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Everyone Should Learn a Little about Law

Mountain Biking Enthusiasts: Four Financial Impacts Of A Car Accident Injury

3 May 2016

Kaylee Wells

Mountain biking is a great hobby that involves exploring the outdoors, staying in shape, and using great recreational equipment. If you've been involved in a car accident that causes severe injuries, not only will you be limited in future mountain biking, but there may be some financial impacts as a result of the injury. As you help build a settlement case and consult with a car accident lawyer, you can explore these financial impacts and help make them an essential part of a settlement case. Browse through the following four financial impacts and how they direct affect your life as a mountain biker.

Damaged Biking Equipment

In many cases, you may have actually had your biking equipment in tow when the car accident occurs. Whether the bikes were on a roofing rack or a trunk rack, they could have easily gotten damaged during an accident. If the accident is not your fault, then the driver who was at fault could be held liable for the costs of your bike and other equipment that was damaged in the crash. By using purchase receipts and bike values, you and an attorney can help determine the actual costs that you should be compensated for. Along with the bike, you may seek compensation for the rack or accessories like helmets and GPS systems that were mounted to bike's handlebars.

Biking Memberships & Reservations

As an avid biker, there is a good chance that you are involved in some sort of mountain biking club. These clubs gather together for biking sessions, races, or group trips. As a part of the club, you may have had to pay annual membership fees and dues or prepaid for group reservations. A car accident injury may prevent you from being able to participate in the group for an extended amount of time. If this is the case, then an attorney can help you receive compensation through a settlement. Costs can be calculated for the missed time in the clubs and all of the fees that you already paid.

These fees and memberships may also extend to parking passes for various parks, beaches, and bike trails that you purchased. For example, you may purchase an annual parking pass for a local national forest that you love to bike at. The car accident may prevent you from visiting the forest and result in lost money spent.

Loss of Income

Along with missing out on a full-time job, your passion as a mountain biker may lead to additional loss of income. For example, if you took and sold photographs while biking, you could lose out on the potential extra money that you would have made by selling those photos. If you gave tours to other bikers, you could lose on the money that people paid you for the various tours. By using past income from years prior, an attorney can help calculate how much potential extra income you lost due to the car accident. This could have a large impact on your final possible settlement amount.

Physical Therapy

Aside from basic physical therapy to get you moving again, you may have to pay out of pocket for additional physical therapy that helps train you to start biking again. This type of physical therapy is often known as sports enhancement therapy, and it can help you get back to the condition you were in before the accident. A lawyer can include the costs of this physical therapy as a part of your compensation. It is often a part of your quality of life and retaining that same quality that you once had before the accident. By receiving compensation for the physical therapy, you can receive the treatment that you need to hopefully go mountain biking like you once did.

Even little amounts can quickly add up in a settlement case. Contacting a car accident attorney is the first step to seeing what types of settlement you can receive.

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