Every year, cyclists across Missouri are seriously — and sometimes fatally — injured in collisions with motor vehicles. Because a bike offers none of the protection of a car’s frame, riders face a far greater risk of catastrophic injury when a driver is careless. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 1,166 cyclists were killed in U.S. traffic crashes in 2023, up from 729 a decade earlier — part of a steady, troubling rise in cyclist deaths. If a negligent motorist has injured you or someone you love, an experienced bicycle accident lawyer can help you hold that driver accountable and recover the damages you are owed.
Why You Need a Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Some drivers grow impatient sharing the road with cyclists and pass recklessly. Others are so distracted by phones and devices that they never notice a rider ahead of or beside them. When that negligence causes a crash, insurance companies rarely accept responsibility. Instead, it is common for insurers to dispute the driver’s liability and try to shift blame onto the cyclist for causing their own injuries.
A knowledgeable bicycle accident attorney levels the playing field. By building a strong personal injury claim — and, when necessary, filing a civil lawsuit against the at-fault motorist — your lawyer can pressure the insurer toward the fair, reasonable settlement you deserve rather than the lowball offer that too often comes first. That means you can focus on healing while someone else handles the paperwork, the phone calls, and the pressure to settle for less than your case is worth.
Missouri Law: The Duties of Drivers and Cyclists
Under Missouri law, bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers and are expected to obey the same traffic laws. Motorists, in turn, owe cyclists specific duties on the road:
- Give safe clearance. When overtaking a cyclist, a driver should leave ample space and move into another lane to pass whenever possible.
- Drive attentively. Motorists must watch for riders and operate cautiously around them.
- Yield before turning. A driver turning right should slow behind a cyclist and let them clear the intersection first, and should never cut off a rider — who may be moving faster than expected — while turning.
- Follow all traffic laws. When drivers ignore these rules, the consequences can be devastating.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents in Springfield
Distracted driving is behind a growing share of bicycle crashes. When a driver’s attention is on a phone, tablet, or radio instead of the road, they may turn in front of an oncoming rider, follow too closely, run a stop sign or signal, or pull out of a driveway without looking. Any one of these mistakes can leave a cyclist with life-changing harm. After a collision with a car, riders commonly suffer fractures, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and serious damage to the arms and legs.
Compensation You May Recover
What a bicycle accident claim is worth depends on the circumstances, the severity of your injuries, and the losses that follow. Cyclists injured by a negligent driver may be able to recover:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering and emotional distress
- Punitive damages in especially egregious cases.
Missouri’s comparative fault rules mean that even if you are found partly responsible for the crash, you may still recover a percentage of your damages. If a loved one was killed, our attorneys can also pursue a wrongful death claim on your family’s behalf.
Why Choose Our Springfield Bicycle Accident Attorneys
Choosing the right attorney can make all the difference in how your case unfolds, and the Law Offices of Bryan Musgrave is ready to help.
Bryan Musgrave is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum — a distinction fewer than one percent of U.S. lawyers hold — as well as the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, the American Association for Justice, and the Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma bars. Our team represents injured cyclists in Springfield, Joplin, and throughout southwest Missouri. We also handle related car accident and motorcycle accident cases, and we work on a contingency-fee basis — so you pay nothing unless we win.
Frequently Asked Questions
If another driver’s negligence caused your crash and you were injured, a lawyer can shield you from insurers who try to blame you and pursue full compensation on your behalf, especially when injuries are serious or liability is disputed.
Fault turns on who failed to meet their duty of care — often a driver who passed too closely, turned across a rider’s path, or was distracted. Insurers frequently blame the cyclist, which is why an independent investigation matters.
You may be able to recover medical expenses, lost income and earning capacity, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and, in egregious cases, punitive damages.
Yes. Under Missouri’s comparative fault system, you can still recover a percentage of your damages even if you shared some of the blame for the accident.
We take bicycle accident cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.