Biking is one of the most enjoyable and popular physical activities in this country. Everyday, bikers in cities and urban areas save money and reduce pollution by riding their bikes instead of driving their cars. As wonderful as biking is, however, it also carries some significant risk, especially when you’re riding on busy streets in a major city. As bikeaccidentlawyersblog.com points out, serious bike injuries have been on the rise. In 2015 alone, over 818 riders suffered fatal injuries in traffic accidents. Since then, fatal biking accidents have been increasing nationwide by over 55 deaths per year. Here we’ll examine some of the risks involved with biking and what to expect from these types of personal injury cases.
Risk of Injury
The total number of bike related injuries each year total over 450,000. A significant amount of these are the result of traffic accidents and reckless driving. Like pedestrians, bikers also have to be aware of other potential hazards, such as negligence on the part of property owners with their sidewalks. Even experienced cyclists have the potential to incur serious injury, and while there’s no way to avoid these accidents entirely, choosing to only bike in safer environments will certainly go a long way in limiting the risk for serious or fatal injuries. There are significant health and financial benefits to using a bike for your work commute, but the rate of injury in large urban environments is also significantly higher, so it’s important to weigh the benefits of biking with the possibility of being involved in a serious accident.
Obtaining Compensation
Like other types of traffic accidents, if you are the recipient of a bike related injury, you should immediately consult with a personal injury lawyer to analyze the logistics of your case. In order to receive proper compensation, you’ll need to be able to prove that negligence from the driver in question was the primary cause of the accident. If it can be proven that the cyclist was at least partially responsible for the accident that occurred, this contributory negligence can prevent the injured party from receiving any compensation for their injuries. For example, if the driver was behaving recklessly, but the cyclist in question also broke a traffic law, this would constitute comparative negligence and potentially ruin their personal injury case. Employing an experienced firm who will evaluate every aspect of your situation is the key to receiving the settlement you truly deserve.