Miami Florida Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Car or truck accidents involving a bicyclist often cause serious injury or death. Accidents involving a bicyclist raise issues that are different than those accidents that simply involve motor vehicles. As with other types of motor vehicle accidents, the circumstances surrounding the collision, conduct of the driver of the car, conduct of the bicyclist and the nature of the injury suffered all affect whether compensation can be recovered. Our firm has the experience necessary to evaluate the circumstances surrounding a bicycle accident, consider the issues of liability and damage and to maximize the compensation you may receive.
Contact us today for a free Florida bicycle accident case evaluation.
Here are some facts about bicycle injuries in the United States:
- There are 85 million bicycle riders in the US
- About 800 bicyclists die in the US every year
- About 540,000 bicyclists visit emergency rooms with injuries every year. Of those, about 67,000 have head injuries.
- Bicycle crashes and injuries are under reported, since the majority are not serious enough for emergency room visits.
- 1 in 8 of the cyclists with reported injuries has a brain injury.
- Two-thirds of the deaths here are from traumatic brain injury.
- A very high percentage of cyclists' brain injuries can be prevented by a helmet, estimated at anywhere from 45 to 88 per cent.
- Many years of potential life are lost because about half of the deaths are children under 15 years old.
- Direct costs of cyclists' injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $81 million each year.
- Indirect costs of cyclists' injuries due to not using helmets are estimated at $2.3 billion each year.
- Helmet use in the US varies by orders of magnitude in different areas and different sectors of our society. White collar commuters probably reach 80 per cent, while inner city kids and rural kids would be 10 per cent or less. Overall, our best wild guess is probably no more than 25 per cent. Sommers Point, NJ, where a state helmet law is in effect, found that only 24 of the 359 students who rode to school in one week of the Winter of 2002 wore helmets (6 per cent) until the School District adopted a helmet rule. North Carolina observed 17 per cent statewide before their law went into effect in 2001.
- Helmets are cheap. The typical discount store price has risen from under $10 to about $15, but there are still models available for under $10 at major retailers.
By observing the following safety tips, you can make bicycling safer for all:
- Always wear a helmet
- Obey all traffic controls
- Ride your bicycle near the right-hand edge of the road
- Never carry another person on your bicycle
- Always use hand signals when turning or stopping
- Look out for cars at cross streets, driveways and parking places
- Be careful when checking traffic and don't swerve when looking over your shoulder
- Give pedestrians the right-of-way
- Keep your bicycle in good condition
- Always ride carefully
Never forget that a bicycle is a vehicle. Operating a bicycle safely involves more than wearing the proper safety equipment - you must also learn the rules of the road.
Although it is not uncommon to encounter bicycles while driving, many drivers give little thought to them beyond treating them as an annoyance. A bicyclist is extremely vulnerable to injury when struck by a car. It is important for cars and bicycles to respect each others' presence on the road, and to follow the rules of the road so as to avoid accidents.
Dangerous Conduct By Cars
While any act of driver negligence can result in an accident between a bicycle and a car, it seems that the following acts are of particular concern:
Dangerous Turning: When a bicycle is present at an intersection, drivers will often try to impatiently turn in front of the cyclist. For a left-hand turn, this can cut off the bicyclist's path and create a substantial risk of injury. For a right-hand turn, the bicyclist may be knocked over, or collide with the side of the turning vehicle. Give a bicyclist with right-of-way the time to clear the intersection before attempting a turn.
Dangerous Passing: Sometimes a driver won't give a bicycle enough space while passing, either forcing the bicyclist off of the road, or potentially striking the cyclist with the side of the car or the side-view mirror.
Disregard of Bike Paths: When there is a bicycle path along a roadway, whether on the shoulder of the road or on the sidewalk, drivers should take note of the presence of the bike path. Where drivers fail to respect the presence of a bike path, driveways and intersections become points of particular danger, as a bicyclist with the right-of-way may be cut off or struck by a driver who isn't even watching for their presence.
Opening Car Doors: Sometimes after parking a car, a motorist will open the door into the path of an oncoming bicyclist. These accidents can be particularly dangerous to cyclists, as they are often propelled over the car door. Pay attention to the presence of bicycles before opening your car door.
Overestimating Bicyclists' Braking Ability: While bicycle brakes have improved in recent years, they are nowhere near as effective as car brakes. Also, sudden braking can cause a bicylist to be carried over the handlebars of the bicycle by his own momentum. Do not assume that a bicycle is capable of a sudden stop.
Underestimating Bicycle Speed: Drivers are not used to estimating the speed of bicycles, whether they are approaching from the front or rear, and may underestimate the ability of the bicyclist to catch up with them or pass them. Thus, even knowing a bicyclist is on the road, sometimes a driver will make a turn or open a car door without giving sufficient regard to the bicyclist's speed, causing an accident.
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