Cheyenne Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Cheyenne

Most bicycle accidents trace back to distracted, careless, or reckless drivers who fail to share the road responsibly. Cyclists are especially vulnerable in the following situations:

• Risky Passing: Wyoming law requires motorists to maintain at least three feet of clearance when passing a cyclist. Many drivers ignore this requirement, passing too close and too fast, sometimes with severe consequences.
• Lane Crossing: Drivers frequently cross a cyclist’s path at intersections, especially during left or right turns. These crashes are often caused by failure to signal or failure to check for cyclists before turning.
• Dooring: When a parked driver swings open a car door into the path of an oncoming cyclist, the rider has almost no time to react.
• Backing Up: Drivers reversing out of driveways may not see cyclists on the sidewalk or street until it’s too late.

Speeding, drunk driving, aggressive driving, and failure to yield at intersections are also frequent contributors. Not every crash involves a negligent driver. Road defects like potholes, missing signage, or malfunctioning traffic signals can also cause serious accidents. In those cases, a property owner or municipality may be liable rather than another motorist.

Wyoming Law & Your Rights as a Cyclist

Under Wyoming Statute §31-5-702, bicyclists have the same rights and duties as other vehicle operators. Motorists must yield the right of way and obey the same traffic laws around cyclists as they would around any other vehicle. Knowing this matters when an insurance company tries to minimize your claim.

Wyoming uses modified comparative negligence for personal injury claims. If you’re found to bear 51% or more of the fault for an accident, you can’t recover damages. If your share of fault is less than 51%, your recovery is reduced proportionally. Insurers routinely argue that cyclists contributed to their own crashes. Building a strong evidentiary record from the start is critical.

Filing deadlines in Wyoming depend on who is responsible for your injuries:

• Claims Against Private Parties: Wyoming’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is four years from the date of the accident.
• Claims Against a Government Entity: If a dangerous road condition maintained by a municipality contributed to your crash, a notice of claim must be filed within two years of the injury, and the lawsuit must follow within one year of that notice. Missing either deadline can bar your claim entirely.

Wyoming places no cap on economic or non-economic damages in personal injury cases. Our attorneys have argued cases before the Wyoming Supreme Court and the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, so we can advocate for you through every stage of litigation, including appeal. We communicate directly and promptly throughout the process, so you know where your case stands.

Injuries Cyclists Sustain in Serious Accidents

A bicycle offers no protection when a vehicle strikes a rider. The resulting injuries are often severe and can require months or years of recovery if full recovery is possible at all.

Common injuries in bicycle accident cases include:

• Head Injuries: Skull fractures, intracranial hemorrhaging, concussions, and traumatic brain injury (TBI) are among the most serious outcomes and frequently require extended medical care and rehabilitation.
• Facial Injuries: Impact with the road, a vehicle, or other objects can cause severe facial damage.
• Soft Tissue and Skin Injuries: Ejected riders often sustain lacerations, contusions, and road rash.
• Muscle and Skeletal Injuries: Fractures, dislocations, and significant bruising are common in high-impact collisions.
• Spinal Cord Injuries: Among the most life-altering outcomes of any bicycle crash, spinal cord injuries can cause permanent disability and may require lifetime care.

In the most severe accidents, cyclists may suffer paralysis, amputation, coma, or death. When a cyclist is killed, surviving family members may be entitled to pursue a wrongful death claim.

Compensation Available in a Cheyenne Bicycle Accident Claim

Wyoming law allows injured cyclists to seek compensation across a broad range of losses. Because there’s no statutory cap on damages, the full extent of your injuries and financial harm can be presented to a court or insurer.

Economic damages can include:

• Emergency and ongoing medical expenses
• Rehabilitation and physical therapy costs
• Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity
• Transportation to medical appointments
• Bicycle repair or replacement

Non-economic damages can include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Loss of quality of life

In wrongful death cases, surviving family members may seek compensation for funeral and burial costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship. Insurance companies frequently use delay tactics, lowball offers, and challenges to injury severity to reduce what they pay. Having our attorneys on your side can help present a well-supported claim for your losses.