If you have been injured in a bicycle accident caused by a negligent motorist, the law protects you. Car and truck drivers are required to share the road not only with other motor vehicles, but with cyclists. Cyclists have a legal right to be on the road, but many motor vehicle drivers ignore the rights of cyclists or fail to look out for them or be attentive and responsible on Ohio roads. Car and truck drivers enjoy a certain amount of protection during crashes because of safety devices such as seat belts and air bags. In contrast, bicycle riders have very little protection. Because of this, an accident between a car and a bike can be devastating to the bike rider, resulting in neck and spinal cord damage, fractured bones, and even paralysis or brain damage. The accident can also leave a cyclist with permanent disabilities. In the worst cases, death is a very real possibility. In 2015, in the U.S., over 1000 bicyclists died in bicycle accidents and there were over 450,000 bicycle-related injuries.
Some of the more common mistakes made by motor vehicle drivers that result in collisions with cyclists include:
- Failure to signal;
- Turning in front of a bike;
- Entering traffic in front of the bike;
- Failure to yield at an intersection or running a stop sign or red light;
- Inattentiveness while passing a cyclist;
- Failure to look both ways at a stop sign;
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
If you have been injured while riding a bike due to someone else's negligence, then you may be entitled to the cost of your bike, current and future medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. Cyclists have the same rights as any other person on the road. If you have been injured in a biking accident, let me be your advocate and get you the compensation you are entitled to. I work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing up front and only pay legal fees after a settlement or verdict is negotiated or awarded.