Were you injured in a bicycle accident in Deerfield Beach, FL?

At Warner & Fitzmartin Personal Injury Lawyers, we are trusted bicycle accident lawyers serving clients across Deerfield Beach and the surrounding area.

If you were injured in a bicycle crash in Deerfield Beach, compensation depends on which insurance policies respond. The at-fault driver’s policy may be inadequate, or the driver may never be identified. Our Deerfield Beach, FL bicycle accident lawyer identifies every policy that applies, including the cyclist’s own auto coverage, and pursues each of them.

Warner & Fitzmartin Personal Injury Lawyers has handled bicycle and pedestrian injury claims in South Florida for more than 20 years. There is no charge for the first meeting.

Bicycle Accident Lawyer Deerfield Beach, FL

A bicycle accident attorney in Deerfield Beach establishes that a driver’s negligence caused the crash and then identifies the insurance that will pay for the injuries. For a cyclist, the second step is frequently the harder one. A rider carries no policy on the bicycle, so the recovery comes from the driver’s coverage, the cyclist’s own auto policy, or both.

Broward County recorded nearly 1,000 fatal crashes between 2017 and 2021, and crashes involving cyclists were more than six times as likely to be severe as crashes overall, according to the Broward MPO. Those figures describe the county in which every Deerfield Beach bicycle accident claim is investigated and, when necessary, tried.

Types of Bicycle Accident Cases We Handle in Deerfield Beach

Deerfield Beach draws recreational riders to the beachfront and commuters to the arterial roads that cross the city. The crashes that result take several forms. Our attorneys handle the following bicycle accident cases for clients in Deerfield Beach.

  • Car accidents. A passenger vehicle that turns across a cyclist’s path or enters a bike lane without looking is the most common source of a bicycle claim. We bring the claim against the driver’s insurer and document the injuries at their full extent.
  • Hit-and-run bicycle accidents. Drivers who strike a cyclist and flee are a recurring problem on Florida roads. We assist the responding agency in locating the vehicle and open the cyclist’s own uninsured motorist claim at the same time.
  • Bike lane and intersection accidents. Marked lanes on Hillsboro Boulevard and Federal Highway end at every intersection, and drivers turning right or merging into the lane strike riders who have the right of way. Traffic camera footage and signal timing records establish fault.
  • Right-turn and driveway collisions. A driver pulling out of a shopping center or turning into a driveway across the sidewalk or bike lane rarely sees the cyclist in time. These collisions occur at low speed and still produce fractures and head injuries.
  • Dangerous roadway conditions. Broken pavement, storm grates aligned with the direction of travel, and construction debris cause single-bicycle crashes. Claims against the responsible agency or contractor carry their own notice requirements, which we handle from the outset.
  • Defective bicycle or equipment. A frame, fork, or brake that fails under normal use supports a product liability claim against the manufacturer or retailer. We retain an engineer to examine the component before it is repaired or discarded.
  • E-bike accidents. Electric bicycles travel faster than drivers expect, and insurers sometimes argue that the rider was operating a motor vehicle. We address the classification question early so it does not delay the claim.
  • Wrongful death. When a cyclist is killed, we bring the wrongful death claim for the family and pursue every policy available to them.

Why Choose Warner & Fitzmartin Personal Injury Lawyers as my Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Deerfield Beach, FL?

Bar Leadership and Statewide Recognition

Elissa Fitzmartin is recognized as a legal leader at both the state and local level. She provides leadership and mentorship through the South Palm Beach County Bar Association and advocates for women in the profession through the Florida Association for Women Lawyers. She earned Dean’s List honors at both the University of Maryland and the University of Miami School of Law, and Best Lawyers lists her among its Ones to Watch for plaintiff’s personal injury work. Aaron Warner has been honored for multiple years as a top attorney in Florida by respected legal organizations, including Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, and has practiced civil litigation in South Florida for more than 20 years. That record is what we bring to every bicycle claim as a personal injury lawyer in Deerfield Beach, FL.

Settlements for Cyclists, Pedestrians, and Drivers

Clients of our Deerfield Beach bicycle accident lawyers have recovered millions of dollars in South Florida injury claims, including $300,000 for a pedestrian injured in a beach incident, $140,000 for a car crash, and $128,000 for a second car crash. Each of those claims began with an insurer’s offer that did not reflect the injuries.

Hiring a personal injury lawyer at our firm comes with no upfront financial risk. We accept these cases on a contingency fee basis, and our firm covers the initial costs of moving your claim forward. Instead of charging attorney fees as we go, we collect a percentage of the compensation you receive at the end. If we are unable to secure a recovery, you won’t owe us anything. Every consultation is free and confidential, and meeting with us doesn’t obligate you to file a claim.

What Is Important to Understand About a Bicycle Accident Case?

What Are Important Aspects of a Bicycle Accident Case?

Three questions shape nearly every bicycle claim in Deerfield Beach, and the answers determine both the value of the case and where the money comes from.

  • Who was at fault. Florida drivers owe cyclists the same duty of reasonable care they owe other motorists. Insurers nonetheless argue that the rider was outside the bike lane, riding against traffic, or unlit after dark, and we counter those arguments with the physical evidence and witness accounts that support a strong bicycle claim.
  • Which coverage applies. The driver’s bodily injury liability policy is primary. When it is absent or insufficient, the cyclist’s own uninsured motorist coverage can respond even though the rider was not in a car, and a household member’s policy may apply as well. We review every policy before we send a demand.
  • How serious the injuries are. Cyclists sustain fractures, spinal injuries, and head trauma at rates far above those of vehicle occupants. The long-term consequences of those injuries, not the emergency room visit alone, set the value of the claim.

Florida recorded 105,092 hit-and-run crashes in 2023, and those crashes caused 276 deaths, according to FLHSMV statistics. A cyclist’s rights after a crash do not end when the driver leaves the scene, and the uninsured motorist claim exists for exactly that situation.

What Should You Bring to Your Bicycle Accident Consultation?

A cyclist has access to more evidence than most clients realize. The following items are the most useful at a first meeting:

  • The crash report number, which the Broward Sheriff’s Office District 10 station issues for collisions in Deerfield Beach
  • Photographs of the bicycle, the vehicle, and the location of the crash
  • The bicycle itself, in its post-crash condition, or a repair estimate
  • Medical records and any bills received so far
  • Your own auto insurance declarations page and any policy held by a family member in your household
  • The driver’s name and insurance information, or a description of the vehicle if the driver fled

We go through these items at the free consultation and tell you which policies respond, the likely value of the claim, and whether pursuing it makes sense. There is no obligation after that meeting.

What Is the Bicycle Accident Case Timeline?

A bicycle claim moves through the following stages, and the pace depends on how quickly the injuries stabilize and how the insurer responds.

  1. Treatment and documentation of the injuries, along with the first steps that preserve evidence, such as securing camera footage and witness contacts
  2. Notice to each insurer with potential coverage, including the driver’s carrier and the cyclist’s own
  3. A demand package covering fault, injuries, and losses once the long-term prognosis is known
  4. Negotiation with each insurer, which frequently proceeds with more than one at a time
  5. A lawsuit in the Broward County courts, followed by discovery and mediation, if the offers remain inadequate

Under section 95.11 of the Florida Statutes, a negligence lawsuit must be filed within the two-year limitations period that runs from the crash. A similar deadline governs the uninsured motorist claim, so a hit-and-run case cannot wait for the driver to be found.

Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Bicycle Accident Cases

Liability rests on negligence. A driver who does not exercise reasonable care around a cyclist is liable for the resulting harm, and Florida’s comparative negligence statute, section 768.81, cuts a recovery in proportion to the cyclist’s fault and eliminates it above 50 percent. Disputes over fault are therefore disputes over money, and we treat them that way.

Compensation for cyclists covers both economic and non-economic losses:

  • Emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, and future care
  • Lost wages and diminished earning capacity
  • Pain and suffering
  • Loss of enjoyment of life, including the inability to ride
  • Scarring and permanent disfigurement
  • The damaged bicycle and equipment

The family of a cyclist who did not survive may bring a wrongful death claim for the losses that follow.

Most Dangerous Locations for Bicycle Accidents in Deerfield Beach, FL

Bicycle traffic in Deerfield Beach concentrates along the beachfront and on the roads that connect it to the western neighborhoods. The following locations account for a disproportionate share of bicycle collisions.

Dangerous streets:

  • Ocean Way: the beachfront street along the Boardwalk and the fishing pier, where cyclists share the road with visitors searching for parking
  • Dixie Highway (SR 811): a two-lane road through the city’s older commercial district with narrow shoulders and frequent driveways
  • Sample Road (SR 834): the southern boundary of the city, a six-lane arterial with long signal cycles and high speeds
  • Military Trail: a north-south route west of I-95 with discontinuous bike lanes and heavy traffic near the Century Village area

Dangerous highways:

  • Hillsboro Boulevard (SR 810): the east-west arterial between the beach and I-95, including the Intracoastal bridge where the bike lane narrows
  • Federal Highway (US-1): a commercial corridor with turning traffic at every shopping center entrance
  • SR A1A: the coastal highway north and south of the beach district, used by recreational riders and by drivers unfamiliar with the area

Reach Out to Warner & Fitzmartin Personal Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation

A cyclist who was hit by a car should know within one meeting which insurance will pay and how much the claim is worth. Our Deerfield Beach bicycle accident attorney provides that assessment at no charge, and the consultation carries no obligation. We respond to new inquiries on the next business day. Contact us to set up a free consultation and a review of the coverage available for your injuries.