Electric bicycles—e-bikes, for short—have exploded in popularity in recent years. For people who need an affordable way to get around town, electric bikes can be a great middle ground—much faster and easier than a conventional bicycle, yet much cheaper to buy and maintain than a car. Plus, in a climate like San Antonio’s, you can ride an e-bike year-round.
But e-bikes also pose dangers. They’re still extremely vulnerable in vehicle collisions. And because they’re faster and heavier than conventional bicycles, e-bike accidents may cause even more severe injuries. The extra speed can be a double-edged sword—while it helps riders keep pace with traffic, it also gives them less time to react and stop if a distracted driver pulls out in front of them.
If you’re involved in an electric bike accident, it’s important to reach out to an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. You deserve fair compensation if someone else caused your injuries. But e-bike riders often face major legal hurdles including anti-e-bike bias among responding officers and insurance companies. To schedule your free consultation with Crosley Law, call us today at (210) 529-3000.
How an e-bike lawyer can help you after a crash
Crosley Law has been defending people who were injured riding traditional bikes for years. Cycling cases are often frustrating and challenging for victims. Injured cyclists often must overcome harmful stereotypes when arguing their legal case. They often get blamed for things that weren’t their fault. And insurance laws can be complicated in terms of whether cyclists are covered in certain situations.
E-bike riders face all these same challenges, and more. In fact, because e-bikes can reach higher speeds with less effort than conventional bicycles, riders are even more likely to be unfairly stereotyped as reckless thrill seekers. That can result in lower settlement offers or legitimate claims being outright denied.
An experienced electric bicycle attorney will carefully investigate the crash and determine all potentially liable parties. At Crosley Law, we use sophisticated tactics to find the truth, such as collecting surveillance footage where available, reviewing maintenance records, working with accident reconstruction specialists, and more.
We will also make sure you get the high-quality medical care you need to recover from your e-bike injuries, accurately document and calculate your damages, handle all the negotiations with your insurance company, and more—all so that you can focus on getting better.
From the Crosley Law case files
A few years ago, we represented a bicyclist named Carl, who suffered catastrophic injuries after a pickup truck pulled out in front of him. Because an eyewitness (incorrectly) claimed Carl’s bike didn’t have a working headlight, his claim was initially denied.
Carl was adamant that his light was on and working, and we worked with an accident reconstruction expert to show that he was not at fault. The insurance company eventually settled for $1.5 million during mediation negotiations.
In another case, we won $1.1 million for the family of a man, Wayne, who was killed when a semi-truck made a reckless, unsignaled right turn into his path. The truck driver was the only witness and lied that Wayne had blown a stop sign. The police officer believed him, and of course Wayne was not able to defend himself. The driver didn’t even get a ticket.
Wayne’s family and friends were adamant that he always rode responsibly and could not believe he would run a stop sign so carelessly. Our crash reconstruction expert also concluded that the truck driver would have had clear visibility and more than enough time to avoid the crash. We also discovered that he was driving with a suspended license due to past traffic violations, and the truck itself had several serious safety violations—including a broken right turn signal.
As electric motors and batteries get cheaper and more reliable, we are starting to see more and more crashes like these involving e-bikes rather than conventional bicycles. But our commitment to our clients remains the same. Whether your bike has a motor or not, we will use every tactic at our disposal to find the truth and get you the compensation you deserve.
What to do after an e-bike accident in Texas
If you were hurt in an e-bike crash with a motor vehicle, take the following steps to the best of your ability:
- Get to a safe location and contact the police.
- Take photos of the damage to your e-bike, any involved vehicles, your injuries, and the crash site.
- Get contact and insurance information from the driver who hit you.
- Get contact info from any eyewitnesses.
- Preserve the evidence. Do not get your e-bike repaired and do not throw away any damaged clothing or safety gear.
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible, even if your injuries seem minor. Injuries aren’t always immediately apparent, and you need medical records linking your symptoms to your e-bike accident.
- Contact an experienced e-bike accident lawyer as soon as possible.
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Who is responsible for my electric bike crash?
Given that e-bike crashes often involve serious injuries, it’s important to identify all possible sources of insurance coverage that could help pay for your damages.
If the driver of a motor vehicle was at-fault, you’ll need to file a claim against their auto insurance—same as with any other type of motor vehicle accident. If the driver was operating a commercial vehicle or otherwise driving in the scope of their employment, their employer might also be legally liable.
If you own a motor vehicle, your own auto insurance might also apply via your uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, personal injury protection, or MedPay coverage.
It’s also possible that faulty equipment or maintenance (involving either a motor vehicle or your own electric bike) could have played a role in the crash. For example, you might have a claim against an e-bike rental company if you rented an e-bike from them and the brakes failed while you were riding.
Again, we urge you to call an experienced attorney as soon as possible to ensure you aren’t leaving money on the table. Sometimes, we can find sources of coverage you might never have thought about.
For example, in Wayne’s case above, we not only got a full policy limits settlement from the trucking company, but also obtained an extra $75,000 from a quarry operator for an unsafe driveway design (which forced the truck to make the dangerous and unpredictable maneuver in the first place).
Car Crash? Call Crosley
Years ago, attorney Tom Crosley took up cycling in honor of a previous client who died in a bicycle crash. Today, many members of our law firm are avid bike and e-bike riders.
We are passionate about defending cyclists and e-bikers. We understand the law and have a long track record of obtaining six-, seven-, and in one case even an eight-figure settlement for victims of bike accidents. We frequently consult with doctors, accident reconstruction specialists, vocational experts, long-term care planners, and others, making sure we understand every nuance of our clients’ insurance claims and losses.
If you need help after a crash, call us today at (210) 529-3000 for your free case review.
The content provided here is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject.
