Bicycle Accidents

Bicycle accidents can more easily cause severe injuries or death than accidents only involving autos.  The reason is obvious: in a car, you are surrounded by metal and hard plastic that offers you some protection, and your seat belt will keep you from being thrown onto the road or in front of another vehicle.  On a bicycle, there is no such protection.  Deaths from bicycle accidents in the U.S. have been increasing, while at the same time injuries have been decreasing.  Keep in mind that while these numbers may seem small compared to auto accidents, many more people in the U.S. drive than bicycle on roads.

Cars weigh thousands of pounds, and because of that, the force that they hit with is far greater than that of a bicycle, which doesn’t weigh even as much as the rider.  While cars are much faster than bicycles and don’t take any significant physical effort to start and stop like a bicycle does, the “rules of the road” apply to all vehicles including bicycles, putting bicycles at a major disadvantage here.  Bicycles are also much smaller than cars, trucks, or buses, making them harder to see for drivers than other motor vehicles are.  Therefore, when riding a bicycle, you should always assume that drivers don’t see you and ride accordingly.  I grew up riding a bicycle in Chicago before bike lanes and helmets, and riding as if drivers didn’t see me was a major reason that I survived.

If you were injured in a bicycle accident, get medical attention immediately, then contact a personal injury attorney.  Do not discuss the matter with the driver or anyone from the driver’s insurance company, even if they act like they’re trying to help you.