Chicago is a busy, beautiful city. Many people who enjoy cycling and walking the streets, must be aware that they are often sharing the road with drivers and other cyclists, and vice versa. Accidents involving cyclists occur too often and have the potential to result in serious injuries and even death. A pedestrian or cyclist who is injured in an accident resulting in the negligence of another person, may be eligible for compensation for their injuries. If you or someone you know has been the victim of such an accident, it is important to contact a local injury attorney as soon as possible after the incident in order to protect your rights to a recovery.
According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, a female pedestrian died after sustaining injuries in a tragic and unexpected accident involving a cyclist on the Lake Arlington Path. Police reports indicate that the 74 year-old victim was walking along the cement path when an 11-year-old boy crashed into her from behind. He was part of a group of more than two-dozen cyclists on the path at the time. The accident occurred when the bike in front of the young rider had swerved around the victim, leaving him no time to stop before hitting her. The collision sent the woman “flying.” The victim landed on her head, suffered a brain injury and was taken to a local hospital, where she lost consciousness.
Her husband of 55 years is devastated, telling reporters that the accident could have been prevented. He believes “group rides” are inherently dangerous and should not be permitted on paths in the park. The Arlington Heights Park District is now looking into ways to increase the safety of its most popular park, but there is little they can do to prevent cyclists from using a path that was created in part for their use.
It is unclear whether the husband will bring any sort of negligence action against the park, the individual cyclist who struck his wife, or the organization of riders. Accidents involving pedestrians or cyclists can take many forms and often involve a negligent driver of a car. For example, there are accidents where road and weather conditions are perfect, but a driver is either distracted and/or fails to exercise caution and injures an innocent pedestrian. Accidents also occur where road conditions are less than ideal (such as poorly paved roads or bad traffic signals). Such scenarios can contribute to the cause of a pedestrian accident.
Some of the most common negligent driver activities include the following items: 1) distracted driving, such as talking on the phone or texting (this is becoming rampant throughout Illinois and the entire country); 2) driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol; 3) speeding through an intersection; 4) making an illegal U-turn; and 5) missing stops signs or inadvertently passing through one without stopping.
Innocent pedestrians or cyclists are at a disadvantage on the road along side drivers of cars and other motor vehicles. A person injured by a negligent driver is encouraged to contact an injury attorney to protect their rights to fair and just compensation for their suffering and losses.