Bicycling is a very popular recreational activity in Chicago, Illinois, and across the United States. As a result, there are over 500,000 bike riders nationwide treated for injuries each year. David Kremin’s affiliates often represent bike riders who are injured in collisions with motor vehicles. His affiliated law firms consist of teams of dedicated and experienced lawyers with years of experience with personal injury cases involving bicycle accidents.
If the driver of an automobile negligently hits a bicycle rider, that bike rider may be entitled to compensation for their injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of income, disfigurement, loss of normal life, and any other losses related to the collision.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents
Often, other drivers simply don’t notice bicycles sharing their road space, and their lack of attention can quickly cause an accident. Among the many factors contributing to bicycle accidents are:
- Drivers fail to yield the right of way.
- Drivers don’t see cyclists approaching an intersection.
- Drivers make a right-hand turn in front of a cyclist traveling in the same direction.
- Drivers turn left into the path of an approaching cyclist.
- Drivers fail to give cyclists enough room when passing.
Were You Injured While Riding Your Bicycle?
Each year, more than half a million people in the United States are treated in emergency departments and more than 700 people died as a result of a bicycle related injury. Of course children are at a very high risk for bicycle related injuries. In 2001, children 15 years old and younger counted for almost 60% of bicycle injuries. The U.S. Department of transportation and other agencies surveys resulted in the following: Approximately 60 million people, 28% of the population age 16 or older rode a bicycle at least once during the summer.
Our firm represents Chicago and Illinois clients who have suffered personal injuries from bicycle accidents. These accidents can cause catastrophic injuries and even wrongful death. These injuries can be severe and life altering. This is why you should secure an attorney immediately if someone was negligent causing you to be injured while you or a loved one is on a bicycle.
Bicycle riders suffer a number of serious injuries and fatalities, which normally involve motor vehicles and those accidents, are usually the fault of the driver of an automobile.
According to NHTSA, nearly 50,000 bicyclists were injured in traffic accidents in the United States, and nearly 700 were killed in one year. As most riders are aware, vehicles usually do not pay adequate attention and do not respect the rights of bicyclists, and therefore do not look for riders before making moves that could endanger their lives. This is often the result of a vehicle driver’s failure to check the blind spot before changing lanes and making turns directly in front of bicyclists. Also, drivers of vehicles may open doors in front of the bicycle rider, which causes the rider to crash and fly over the open door resulting in serious injuries or death. However, injuries occur often in driveways, side streets and sidewalks.
When involved in an accident while riding a bicycle, the bicyclist has the same rights to receive compensation as motorists do in vehicle accidents. Our law offices have represented many injuries resulting from bicycle-vehicle accidents. We understand the Illinois applicable bicycle laws and aggressively pursue compensation for our injured clients. In bicycle accidents it is important for your lawyer to secure accident reconstruction experts to prove the motorist was responsible for the accident. We also would utilize expert medical experts to support the injuries of the injured victim.
If you were involved in a bicycle accident, it is imperative you contact our offices immediately in that valuable evidence may be lost, witnesses may disappear and the other party’s insurance company may take advantage of you. Immediately upon learning of your accident, our lawyers start a full investigation and take prompt action to secure all relevant evidence.
There are national statistics regarding bicycle accidents. A few of them are set forth below:
- More than a half million people in the United States are treated in emergency rooms, and more than one thousand people die annually as a result of bicycle accident related injuries;
- The U.S. Department of Transportation statistics show that more than 8,000 bicyclists die and almost 800,000 were injured in a motor vehicle related accident; and
- More than one-third of all bicycle fatalities involve riders ages 5 to 20 years old, and over 40 percent of non-fatal injuries occur to children under 15 years of age.
Bicycle riding used to be just a recreational sport but has increasingly become popular means of transportation. In fact, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 70 million people ride bicycles in the United States, and almost 30 percent of all American households have at least one bicyclist. Biking has many benefits for both riders and the environment, but it also carries risks. Riding a bicycle on the same road as motorists increases the likelihood of bicycle accidents and fatalities.
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident as a result of negligent driver of a vehicle, dangerous road conditions or even defective bicycle parts, the experienced lawyers of David K. Kremin & Associates can help you. Our firm and its affiliates have secured millions of dollars for injured victims. If you were injured in a bicycle accident, it is imperative you contact a lawyer immediately. Our firms believe a lawyer should be contacted as soon as possible in order to secure and save all accidents and obtain witness statements, all to prove your case and secure significant compensation for all injuries.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are over 50,000 injured bicyclists annually. Of those:
- At least 23,000 suffered catastrophic injuries;
- Over 6,000 suffered incapacitating injuries;
- Over 20,000 suffered other levels of injuries; and
- Over 10,000 of these accidents involved people of the ages of 25-34.
According to the CDC claim more than 600,000 are treated in emergency rooms from bicycle accidents, and 30 percent of the emergency room visits are head injuries, the most common cause of disability and fatal bicycle accidents, which is why wearing helmets have become so popular. In the later part of year 2000, over six hundred bicyclists were killed in traffic collisions in one year. Of these, eight were killed in construction maintenance zone crashes and five were killed in emergency vehicle related crashes. Eighty-five bicyclists were killed in crashes involving an alcohol impaired driver, which accounts for almost 15% of all bicycle fatalities.
Bicyclists should know they have the same rights, duties and obligations as a passenger in a vehicle. In these types of accidents, there is a high and likely result of fatality or brain injury from bicycle accidents in that they are not protected by any vehicle.
If you are involved in a bicycle accident, please call David K. Kremin & Associates, for a free consultation at 1(800) ASK-A-LAWYER or 1(800) 275-2529. We promise you will talk with an attorney with 20-30 years of experience in this area.
Do not talk with other persons, such as the insurance company, until you have consulted with our law firm. We make a point to return calls immediately. If you were involved in a bicycle accident, you need to know your rights immediately and let the insurance company be put on notice of your injuries.
There is never a fee for a consultation, and you are charged based on a contingency fee basis which is a percentage of what we collect for you. In other words, if we collect no money for you, we are not paid.
You should be aware you can be compensated, even if a motorist never hit your bicycle. There are many situations where a bicycle rider is injured when they take a course of action to avoid being hit and a crash results from that. The motorist can still be held liable if the negligence require the cyclist to take evasive action.
You should also understand if the vehicle which caused the accident was not insured, your automobile insurance would cover you under the uninsured/underinsured motorist provision per your vehicle. Most people do not understand there auto insurance can protect them if they are struck by a vehicle while riding a bicycle. It is imperative to hire an attorney immediately to maximize the amount of your settlement by securing evidence.
Bicycle cases tend to be complex, and the cause of the accident is not always clear. This is the reason why it is important for your lawyer to go beyond the police report and get to the issues.
After a serious incident, a cyclist should secure immediate medical attention. You should try to do the following:
- Obtain the police report no matter how minor the incident may appear;
- You should take photographs of the scene of the accident and your injuries;
- You should document your physical condition and insure medical reports include the fact your injury was caused by the accident;
- Preserve the evidence. Do not send your bicycle to be repaired and leave your clothes unwashed.
Most bicycle accidents involve bicycles colliding with a larger vehicle. Accordingly, a bicyclist is a distinct disadvantage when it comes to the results of the accidents, and they are completely exposed both to the body of the vehicle that hit them and the concrete below. Common injuries from these types of accidents include: Broken bones, sprains, spinal trauma and traumatic brain injuries even if the bicyclist is wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Due to the significant injuries which result in most bicycle accidents, it is imperative to contact an attorney immediately. If you contact David K. Kremin & Associates, I promise you will talk with one of the top attorneys in the State with 20-30 years of experience. We look forward to talking with you about your case and giving you free legal advice during the initial consultation. Please contact us directly at 1(800) ASK-A-LAWYER or 1(800) 275-2529.