Are you looking for a bicycle accident lawyer in Des Moines?
At Hope Law Firm, we provide bicycle accident representation grounded in more than twenty years of work on behalf of injured Iowans.
If you were hit by a car while riding your bicycle in Des Moines, you are likely facing serious injuries and a claim that depends on proving the driver was at fault. A Des Moines, IA bicycle accident lawyer can investigate what happened, establish the driver’s negligence, and pursue full compensation for your medical care, lost income, and other losses. For more than twenty years, Hope Law Firm has represented injured Iowans across the state. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
Bicycle Accident Lawyer Des Moines, IA
A bicycle accident lawyer represents cyclists who are injured when a driver hits them. Most serious bicycle crashes happen in cities, where cyclists share the road with heavy traffic. In 2023, about 81 percent of bicyclist deaths nationwide occurred in urban areas, according to NHTSA data. Des Moines drivers are required to watch for cyclists, yield the right of way, and pass at a safe distance. When a driver fails to do so, our bicycle accident attorneys in Des Moines work to hold that driver accountable.
Types of Bicycle Accident Cases We Handle in Des Moines
Bicycle crashes tend to follow a few recognizable patterns, and each one points to a specific driver error. These are the bicycle accident cases our firm handles for clients in Des Moines and across Polk County.
- Left-cross collisions. A driver turning left across the path of an oncoming cyclist causes one of the most common bike crashes, often after misjudging the cyclist’s speed.
- Right-hook collisions. A driver who passes a cyclist and then turns right cuts off the rider, who was traveling straight and generally had the right of way.
- Dooring. A person in a parked car opens a door into the path of a passing cyclist, leaving no time to stop, and the person who opened it is usually at fault.
- Unsafe passing and sideswipes. A driver who passes too closely can clip a cyclist or force the rider into the curb or a line of parked cars.
- Car accidents. Nearly every bicycle crash involves a motor vehicle, and the same rules of fault and negligence that govern car accidents apply.
- Truck accidents. A cyclist struck by a commercial truck faces catastrophic harm, and the claim may extend to the trucking company behind the driver.
- Drunk driving accidents. When an impaired driver hits a cyclist, the case may include punitive damages, and any OWI charge can strengthen the civil claim.
- Brain injuries. A cyclist’s head striking the pavement or a vehicle can cause a traumatic brain injury, even when a helmet is worn.
- Spinal cord injuries. A hard impact can injure the spinal cord and cause lasting loss of movement or sensation.
- Wrongful death. If a cyclist dies from the crash, surviving family members can pursue a wrongful death claim for their loss.
Why Choose Hope Law Firm as my Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Des Moines, IA?
Local Experience and Results for Injured Cyclists
Hope Law Firm has represented injured Iowans for more than twenty years and has recovered millions of dollars for its clients and their families. The firm’s founder, Andrew L. Hope, earned his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law and started the firm after a period working for a large insurance company. That perspective helps the firm anticipate how a driver’s insurer will contest a cyclist’s claim. Hope belongs to the Iowa Association for Justice and the American Association for Justice, and his client service has been recognized through several Martindale-Hubbell honors. A driver’s insurer will not volunteer the full value of a cyclist’s claim, but a personal injury lawyer in Des Moines, IA with this experience knows how to counter bad faith negotiation tactics.
No Fee Unless We Recover
Hope Law Firm takes bicycle accident cases on contingency. There is no retainer and no hourly bill, and the firm is paid only if it recovers compensation for you, as a percentage of that recovery. That lets an injured cyclist move a claim forward without paying out of pocket during treatment.
Understanding Bicycle Accident Cases
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Bicycle Accident Cases
Under Iowa law, an injured cyclist can recover for every category of loss the crash caused, from the first medical bill to the long-term effects of a serious injury. Recoverable damages include:
- Medical expenses. A bicycle crash can cause head and facial trauma, broken bones, and road rash, followed by surgery, hospitalization, and rehabilitation.
- Lost income and earning capacity. Recovery covers time missed during treatment and any lasting reduction in the ability to work.
- Pain and suffering. These damages address the physical pain of the injuries and the disruption to daily life during a long recovery.
- Disfigurement and permanent impairment. A permanent scar or disability is a separate loss the law compensates on its own, beyond the treatment it required.
- Bicycle and equipment damage. Compensation covers the repair or replacement of the bicycle, helmet, and other gear destroyed in the crash.
- Punitive damages. The court may add these when a driver’s conduct was especially reckless, such as driving drunk.
The driver is usually the party at fault, whether from an unsafe turn, a close pass, or a failure to yield. Iowa’s comparative fault rule, though, lets the driver’s insurer argue that the cyclist is partly to blame. Under that rule, the court reduces a cyclist’s recovery by their share of the fault and bars it entirely if that share climbs above the combined fault of everyone else. Fighting an unfair share of blame is often where a bicycle case is decided, and it turns on the physical evidence rather than the driver’s account.
What Are Important Aspects of a Bicycle Accident Case?
A cyclist is often too injured to document the scene, and the driver’s version of events may be the only account the adjuster hears. Objective evidence is what corrects that imbalance, and a few sources carry the most weight.
- Scene evidence. Where the bike and the vehicle came to rest, along with skid marks and impact damage, shows the direction and force of the collision.
- Independent witnesses. A neutral bystander who saw the driver turn, pass, or run a signal can outweigh the driver’s own account.
- Available video. Footage from a traffic camera, a storefront, or a rider’s own camera can resolve a disputed fact outright.
- The driver’s conduct. Evidence of texting, speeding, or drinking before the crash goes directly to the driver’s fault.
Reconstructing a disputed crash often calls for qualified professionals, and the medical and technical witnesses in personal injury cases can both establish the driver’s fault and document how serious the injuries are.
What Is The Bicycle Accident Case Timeline?
Every bicycle claim moves at its own pace, though the sequence stays the same. The firm keeps clients informed at each step.
- Case investigation. We gather the crash report, preserve video and physical evidence, and locate witnesses before the trail goes cold.
- Medical treatment. We hold off on valuing the claim until your doctors know the full extent of the injury.
- Demand to the insurer. We lay out the driver’s fault and the full scope of your losses and ask for their value.
- Negotiation or lawsuit. We negotiate first and file suit within the deadline if the insurer will not pay fairly.
- Settlement or trial. Most claims settle, and the firm tries those that do not.
Iowa law generally gives an injured cyclist two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit, and courts dismiss nearly all claims filed after that. Acting well before the deadline also protects the evidence, which can disappear within days.
What Should You Bring to Your Bicycle Accident Consultation?
A few materials help the firm assess your claim at the first meeting. These include:
- Any crash report. Bring the officer’s report if police came to the scene.
- Photos and footage. Include pictures of the bike, the vehicle, the road, and your injuries, along with any video.
- Insurance details. Provide the driver’s coverage information and your own auto policy, which can apply to a cyclist.
- Medical bills and records. Gather everything tied to your treatment for the crash.
- The bike and helmet. Keep them as they are, since their damage helps show the force of the impact.
The firm will review these materials, identify who may be liable, and explain your options. The consultation is free of charge.
Most Dangerous Locations for Bicycle Accidents in Des Moines
Bicycle crashes in Des Moines concentrate where cyclists share arterial streets with heavy traffic.
- Ingersoll Avenue and Grand Avenue carry steady traffic through the near west side, with frequent turns and on-street parking that raise the risk of a right hook or a dooring.
- University Avenue and Euclid Avenue move high volumes across the city with little dedicated space for bikes, and Hickman Road adds another fast, multilane route on the north side.
Crashes also cluster where popular trails meet busy roads, forcing riders and drivers through the same crossing. Iowa DOT crash data tracks these patterns across Polk County, and a driver’s duty to look for cyclists applies at each of them.
Reach Out to Hope Law Firm to Schedule a Consultation
After a bicycle crash, the driver and the insurer often downplay the cyclist’s injuries. Hope Law Firm’s Des Moines bicycle accident attorneys can investigate the crash, establish the driver’s fault, and pursue the full compensation your injuries call for. Because the firm works on contingency, you pay nothing unless we win compensation for you. Contact us to set up a free consultation.
