When Do You Need Bicycle Accident & Injury Lawyers?

What Is the Most Common Bicycle Accident Injury?

Even when wearing protective clothing and safety gear like helmets on a bicycle, our bodies are largely vulnerable should we fall, crash, or get hit by another vehicle. The most common bicycle accident injuries include:

• Soft tissue injuries to skin caused by road rash, bruising, or lacerations, including to the face and eyes of bicyclists
• Head and neck injuries caused by whiplash due to sudden stopping, and impact injuries that can lead to traumatic brain injury (TBI) or spinal cord damage
• Broken bones and other musculoskeletal like dislocations and sprains
• Vital organ damage from tears, ruptures, or puncture traumas
• Genitourinary injuries to the genital area, reproductive organs, or urinary system

Even when learning to ride a bike with every safety precaution, a simple fall can still cause serious injury to skin, joints, bone, and brain. However, if you’re involved in a bicycle accident with another vehicle, the risk of severe and irreversible injury skyrockets.

The Smith Law Center has unique, industry-leading experience in brain, spine, and catastrophic injury cases — contact us at (757) 244-7000 for the proven experience you need.

Where Do Most Bike Accidents Happen?

The statistics for where most bicycle accidents occur paint a revealing picture regarding where safety standards are lacking. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS):

• The majority of bicyclist deaths occur in urban areas each year (as high as 80%), as opposed to rural areas (20%).
• Most bicyclist deaths occur between 6-9 PM, regardless of the season (these are the twilight hours around sunset).
• Men are 4x more likely to be injured and 6-8x more likely to die in bicycle accidents than women. Men’s share of the fatality number has been greater than women’s every year since 1975.
• Counterintuitively, bicycle fatalities in bike lanes, intersections, and parking lots make up only 37% of deaths, while the majority (63%) occurred on the open road or other locations (like driveways).
• Adults between 50 to 59 years old have the highest rate of bicycle fatalities, while children and adolescents under 20 years old have the majority of non-fatal bicycle-related injuries.

These numbers indicate that adult bicyclists are most in danger during the evening hours, and in places where drivers don’t stop to look for pedestrians.

Data and research like this helps your attorney build your injury case, as it indicates that fatal crashes are more likely when drivers aren’t paying close attention. It also helps account for when environmental factors (like the brightness/position of the sun) could be minor or major factors in an accident.

Knowing where and when the majority of bicycle accidents and fatalities occur helps to pinpoint liability after a crash.

What Should I Do if Someone Has Hit Me While I Was Biking?

If you’ve been struck by a car, truck, motorcycle, or other vehicle/individual while riding your bike, your first priority is your safety.

All injuries, even if they seem minor at the time, should be evaluated by a medical professional. If you’re able to do so, securing your private effects is also important. Items like your keys, wallet, and other valuable or identifying possessions should stay with you.

Once you are home or stabilized in the hospital, here are the next steps you should take to protect yourself:

• Call an attorney: The sooner you have a legal professional on your team, the better. The lawyers at Smith Law Center can gather evidence on your behalf, interview witnesses and bystanders, advise you regarding initial insurance company offers to settle, and file any paperwork necessary to begin legal action.
• Maintain your privacy: You are under no obligation to talk directly to the people who hit you, nor their legal or insurance representatives. If you speak to police, you can do so with an attorney by your side. When talking to medical staff, you only need to discuss medical matters which they must keep confidential, not any other details regarding the accident.
• Keep all records: Any documents about medical procedures, insurance paperwork, or other bills associated with your accident (like towing) should be kept whenever possible. These records can serve as vital evidence later to help us strengthen negotiations for a settlement or argument in court should your case go to trial.

If you have questions about your rights or what qualifies as possible important evidence, speak with an attorney at Smith Law Center for specific information. We provide a free, no-obligation consultation regarding your legal options and the services we provide with representation.