When a bicyclist gets involved in an accident in Nevada, victims can suffer a wide range of injuries. Some of the most painful injuries can occur when the rider is thrown forward into the handlebars of the bicycle from the force of the accident. Trauma from handlebar contact can cause a variety of chest, rib, torso and abdomen injuries, and these injuries are often more serious than they first appear. A Las Vegas bicycle accident lawyer can help injured riders understand the full extent of their damages and pursue compensation for medical care, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
How Do Bicycle Handlebar Injuries Happen?
Contact between a bicycle rider’s unprotected body and the hard material of the handlebars can cause serious impact injuries. Vehicle drivers in Nevada can make many mistakes that lead to preventable bicycle accidents, such as speeding, turning left into an oncoming bicycle, failing to yield the right-of-way and following too closely.
Dangerous and defective roads also pose a risk of bicycle accidents and related handlebar injuries. If the city government ignored a pothole, for example, the rider could strike the uneven road surface and be dislodged from the seat of the bicycle. This could cause the rider to collide with the bike’s handlebars with great force.
Catastrophic Injuries From Nevada Bicycle Accidents
Biking around Nevada is a fun, environmentally friendly and cost-efficient way to travel. With next to nothing available for injury protection, however, bicyclists can suffer serious harm if they get involved in accidents with motor vehicles. Common examples of injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Road rash and lacerations
- Head injuries and skull fractures
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Facial injuries
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Internal bleeding and organ injuries
- Crush injuries
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Disability
- Fatal injuries
The type, severity and extent of a bicycle accident victim’s injuries will depend on the force and mechanics of the crash. Bicycle accident victims should see a doctor right away to check for injuries and receive appropriate treatment, especially as some injuries don’t show up immediately.
What Are Bicycle Handlebar Injuries?
Bicycle handlebar injuries specifically refer to a pattern of injury that arises from contact between a cyclist’s body and the hard metal handlebars of the bike. The force of the handlebars as they strike the victim’s torso, chest or midsection can cause a variety of unique injuries.
Examples include:
- Broken or bruised ribs
- Punctured lung
- Chest injuries
- Contusions
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Liver, spleen or kidney injuries
- Pelvic injuries
- Intestinal injuries
- Abdominal bruising
- Penetrating injuries or impalement
If a victim suffers internal injuries, the signs and symptoms may be subtle. Common examples are nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen and fever. If a bicyclist is thrown over his or her handlebars in an accident, this could also result in serious impact injuries from the victim’s body striking the road surface or the hood of a car.
How to Seek Fair Financial Compensation for Bicycle Handlebar Injuries in Nevada
If you are diagnosed with injuries caused by contact with your bike’s handlebars in an accident, you may be eligible for financial compensation for related costs and losses. Under Nevada’s fault law, the individual or entity at fault for causing the bicycle accident is held responsible for paying for a victim’s related injuries.
Available damages include past and future medical care, hospital bills, lost wages, decreased ability to earn, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma. Before making any binding decisions about your bicycle accident settlement or signing any documents sent to you by an insurance company, contact our Las Vegas personal injury lawyer to learn the true value of your claim.