After a Massachusetts Bicycle Accident Knowledge is Power

Who Pays My Medical Bills After A Bike Crash?

If you are hit by a car in Massachusetts while riding your bicycle your medical bills will be covered by the personal injury protection (PIP) portion of your own auto insurance policy on your car or that of a family member with whom you were living with at the time of your accident. This is considered No-Fault insurance. If neither you nor your household members own a car then the PIP coverage on the car that hit you would be responsible for up to $8,000 in related medical expenses, depending on whether you carry private health insurance. After PIP is exhausted, your medical bills will be covered by your own medical insurance carrier, if you have such coverage. If you are uninsured your only other option is to seek payment from the driver of the car that hit you but that would only be an option if you were 50% or less responsible for the crash. 2

Who Pays for My Lost Time from Work After A Bike Crash?

If you are hit by a car in Massachusetts while riding your bicycle, a portion of your lost wages may be paid to you from the personal injury protection (PIP) portion of your own auto insurance policy on your car or that of a family member with whom you were living with at the time of your accident. This is considered No-Fault insurance. If neither you nor your household members own a car then the PIP coverage on the car that hit you would be responsible for up to $8,000 in total payments. So, this means that if some of this available $8,000 is used to pay medical bills as described above, the pool of funds available for your wages is reduced accordingly. If you have unpaid lost wages after exhausting PIP your only other option is to seek payment from the driver of the car that hit you but that would only be an option if you were 50% or less responsible for the crash. 3

Who Pays for My Damaged or Destroyed Bike?

It depends on how the crash occurred and whether someone else is at fault for the crash. Not all Massachusetts bicycle accidents involve serious injuries. In most cases, even in minor crashes, you can end with hundreds, if not thousands of dollars in damages to your bike frame and equipment. Repairs can be costly so understanding how to get your bike repaired or replaced is important. 

If you crash because of weather conditions, a defect or object in the road, or simply because you misjudged a turn at speed, there isn’t anyone else to hold responsible for the damage to your bike. In such scenarios, your homeowner’s insurance may pay for the repair or replacement of the bicycle if it is covered under your policy. You will need to promptly call your insurance company to make sure your bike is properly covered and if it is be sure to get an estimate of the cost to repair or replace the bike from a reputable bike shop.

If you are hit by a car while riding your bike in Massachusetts, the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy should cover damages to your bike that result from the accident. If another cyclist caused you to crash, you would seek payment from the at-fault cyclist’s homeowner’s or renter’s policy if they have one. 4

What Happens If I Am Partially At Fault for The Bike Accident in Massachusetts?

It depends on how much at fault you are determined to be. Massachusetts is a “comparative negligence” jurisdiction. What this means is that in a negligence case against either a driver or another cyclist whichever the case may be each party’s relative fault is compared. If the injured party is deemed to be more than 50% at fault they are precluded from recovering any damages at all. If they are found to be 50% or less at fault they can recover but their total damages are reduced by their “comparative fault”. The real question initially is who says who is at fault? The police? The insurance companies? Who? I always tell people don’t accept anyone’s determination at fault before you talk to an experienced bike accident attorney. I can’t tell you how many times we have successfully handled cases where the initial determination by both the police and the insurance company put the fault on our client. Through thorough investigation and sometimes a hard fight we have proven that our client was not at fault and recovered damages for them. So my advice is to speak to a lawyer before you decide whether your bike crash case has merit or not. 5

What If My Massachusetts Bike Accident Was Caused by A Dog? 

Many people enjoy riding their bikes on trails, whether they be converted rail trails or one of the many bike paths we have here in Massachusetts. These trails provide a safe place for cyclists, joggers, and people who just want to get out for a walk.  These are also favorite spots for people to take their dogs for walks. Usually, all get along just fine but occasionally dogs and cyclists collide and one or both get injured.  We have all encountered a dog being walked on or off a leash which allows it to be several feet away from its owner. This is when many crashes occur.

Another common scenario we see is an unleashed dog chasing a cyclist causing the cyclist to crash and injure themselves. We have successfully handled such cases here in the Greater Boston area. In Massachusetts, dog owners are strictly liable for the actions of their dogs. A dog owner has the absolute obligation to prevent their dog from causing injury to others. The only two exceptions to this strict rule are if someone is teasing or tormenting a dog or if the person injured is a trespasser on the owner’s property. 

If you have been injured due to a dog encounter you may be pursued a claim under the dog owner’s homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy. 7

What If My Bicycle Crash in Massachusetts Was Caused by Another Cyclist?

A less common crash scenario we see but a very dangerous one nonetheless, is when a cyclist is injured by another cyclist. These types of crashes can result in serious injuries and sometimes death. In a recent case we handled, our client was cycling with the flow of vehicular traffic as required, when another cyclist coming in the opposite, but the wrong direction struck our client causing very serious injuries. The cyclist traveling in the wrong direction had a homeowner’s policy who stepped in and provided coverage for their policyholder. The important thing to remember here is that in scenarios that DO NOT involve an automobile, the at-fault person, may be covered for their negligence through their homeowner’s policy or if they are renters, through their renter’s insurance. This fact is not common knowledge and it often prevents injured cyclists from pursuing their legal right to seek compensation when they are injured. Since the language found in homeowners and renter’s insurance policies vary, it is important to have an experienced bicycle attorney review the facts of your case as soon as possible after your accident.

Most apartment complexes in the greater Boston area require residents to have renter’s insurance and almost all homeowners have homeowner’s insurance, especially if they have a mortgage on their home. So, the chances of there being coverage for injuries suffered in a cycling accident are usually quite high. 6

How Much Does A Massachusetts Bicycle Accident Lawyer Cost?

The Typical Fee is 1/3rd of the settlement amount plus expenses paid by the attorney. There is no fee unless and until your bike crash case is successfully resolved. Most, if not all, injury attorneys will require a new client to sign a Contingent Fee Agreement.  These agreements state that the lawyer receives a percentage of the client's gross recovery as their fee.  The exact percentage can vary from attorney to attorney, but the range is most commonly between 25 and 40% of the settlement or verdict.  

If you are hiring an attorney to handle your injury case, you will be asked to sign a Contingent Fee Agreement. 

Before you do, be sure you understand the following:

• how the fee is calculated?
• whether you are required to pay any costs during the process? 
• what type of costs are likely to be incurred in your case?
• if the case is unsuccessful will you owe the attorney anything?
• if you change lawyers will you owe anything to the lawyer?
• does the agreement cover both the trial of the case and an appeal if necessary? 

Make sure you fully understand the agreement before you sign it.  Take it home, think about any additional questions you may have.  Sometimes just sleeping on it for a day or two will bring to mind more questions you would've liked answered.  Do not feel pressured to sign right there in the lawyer's office.  You sign it when you're comfortable and ready. 8

Do I Have to Go to The Massachusetts Bicycle Accident Lawyers Office to Get My Case Settled?

No. Many have come to know the term, TeleMedicine during the recent pandemic. But unlike the practice of medicine, where some things simply can’t be done through a Zoom call, TeleLaw often allows our clients to completely resolve their bike crash cases without ever requiring an in-person meeting.

We have met new clients, settled dozens of cases, and even conducted mediations and court hearings using Zoom.

So, if you have questions, reach out to us. It’s very likely we can help you from the comfort of your own home. 9

How Long Will It Take to Get My Bicycle Crash Case Resolved in Massachusetts?

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “how long will it take to get my case settled?” My answer is almost always “it depends”.  Not the most satisfying answer I understand but it is absolutely the most truthful.

It depends on the complexity of the case with respect to how the accident happened and how serious your injuries and how involved your medical treatment will be.

No two cycling accident cases are the same.  To be successful, a cyclist must be able to prove that he or she was 50% or less at fault for the collision.  If you are found to be over 50% at fault in Massachusetts, you cannot recover damages from the other person.  Sometimes in order to gather the necessary evidence to prove who was at fault, much work needs to be done, which can and will slow the entire process.  

The other factor that often dictates how long it takes to get your case settled is how badly hurt you were and what your medical treatment consists of. To fully and accurately evaluate your case we try to wait until you have reached a Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) prior to settling your case.  MMI is the point at which you have either made a full recovery or have reached a point where you will recover no further.  The more serious the injury the longer it usually takes to reach MMI.  Sometimes a client will not reach this point within the 3-year statute of limitations and we must file a lawsuit to protect our client’s right to continue to pursue their case.  In those cases, we will use medical experts to provide evidence on the need for future care.  This allows either the insurance company for the at-fault party or the jury in the case of a trial to assess your full damages claim.

Once I speak to a client I can usually give them a good estimate on the time it will take to resolve their case but there is no general rule of thumb to use for all situations. 10

How Soon After My Bicycle Crash Should I Call A Massachusetts Bicycle Accident Lawyer?

As soon as you can after you have taken care of your medical issues. Most of the time you don’t need to call a lawyer immediately after a crash. Obviously, the first thing you should do is seek medical treatment. Then, when you’re ready, you should call an attorney to discuss your case. There are cases however that need an immediate investigation to ensure evidence is not lost and that witnesses are contacted before their memories begin to fade. Once we are contacted we can determine if immediate action is required. Call us at 617-889-5000 or contact us online and we will help you as soon as possible.

Knowledge is Power: Free Books b

FREE PAPERBACK or eBOOK for ALL YOUR CAR ACCIDENT QUESTIONS

When you have been injured in a car accident, you are forced to deal with your physical recovery while trying to understand and protect your legal rights.  You may have questions that go beyond the few discussed above, and you want answers. That is why I wrote my book, What You Need To Know About Your Massachusetts Car Accident Case. It is available in either paperback or as a downloadable eBook in PDF format by clicking on the link below.

This book will help you maintain control of your situation by giving you the information you need in a clear and easy to understand manner.

So, if you are injured, we sincerely wish you a fast and full recovery. We hope this book provides comfort in the form of knowledge and puts you in the best possible position to make good legal decisions going forward.

HIRING THE RIGHT LAWYER

After a car accident, the last thing you need is to choose the wrong lawyer to help guide you through the legal process of getting compensated. Choosing the right injury lawyer for you and your situation is a major decision, and we sincerely want to help you make the right choice.

Attorney Spada has written a comprehensive guide to help ensure you select the right lawyer for you and your case. He wrote the guide as if he was the client in search of a personal injury lawyer, knowing what he knows about the profession after almost 30 years of practice. In this free download, he explains what questions you should ask an attorney and why they are important.  Questions like these help you make an informed decision about hiring a lawyer: 

* Does the lawyer handle other areas of law in addition to Personal Injury cases?
* What is the attorney’s reputation?
* What is the average time it takes from the beginning of a case until settlement?
* Does the lawyer have the financial resources available to aggressively and adequately prosecute your case?

ANATOMY OF PERSONAL INJURY CASE PART 1: INTAKE TO SETTLEMENT

Most car accident cases settle before a trial or even going to court but preparing every case from day one like it will go to trial is the key to ensuring your case settles for its full value. In order to help clients, understand what happens from day one up to the point a case is settled we offer our free comprehensive guide, Anatomy of a Personal Injury Case Part 1: Client Intake to Settlement.

The time after a serious accident can be chaotic. You may be dealing with the police, your employer, insurance adjusters, other people involved in the accident, and more. At the same time, you are trying to get the medical treatment you need and wondering how you are going to pay for it. Is this the time to call a lawyer? Find out by requesting our free e-book and getting the information you need to make some important decisions. Our book covers the following:

* When to talk to a lawyer
* What will happen at the first meeting
* What documents you need to gather
* How you will pay your lawyer
* Calculating damages, including medical bills, the emotional toll, lost wages, and more
* How an accident settlement works

ANATOMY OF PERSONAL INJURY CASE PART 2: WHEN A CASE DOESNT SETTLE

It is a fact that for a variety of reasons some cases do not settle quickly and need to be brought to court. Whether you worked with us on the first part of your case or not, we invite 

you to request a free download of our book, Anatomy of a Personal Injury Case Part 2: What Happens When a Case Doesn’t Settle. You will learn about your options when your attorney is unable to negotiate a settlement with the insurance company for the person who caused your injuries. This is a comprehensive guide for bringing difficult personal injury cases to a conclusion.

Why Your Claim Might Not Settle Quickly

Despite your attorney’s best efforts, he or she may not be able to settle your claim through negotiations with the insurance agency. This is usually because there is a dispute over who is at fault in the accident or because the insurance company for the at-fault party makes no offer or too small of an offer to settle the case. Either way, you will have to decide what to do next. At Spada Law Group, LLC, we educate our clients about their options and advise them on the best way to proceed.

Your Options if Your Case Doesn’t Settle

Our free e-book provides more details about your options, and when you work with us, we will offer our advice and guidance, but here is a quick summary of what you can do next:

* Mediation. If direct negotiations fail, you may choose to work with an impartial mediator to work out a solution. This person is usually a retired attorney or judge and is trained in the mediation process. Either side may choose not to accept the result of mediation.
* Arbitration. Arbitration works much like mediation, but the outcome is legally binding. This is risky as you may be forced to accept an outcome that is not ideal for you.
* Accept the settlement. If mediation and arbitration are not possible, you may decide just to accept what is being offered in order to avoid going to trial.
* File a lawsuit. The majority of our free e-book discusses the steps involved in litigating a personal injury case. This is a complicated and time-consuming process, but our guide breaks down the steps and helps readers understand what they are in for if they decide to file a lawsuit.  v

Videos and Other Resources

We also have an extensive video library that will help answer any questions you have before you set foot into a lawyer's office or a courtroom. Learn what to say to your insurance company after an accident or the steps on how to best payback health and car insurance after an accident settlement, plus so much more! We currently have over 40 videos in our library.

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Why Spada Law Group?

In our experience, when clients come to us after a car accident they are looking for several things. First, they want to be treated well. They are hurt, and they simply do not want the further aggravation. They want to be listened to and want their case to be given the attention it deserves by people who know what they are doing and are good at their profession. They also want their case settled as quickly and for as much as possible. They want to know that if their case doesn’t settle and needs to go to court, that their lawyer has the courtroom skills and experience necessary to take their case to the finish line which is a jury trial. At Spada Law Group we are proud of the way we meet all these needs.

We are proud of the Team we have at Spada Law Group. They are a group of talented, caring, and empathetic people who love helping others. It may sound like a cliché, but the truth is our clients are treated like family members! Just check out our client reviews. We pride ourselves on providing our clients with a level of care that is unheard of in the legal industry. Our clients are regularly kept up to date on their cases, are assigned a Case Manager and an Attorney from day one, and will never go more than 24hrs without a return call or email, guaranteed! As we mentioned, all clients would like their cases settled quickly if possible. How do we make that happen? Well, the best way to get an insurance company to do their job correctly is to know what their job entails, how they operate. That’s where our experience comes in. We have both Attorneys and Case Managers who have previously worked for the very insurance companies we now go up against daily. That insider knowledge we take to each fight helps us level the playing field and is a true advantage for our clients. Lastly, when a case doesn’t settle, unlike many firms you see on TV or a billboard, we don’t refer the case out to another attorney to go to court, we don’t have to because we have the trial experience necessary to go the distance. Our Attorneys have tried over 100 cases to juries over the last 25 years, so we are no stranger to the courtrooms of Massachusetts.

When you visit our main office in Chelsea (which is less than a mile from downtown Boston), you will immediately see that we are different. Every member of our staff is trained and committed to making your experience comfortable and relaxed. You’ve been through enough; you do not need a stressful first experience with a lawyer. We get it! At your initial consultation (which can be done virtually if desired) you will find the following:

• Free onsite parking
• A warm welcome, including a private conference room and light refreshments
• An attentive, focused Case Manager and an Attorney who will listen to you and answer all of your questions
• A free packet of helpful information written by us to take with you
• Follow-up calls on a regular schedule from our legal team to answer additional questions and keep you informed of the process
• Transportation to our office for those who need it
• And NO pressure to sign anything at your initial consultation

Best of all, you have nothing to lose by meeting us. You are under no obligation to hire us after we meet for our initial consultation, and you won’t owe us a dime unless and until we successfully resolve your case. We invite you to get more information from our website and to call us when you’re ready to talk.

MEET ATTORNEY LEN SPADA

If you want to learn more about Attorney Len Spada, the video below may give you a better understanding of who he is and where our firm’s philosophy of leveling the playing field for the average person comes from.