What to Do if You Have Been Seriously Hurt in a Boston Bicycle Accident
Biking is great for your health — until an accident results in severe injuries
Perhaps more than ever since cars started ruling the road, Boston residents have taken to biking as a means of transportation as well as for recreation. That’s great news, because bike riding is good for our bodies, our communities and our environment. However, people on bicycles must share the streets with cars, trucks and buses. And when bicycle accidents involve automobiles, the injuries are often catastrophic — or even deadly. At Swartz & Lynch LLP, our personal injury attorneys are dedicated to ensuring that the negligent driver who hit you, ran you off the road or cut you off and caused you to fall is held accountable for the harm he or she caused. We do that by getting you the compensation you deserve.
By law, bicyclists on Massachusetts’ roads have the same rights (and responsibilities) as motor vehicles. Still, cyclists have a distinct disadvantage in accidents and account for 2.1 percent of traffic crash fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). In fact, the increasing popularity of bicycle use in the years between 2002 and 2011 correlates with a steady increase in bike rider deaths.
If you are a bicycle rider and have been involved in a car accident in Boston or a truck accident, seek immediate medical attention. Obtain records from the physician and then secure legal representation. Chances are your injuries resulted in medical expenses, property damage and even loss of wages. Our attorneys will work tirelessly to see you compensated for all of those losses.
Causes of bike accidents
Beyond hitting a curb or a pothole, slipping on gravel or even having a bike-pedestrian accident, bike accidents are often caused by motor vehicles and can happen for many reasons:
- Drivers make unsafe turns in front of a cyclist or fail to signal a turn
- A driver opens the vehicle door as a biker passes
- A driver fails to yield the right of way
- A driver runs a red light or a stop sign
- Drivers don’t look both ways when leaving an intersection
- Drivers are distracted by cellphones, texting, eating or drinking, or using other electronic devices in their vehicle
Motorists owe young bike riders the highest duty of care
Under the personal injury law theory of negligence, a driver who behaves carelessly or recklessly and causes you harm is liable for your injuries. Motorists have a duty of care to bicycle riders — and that duty of care is increased when it involves a child. Unfortunately, children under the age of 14 accounted for nine percent of bike accident fatalities caused by motor vehicles in 2011.
Children who sustain catastrophic injuries may suffer throughout their lives. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children from infants to 14-year-olds results in an estimated 37,000 hospitalizations and more than 2,600 deaths annually. In addition to TBI, catastrophic injuries may include paralysis, limb amputations, severe burns and other injuries that require a lifetime of medical care.
If you or your child has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact a dedicated Boston lawyer today for a free consultation
Whether your bike accident was caused by a negligent driver or as the result of poor road maintenance, an attorney from Swartz & Lynch LLP stands ready to help. To schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your case and your needs, contact an injury lawyer online or call us at 857-250-0664 and speak with a lawyer directly. Home or hospital visits can be arranged if you are unable to travel to our office.