The Ann Arbor bicycle accident lawyer at the award winning law firm of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. recently filed a no-fault benefit lawsuit on behalf of our bicyclist client who suffered injuries after being hit by a car.  The lawsuit was filed in the Washtenaw County Circuit Court. No trial date has been set by the court.

The lawsuit arose out of an accident in which our client was struck by a car while riding his bike in Ann Arbor.  Due to the bicycle crash, he suffered serious injuries, including an incapacitating traumatic brain injury.

Bicyclists injured in Michigan car accidents do have legal rights are able to receive no-fault benefits for their injuries.  No-fault benefits that may be available to injured bicyclist include attendant care services, medical bills, prescription costs, and expenses, wage and income loss benefits, household chores/replacement services, case management services, home modifications, and more.  If a bicyclist who was injured has his own insured vehicle, then that insurance company  is responsible for payment of these benefits.  When the insurance company denies payment, the only recourse available is to file a no-fault benefit lawsuit against the insurance company.

Our client’s insurance company is Liberty Mutual Insurance Company, therefore Liberty Mutual is responsible for paying his no-fault benefits, including his wage loss benefits. However because they have failed to do so, our client hired our experienced Ann Arbor bicycle accident attorney to file a no-fault benefit claim on his behalf.  The lawsuit seeks damages in excess of $25,000 for unpaid no-fault insurance benefits.  Also included in damages, is a demand for both attorney’s fees and penalty interest.

If you or a loved one was involved in an Ann Arbor bicycle accident that involved a motor vehicle and are having trouble obtaining your insurance benefits, call our award winning Buckfire & Buckfire attorneys now at (800) 606-1717.  We will discuss your case with you and determine which no-fault insurance company is responsible for paying your benefits in Michigan.  Call today for your free, no obligation consultation! We will represent you in your Ann Arbor injury case under our No Fee Promise, which means no legal fees or costs until we win or settle your claim.

The Ann Arbor bicycle accident lawyers recently filed a lawsuit on behalf of a man who suffered serious and disabling injuries after being hit by a car. Injuries suffered in the crash include a traumatic brain injury, pain and suffering.

The lawsuit was filed in the Washtenaw County Circuit Court in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The bicycle accident lawsuit seeks damages of pain and suffering, disability, and loss of future earnings against the at-fault driver who hit our bicyclist client.

Our client was lawfully riding his bicycle on northbound East Huron River Drive in the bike lane, when he was struck by a driver who was distracted attempting to turn into a private drive.

Under Michigan law, failing to check to see if it is clear and safe to turn from a direct line on traffic is in violation of Mich. Comp. Laws Ann. §257.648. There are very strict time limitations in pursuing this type of claim. Therefore, if you are involved in a Michigan bicycle accident, we recommend that you contact our experienced Ann Arbor attorneys immediately.

To help prevent a car from hitting you while riding your bike on our Michigan roads, we recommend you know the following safety tips provided by the League of Michigan Bicyclists.  These tips include:

1. Ride to the right and never against traffic.
2. Ride your bike predictably, consistently and attentively.
3. When stopping your bike for a rest or emergency, move completely off the road.
4. When at an intersection make sure to make eye contact with drivers.
5. Signal your turns by using the appropriate signals (i.e. signal left turn by extending left arm straight out to left, signal right turns with an upturned left arm, signal stopping or slowing by extending your left arm straight down with your palm
   facing rearward)

We will represent you in your bicycle accident in Ann Arbor case under our NO FEE PROMISE. This means that you will not be charged any legal fees whatsoever unless we obtain a settlement or recovery for you. You have absolutely no obligation for legal fees unless we win your case. For more information about your rights after an Ann Arbor bicycle accident, call our top rated bike injury attorneys at (800) 606-1717.  We will discuss your case with you and start working on your claim immediately gathering all the evidence and witness statements to prove and win your case.

Riding a bicycle in Ann Arbor is quite common, for both exercise and commuting to work and class. However, some obstacles on the road such as potholes, uneven portions of cement, and even rudely patched potholes with loose gravel can prove to be quite hazardous.  These hazards can cause a bicyclist to lose control of the bike and fall to the pavement.  The injuries from bicycle falls and accidents are often very serious.

The government is responsible for maintaining roadways in reasonable repair. Michigan has several statutes that relate to a governmental agency’s duty to properly maintain roadways. A bicyclist injured due to a defective road condition or pothole can file a claim against the government agency for accident related injuries.

MCL 691.1402 says in pertinent part “. . . each Governmental agency having jurisdiction over highways, shall maintain the highway in reasonable repair so that it is reasonably safe and convenient for public travel. A person who sustains bodily injury or damage to his or her property by reason of failure of a Governmental agency to keep a highway under its jurisdiction and reasonable repair and in condition reasonably safe and fit for travel, must recover the damages suffered by him or her from the Governmental agency.”

To assert this type of claim, the injured bicyclist is required by law to provide written notice to the government agency responsible for maintaining the roadway where the injury occurred. The written notice must be served within 120 days of the injury, with very few exceptions, or the claim will be forever barred.  The notice must include the date of the injury, the precise location of the injury, the nature of the defect, and the names of any known witnesses.

In the event that a bicyclist is injured due to a road defect in Ann Arbor, it is essential that an experienced Michigan bicycle accident lawyer be contacted as soon as possible after the accident.  This will insure that the matter is properly investigated and the required notice be sent to the governing agency to preserve the claim. 

Our bicycle accident Buckfire lawyers will interview witnesses, take photographs and measurements of the defective condition, and obtain government records of road repairs in the area of the accident.  Without this prompt and detailed investigation, it may be later impossible to prove and win your claim.  Time is of the essence for preserving these claims.

If you or someone you know sustained serious injuries due to a bicycle accident involving a pothole, contact an attorney immediately to learn your legal rights. The experienced lawyers of Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. handle these types of cases every day and represent clients under our NO FEE promise. Call our office today at (800) 606-1717 for a free consultation with one of our top-rated Buckfire lawyers.