Negotiating bicycle accident settlements can be complex, depending on the severity of the injuries sustained in the accident and the applicable state laws, and are best handled by experienced lawyers.
Victims may recover damages, including medical expenses, lost wages, emotional distress, pain and suffering, and property damage. In some cases, bicycle riders may also receive punitive damages to punish the other party for gross neglect or misconduct.
Did you or a loved one sustain serious injuries in a bicycle accident?
Did a loved one suffer a preventable death in a bicycle accident?
Our personal injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC can discuss your bike accident injuries and the potential settlement amount of your bicycle accident claim. This web page on Illinois bicycle injury awards and settlements is intended to give you a sense of how these cases are valued.
Contact an experienced bicycle accident lawyer at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or complete the contact form to schedule a free consultation for legal counsel regarding a bicycle accident claim.
Bicycle Accident Settlement
When bicyclists are involved in bike-car accidents, they often sustain severe injuries requiring extended rehabilitation periods and can often suffer debilitating disabilities.
If you sustained bicycle accident injuries, you could claim compensation to pay medical bills for personal injuries, recover lost wages, or property damage costs. You may also have non-economic damages, such as emotional trauma, that need to be recovered.
An experienced bicycle accident lawyer can review your personal injury lawsuit to determine an average settlement figure. Our bicycle accident lawyers can also handle negotiations with the auto insurance company to recover compensation.
If one of your loved ones died in a bicycle accident, we could seek financial recovery from the at-fault party’s insurance company. How much the victim can claim compensation is determined by the medical bills, pain, and suffering, loss of current and future income, property damage, and emotional distress.
Illinois Average Bike Accident Awards for Serious Injuries
When you are involved in a bike accident, recovering from your bicycle accident injuries and emotional trauma should be your primary concern. In filing a personal injury case, victims can receive assistance with financial compensation for medical bills, loss of income, and property damage.
But what is an insurance company’s average bicycle accident settlement for bike injuries? Each personal injury claim resulting from a bike accident is unique, so it is impossible to use a bicycle accident settlement calculator to determine the final settlement.
However, it is helpful to look at past cases with similar injuries to answer that question, bearing in mind that using the services of an experienced bicycle accident attorney can maximize compensation in a bike accident case.
Here are bicycle accident injury claim summaries grouped by common injuries to give a broad idea of comparable recovery.
How Much are Soft Tissue Injury Bicycle Accident Cases Worth?
Soft tissue injuries are complicated, often resulting in staggering medical costs due to physical therapy and rehabilitation. The following reflects how much compensation can be expected in an average settlement for soft tissue injuries in a bicycle-car accident.
Haggerty vs. the City Of Chicago, Dupage County – $350,000 Jury Award
The bicycle accident case involved a 51-year-old female bicyclist. She was hit by a truck when it crossed the yellow line and knocked her off her bike. She sustained multiple soft tissue injuries as well as a broken arm.
She filed a bicycle accident claim against the truck driver and the driver’s employer. She alleged that the former was negligent in the operation of his vehicle, and the latter was negligent in the supervision of its employees.
The defendants retorted that they were not liable and that the plaintiff (bicycle rider) did not mitigate her damages by seeing a doctor for her various injuries, and the matter went to trial. A jury found for the plaintiff and awarded her $350,000 for pain and suffering.
Stuart vs. J&P Food Service, Will County – $150,000 Jury Award
A truck forced a middle-aged woman off her bicycle while riding around a town in the suburbs of Chicago. She sustained soft tissue injuries in her neck and back and a head injury. She sued the driver and the driver’s boss for negligence.
She claimed they were responsible for these injuries and the seizures that resulted from them. The defendants admitted they were responsible for the accident but denied the extent of her injuries.
They claimed that the seizures were not the result of their actions although they did not deny they caused the injuries. A jury awarded the woman $150,000. It was more than three times what she claimed for medical and wage damages.
Speak to a personal injury lawyer if you suffered injuries in a bike accident. We can help you recover damages and hold the negligent party liable for the bicycle-car accident.
How Much Are Bone Fracture Cases Caused by Bicycle Accidents Worth?
Bone fracture injuries from bike accidents are generally worth the amount spent on lost wages and medical treatment such as medical bills and physical therapy.
The following are samples of average settlement amounts in bicycle accident cases:
Miles vs. Tai Plumbing LLC, Cook County – $1,600,000 Jury Award
The plaintiff was riding his bike in a bike lane when he was thrown after riding over a trench. The trench was adjacent to a construction zone, and the ground underneath it was loose, causing him to lose control of his bike and fall to the ground.
He suffered a spinal fracture. At trial, he claimed the construction company failed to warn him of the latent dangers in the area, did not protect him from the construction conditions, and should have had a guard to redirect bikers and pedestrians.
The construction company responded that he could have taken a safe and alternate path around the site. In court, the jury found that the company inadequately warned the plaintiff of the unsafe conditions and that that proximately caused his injuries.
Carvey vs. Commonwealth of Edison, Cook County – $2,500,000 Settlement
A woman was biking along a path in Palos Heights when she unexpectedly hit a stop block and flew to the ground. She broke several bones in her back and was a quadriplegic following the accident [1].
As it turned out, the Commonwealth of Edison leased the grounds on which the path sat and was in charge of monitoring and taking care of the area. The woman filed a lawsuit for damages against the company. She claimed that it was negligent to defend bicyclists from the dangers posed by these blocks.
The company responded that the condition was “open and obvious” and that she had ridden on the path several times beforehand.
However, faced with her extraordinary injuries and mounting pressure, the Commonwealth of Edison decided an accident settlement offer would be preferable to trial. Both sides agreed to a bicycle accident settlement of $2,500,000.
Contact a personal injury attorney to provide free consultation as you claim compensation to recover damages. Our bicycle accident lawyer will pursue a fair settlement in your bicycle accident claim and handle all negotiations with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
How Much is Bicycle Accident Back and Neck Injury Cases Worth?
Back and neck claims due to bike accidents can obtain some of the highest awards and settlements. These severe bike accident injuries often demand the most expensive medical treatment with lengthy rehabilitation.
The bike accident can also often have a life-altering effect on the injured cyclist, as shown by the examples of accident settlements below.
Hirte vs. Nrjm Inc., Cook County – $2,065,000 Jury Award
The plaintiff was biking around her hometown of Deerfield when a Domino’s truck slammed into her. She sued the driver and the company for her significant back injuries and other damages.
She argued that the driver should have controlled his vehicle better and yielded to her. The defendants responded that she was negligent by suddenly leaving the bike lane and darting into the street.
Therefore, they denied proximately causing her injuries. A Cook County jury returned a verdict in her favor for $2,065,000 for disability, lost wages, medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
Carter vs. Pacatte, Lake County – $480,000 Jury Award
Warren Carter was riding his bike around the sleepy town of Grayslake in Lake County when a truck driver inadvertently crashed into him. The driver was looking for his phone at the time of the incident and lost control of his vehicle.
As a result, Carter sustained arm and back injuries. The defendant tried to make the case that the plaintiff was at fault and responsible for the crash; he argued that Carter should have kept a better lookout and maintained lights on his bike.
The jury did not buy the argument and found $480,000 for disfigurement, loss of everyday life, medical bills, and pain and suffering for the plaintiff.
An experienced lawyer from our law firm will file an insurance claim and ensure that the negligent party’s insurance company pays the maximum benefit on their auto insurance policy.
How Much Are Bike Accident Brain Injury Cases Worth?
Brain injury cases average much more than other claims because these accidents alter the victim’s life with work, relationships, and recreation that are never the same again.
The below-mentioned summaries give an average bike accident settlement for head injuries.
Ortiz vs. Jesus, Cook County – $682,000 Jury Award
The plaintiff was a mom out for a leisurely bike ride with her family on Mother’s Day. She was only in her mid-30s. She paused briefly to wait for others to catch up to her. Her resting area was beside a wall blocking a busy city street from an apartment complex. Several trees hugged the surface of the stone wall.
Without warning or provocation, a limb from one of the trees broke and fell on her head. She sustained extensive skull fractures and brain injuries, requiring multiple surgeries. In her subsequent lawsuit, she alleged that the property owner did not adequately monitor or care for the tree.
The defense countered that it was an act of God, and they could not have known it would happen. However, evidence indicated the minimal cost to inspect and repair the tree, and the jury awarded her $682,000.
Haupt vs. Guzig, Will County – $3,500,000 Jury Award
The victim here was a 15-year-old boy who had just entered high school. He was riding around town on his bike with a few other friends. When they all approached an intersection, he was the last to enter it. At that point, a passing Cadillac motor vehicle hit him in the rear of his bike.
The force of the collision sent the boy flying out of his seat onto the car’s windshield. He suffered injuries that resulted in a coma that lasted weeks. The traumatic brain injury necessitated months and months of rehabilitation and physical therapy. He had to relearn how to speak and walk, among other things.
The car accident responsible party said that the child had darted out of nowhere, despite the boy being the last of the group to cross the intersection. The jury awarded the victim $3,500,000 to be paid by the driver’s insurance company.
Pudge vs. Ellis, Cook County – $650,000 Jury Award
A man in his mid-40s was riding around Chicago on his bike when he came to an intersection. He continued through the crossing, but a car slammed into him before he could make it out. He was thrown off his bike and sustained severe head injuries, which resulted in additional brain injuries placing him in a coma.
Representatives for the man sued the driver who crashed into his bike. They claimed he was negligent by failing to slow down and avoid the accident. The defendant argued the same about the plaintiff, saying the car had the right of way.
The jury returned a hefty $650,000 award for the plaintiff. They also apportioned 50% of the responsibility for the accident, as there was no clear at-fault party.
How Much Are Bike Accident Wrongful Death Cases Worth?
Wrongful death claims arising from bicycle accidents obtain a recovery for the victim’s pain, the tragedy of their passing, the family’s loss, and expenses. These case summaries explain the settlement process in more detail.
Szynalik vs. Chicago Transit Authority, Cook County – $5,500,000 Settlement
A woman attempted to remove her bike from a rack attached to a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus when the same bus began to drive away and ran over her.
She died from injuries related to the accident that very day. She left behind two sons. Her next of kin filed a lawsuit against the CTA for negligence.
The suit alleged the CTA was negligent in inadequately supervising the driver involved, warning passengers about the dangers inherent in removing bikes, designing an unsafe system, and other related items.
Before the case went to a bicycle accident trial, both sides agreed to a fair settlement of $5,500,000 related to past medical costs, wrongful death, and survival actions.
Ishiquro vs. Browning, Cook County – $6,000,000 Jury Award
A little six-year-old boy was riding his bike in the area surrounding his home when a garbage truck ran into him broadside and killed him.
The boy’s family sued the driver and the driver’s employer, arguing that the employee should have kept better control of his truck and kept alert to avoid the accident.
The defendants responded that the boy shot out of nowhere and into the blind spot of the driver. The jury disagreed and awarded the family $6,000,000.
Bates vs. Mercy Regional, Pope County – $1,200,000 Jury Award
A 13-year-old child was riding his bicycle on a street when an ambulance crossed the yellow line and knocked him over, killing him. His parents claimed that the driver’s behavior was beyond negligence and based the contention on the defendant’s speed and the angle at which he collided with their son.
The defendant responded that it was immune from liability because he was driving an ambulance and that the child was also negligent. The judge dismissed the notion of immunity. The jury decided the driver was 60% at fault and the child was 40% at fault and awarded the plaintiff $1,200,000.
Aleck vs. Lynch, Will County – $1,250,000 Settlement
In a tragic auto accident, the driver of an SUV struck and killed a 14-year-old boy while riding a bike on a busy road. The parents sued the at-fault driver for wrongful death, claiming that the defendant was driving too fast, did not keep a proper lookout, and failed to avoid crashing into the boy.
The defendant replied that the bicycle rider failed to keep a proper lookout and that the minor exited the crosswalk and veered into traffic. Both sides reached a bicycle accident settlement of $1,250,000 for the policy limits of the driver’s insurance policy.
An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney Offering Legal Options on Bicycle Injury Awards and Settlements
The two main factors that influence an average bicycle accident settlement amount in a personal injury claim are negligence of the drivers of motor vehicles and bicyclists and the extent of their injuries.
Having the representation of a personal injury lawyer from our professional law firm can ensure the insurance company pays out the total financial compensation.
Contact an experienced lawyer at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone number) or complete the contact form for a free case evaluation.
Contingency Fee Agreement
Our personal injury attorneys accept all serious personal injury cases and preventable death cases on a contingency fee agreement. The arrangement immediately ensures our clients have legal representation without paying any upfront out-of-pocket expenses.
Our law firm advances all expenses in resolving a bike-car accident claim and gets paid only when negotiating a settlement or winning a jury trial award. Our “No-Win/No-Fee” Guarantee is simple: We do not get paid if you do not win!
Contact our bicycle accident attorneys at (888) 424-5757 or use the contact form for a free consultation.
All confidential or sensitive information you share with our legal team remains private through an attorney-client relationship.
Resources: [1] NIH
