Ylla Gosney, Attorneys at Law helps people in Tulsa that are hurt in bicycle accidents. Every bicycle accident causes some level of injury, but the worst ones end up being fatal. It’s something nobody wants to face, but the loss of a loved one in a bicycle accident means going through a long healing process. Our team can help you and your family through it by handling the legal side of things. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Why Do You Need a Lawyer?
You don’t technically need a lawyer in the event of a fatal bicycle accident, but having our team by your side can make a tragic situation a bit easier. The process of filing a claim after one of these accidents can be very challenging–on top of all the other responsibilities that get pushed on you and your family during this time. That’s where our team can step in and help by:
- Walking you through your legal choices in a clear, straightforward way.
- Building a strategy that fits your situation–not a one-size-fits-all plan.
- Collecting the key evidence needed to strengthen your claim.
- Being by your side–and your family’s–through every stage of the process.
When you lose someone in a bicycle accident, it turns your whole world upside down. No matter how it happened, the grief is real and lasting. Our job is to ease the legal burden so you and your family can focus on what matters most: healing and finding your footing again.
What Steps Need to Be Taken After the Fatal Bicycle Accident?
Probably the hardest thing about a fatal bicycle accident is that it’s totally unexpected. Even if you ride often in Tulsa and are careful, a seemingly minor collision with a car or hitting a pothole at speed can result in fatal injuries under the right conditions. Still, there’s steps that need to be taken in the aftermath to get the evidence and information needed for a potential claim:
- Call 911 – Call 911 for emergency help on the scene. Police and medical teams will handle urgent needs and file a report–something that becomes very important later. If it happened on private property, let the owner or manager know. If a bike part failed, try to save receipts or packaging.
- Save evidence – Photos, video, witness information, medical records, and police reports can all help support your claim. If you’re not up to it, ask someone you trust or your attorney to help gather what’s needed.
- Keep track of costs – Start a folder for bills, receipts, funeral costs, and anything else you’re paying for. This shows how the accident has affected your family financially.
- Be careful what you say – When speaking to police or insurance companies, stick to simple facts. Don’t guess or say anything that sounds like you’re accepting blame.
These early steps won’t make the grief go away, but they can help your family build a strong foundation for a claim. But with a fatal bicycle accident, it’s important to look at how the claims process differs.
How Does the Claims Process Work After a Fatal Bicycle Accident?
There’s no way around it–a fatal bicycle accident is devastating. But through the grief and responsibility, there’s practical things to think about. That’s where the claims process comes into play. Instead of a regular injury claim, though, it becomes what’s called a “wrongful death” claim.
But not just anyone can file one. Under Oklahoma law, only the personal representative of the person’s estate can file a wrongful death claim. If there’s a will, that person is usually already named. If there isn’t a will, the court will appoint someone–usually a close family member–to take on that role.
Once that’s set, the claim itself works similarly to other personal injury cases–happening through:
- An insurance claim .
- A wrongful death lawsuit.
With the claim filed, the goal is for you and your family to recover damages. But it’s here that there’s the second difference. In a wrongful death claim, damages don’t focus on injuries, they focus on the loss of you or your loved one. So, in one of these claims, you or your family can potentially recover things like:
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of parental support
- Lost income or future earnings
- Funeral and burial costs
- Medical expenses
- Emotional pain and suffering
Just like other wrongful death claims, you only have two years from the date of death to file in Oklahoma. That might sound like a lot of time, but the earlier you understand your options, the easier it is to protect your rights. And before any of this moves forward, a big question is who’s actually responsible for the accident–and who may be held legally and financially accountable.
Who Pays For Damages in a Fatal Bicycle Accident?
It might seem obvious, but you or your family still have to figure out liability when there’s a fatal bicycle accident. And unfortunately, this can sometimes be hard to unravel–particularly with a bicycle accident where different aspects can influence things.
But the details of what happened really matter, and depending on the situation, different people or parties could be held responsible. Here are some of the most common:
- The driver – If a car was involved and the driver caused the crash, they may be held accountable.
- The bike company – If a faulty brake, tire, or other part caused the accident, the manufacturer could be responsible.
- The city or county – If bad roads, missing signs, or broken traffic lights played a role, a local agency might be at fault.
What complicates things is that there’s no single cause behind every fatal bike accident. But in Tulsa, some patterns show up again and again–and this can help you narrow down liability. Here’s a few of the more frequent scenarios we see:
- Reckless driving – When drivers don’t give bike riders enough space, speed past them, or ignore bike lanes, accidents can happen fast.
- Driving under the influence – Alcohol or drugs slow reaction times and make it harder for drivers to notice bike riders in time.
- Poor road conditions – Potholes, cracked pavement, or faded bike lane markings can easily lead to an accident.
- Bike malfunctions – If brakes fail or tires blow out, even an experienced rider can lose control quickly.
No matter what caused the accident, they can change lives in an instant. If your family has been impacted, we can help.
Tulsa Legal Support After a Fatal Bicycle Accident
Losing someone you love in a bicycle accident turns your whole world upside down. It’s one of the hardest things a family can face—and it’s not something you have to handle on your own. Ylla Gosney is here to support Tulsa families through every step of the process, from understanding your legal options to filing a wrongful death claim.
Reach out now for a free consultation. We’re here to help you get the answers–and support–you need to move forward.
