risk the lives and well-being of others from causing bicycle accidents. If you or someone you care about was injured in a bicycle accident, call our personal injury lawyers in St. Louis now at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form. We don’t charge any fees for our consultations, and we never ask for any attorneys fees unless we win your bicycle accident claim.
A motor vehicle-bicycle collision can cause severe or life-threatening injuries for the bicycle rider. If you were injured because of a motorist’s actions while riding your bike, an experienced St. Louis bicycle accident lawyer could help you recover compensation. Call our bicycle accident lawyers in St. Louis now at (314) 500-HURT or fill out this quick online form. Consultations are completely free and we do not charge any fees unless we win your bicycle accident claim.
If you were injured in a bicycle accident because of someone else’s negligence, see how much your claim may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.
St. Louis has become more bike-friendly in recent years, with increased Greenways and bike lanes across the metro area. However, many roads do not have bike lanes, and drivers can become frustrated with cyclists trying to safely share the road, leading to collisions. This can happen in many areas, from Chesterfield to Creve Coeur, from Clayton to the Central West End.
Similar to car accidents, bicycle accidents can take many forms, and some can lead to severe injuries. Some of the most common types of bicycle accidents resulting in serious injuries include:
A common trend in bike-car crashes is that drivers don’t see cyclists as equals on the road in St. Louis. When this sort of driver behavior causes an accident, cyclists can sue for personal injury and receive compensation for their injuries.
Bicycle trips make up just one percent of trips in the United States, but account for 2.3 percent of all traffic fatalities. In 2019, an estimated 49,000 bicyclists were injured nationwide.
In St. Louis in 2021, 100 bicyclists were injured in accidents, and one bicyclist died, according to Trailnet’s 2021 St. Louis City & County Crash Report. According to the Missouri Traffic Safety Compendium, there were 381 bicycle accidents in the state in 2021, which resulted in 316 injuries and seven deaths.
As said earlier, bicycle accidents can cause significant, life-altering injuries. The most common injuries to bicyclists in St. Louis include:
Injuries sustained from a bicycle accident often require significant medical attention for a complete recovery. Injuries could require many types of treatment and ongoing care to prevent complications.
While some victims do eventually regain their health and mobility, the aftermath of a bike accident can leave lasting effects on one’s well-being and lifestyle. Some injuries may result in permanent impairments, which affect daily activities and the overall quality of life.
Speak to a St. Louis bicycle accident lawyer from Burger Law to determine the extent of your injury-related losses. We can calculate compensation accurately, including the long-term impact of injuries on your life, to seek a fair and just settlement.
As a bicycle accident victim, you may be entitled to various kinds of compensation for the losses you have suffered. Compensation is generally divided into economic and non-economic damages.
This compensates for the quantifiable financial losses that result from the accident. You or a skilled St. Louis bicycle accident lawyer can prove this compensation through the evidence like:
Economic damages typically include:
This compensation covers intangible losses that can be more challenging to quantify. Your bicycle accident injury lawyer could make a case to secure compensation for:
Having an attorney can greatly increase your chances of receiving fair compensation, both economic and non-economic. A St. Louis bicycle accident lawyer can help accurately calculate the value of your claim, gather necessary evidence, negotiate with insurance companies and advocate for your rights in court if the liability party refuses to offer a fair settlement.
We offer free consultations and are available 24/7 to take your call. Live chat, text, and virtual meetings are available.Get a Free Consultation
Tragically, some St. Louis bicycle accidents end in death. The Missouri Traffic Safety Compendium recorded 376 bicycle accidents in 2022, which resulted in 10 deaths.
If your loved one was killed in a bicycle accident due to someone else’s negligence, you and your family may be entitled to a wrongful death settlement. This includes compensation for things like funeral expenses, loss of financial support and the unquantifiable emotional pain and suffering caused by the loss of a loved one.
A wrongful death suit will not undo the senseless loss you have experienced, but it can bring some sense of closure and lighten the burden in your life after your loss.
Punitive damages are a bit different. They’re not meant to compensate the victim but rather to punish the person responsible for the accident and deter similar behavior in the future. If the defendant’s actions were deemed extremely reckless or intentional, a court may award punitive damages on top of other types of compensation. Missouri allows plaintiffs to receive punitive damages limited to $500,000 or five times the compensatory damages.
Bicyclists are at added risk because of two things:
Most accidents are caused by error on the part of the enclosed-vehicle driver. The most common ways that a driver can injure a bicyclist include:
When a negligent driver in St. Louis does not care about your safety and injures you, they need to be held accountable. The bicycle accident lawyers of Burger Law have over 30 years of experience doing exactly that.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 94 percent of motor vehicle crashes are caused by driver error. So, most of the time, you can hold the other driver liable and get compensation through their insurance company. However, depending on the circumstances of your crash, other parties may share or have complete liability:
Your Burger Law bicycle accident lawyer will conduct a thorough investigation into your case to determine every party who broke the rules and hold them accountable. If your damages exceed the driver’s policy limits, finding other liable parties is essential to getting you the full compensation you deserve.
Besides conducting an investigation into your accident, a bicycle accident lawyer will:
As experienced trial attorneys, the St. Louis bicycle accident lawyers of Burger Law will be able to stand by your side throughout your entire case, no matter how long it takes — from initial consultation to a jury verdict in your favor.
Schedule a free case evaluation here. Litigation attorney
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to helping our clients receive full compensation for their injuries.”
Gary Burger
This is a question everyone wants to know, but that is impossible to answer generally without knowing the details of a case. Compensation in a personal injury case is based on the concept of being made whole. That means you are repaid for all of your medical expenses, lost wages and out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, you will receive compensation for the less tangible consequences of your injuries, such as pain and suffering, mental anguish or loss of consortium.
The more severe your injuries, and the more they have affected you physically, mentally and emotionally, the higher your compensation will be. Your financial recovery could be anywhere from $15,000 to millions of dollars. Speak to a St. Louis bicycle accident lawyer at (314) 500-HURT for a better idea of how much your claim may be worth.
The Missouri statute of limitations for personal injury claims is five years, meaning you have five years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. While that may seem like a long time, you still need to contact an attorney as soon as possible. Evidence will be easier to gather sooner, and eyewitnesses need to have fresh memories.
If a bicycle accident tragically ends in the wrongful death of a loved one, you have three years from the date of their passing to file a claim in Missouri.
Hiring a bicycle accident lawyer costs nothing upfront. Burger Law’s personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. That means we take a percentage of your total compensation as our attorneys’ fees, but only if we win and only after you are compensated. There is no reason financial concerns should keep you from getting great legal representation.
If you bear some responsibility for your accident, you will be compensated based on the legal doctrine of comparative negligence. That means your damages are lowered by the percentage of blame you share. So if your damages are worth $100,000, but you were 10 percent at fault, you would receive a $90,000 financial recovery.
Missouri requires the use of helmets for bicyclists, though certain municipalities can require them through their own laws, and St. Louis requires them.
However, not wearing a helmet has very little to no effect on your claim. In Missouri, not wearing a seatbelt, which is against the law places just one percent of the blame on the person injured in a car accident. Your compensation will not be dramatically different if you did not wear a helmet. However, your injuries may be much more severe. Wearing a helmet prevents:
If you were injured in a hit-and-run accident, you can still receive compensation. Leaving the scene of an accident that causes injury is a crime in both Missouri. If the driver that hit you drives off, do not chase them, but try to catch and write down as many details about the vehicle as you can, or take a picture. Even the color, vehicle type and a partial license plate can help. Then, call the police so they can make a report.
If police can track down the driver, you would be able to make a claim against them as you usually would. If not, you can make a claim with your own auto insurance policy under your uninsured motorist coverage. If you do not own a car, you can likely file an uninsured claim with the auto insurance of a member of your household who does.
In order to make any personal injury claim, you need to have documentation of your injuries. Not getting medical treatment or waiting too long to get treatment can have a negative effect on your ability to file a valid claim. Always seek medical attention after an accident, even if you do not believe you were seriously injured.
St. Louis, Missouri Bicycle Laws Protecting Children
In many areas across the state, bicycle accidents often involve children in residential neighborhoods. Children are significantly more impulsive than adults, and their inability to reason at an adult level may cause them to make irrational decisions. To prevent accidents involving minors, lawmakers require motorists to exercise a higher degree of care when driving through areas where children may be bicycling.
This does not mean that every driver who collides with a child will be automatically found guilty of negligence. However, if the driver hits a child in a residential area or an area where there are schools, playgrounds or daycares, they may be held to a higher standard legally. Many courts have even ruled that extremely young children are incapable of exercising a reasonable degree of care when riding a bicycle.
Our St. Louis bicycle accident lawyers at Burger Law have represented accident victims with a wide range of injuries, obtaining more than $200 million for injured clients and their families. If you suffered injuries in the St. Louis area and need legal assistance, look no further than our trusted legal team. Contact us today for more information and a free consultation. Call today to discuss the details of your case at (314) 500-HURT , or fill out our online form.
Client Reviews
View More Reviews on Google Maps and Yelp
Founder | Injury Attorney
Gary Burger has dedicated his career to standing up against bullies. The founder and principal attorney of Burger Law | St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer has helped hundreds of Missouri and Illinois individuals and families recover th …
Years of experience: 30 years
Location: St. Louis, MO
NO FEES UNTIL WE WIN YOUR CASE
We offer free consultations and are available 24/7 to take your call. Live chat, text, and virtual meetings are available.
or call us at
(314) 500-HURT