Recognizing that many people in Phoenix wish to travel by bicycle, the city and surrounding areas have attempted to accommodate bicyclists by enforcing road sharing laws and implementing bike lanes. Yet, even these efforts aren’t enough to ensure bicyclists’ safety. This is because errant drivers abound. In the blink of an eye these negligent motorists can cause devastating bicycle accidents that leave victims struggling to recover.
The statistics surrounding bicycle accidents are startling, too. In 2017 alone, 783 bicyclists were killed in wrecks involving motor vehicles. Over the last 15 years or so, fatal pedestrian and bicycle accidents have increased nearly 6%. The deaths have increased by about a third between 2008 and 2017. Many of these accidents occur at locations other than intersections and in the dark.
There are many causes of fatal bicycle accidents. Oftentimes other motorists simply fail to recognize that bicyclists are present on the road. As a result, it is not uncommon for a driver to fail to yield to bicyclists when making a left turn, and they sometimes fail to slow down to prevent a rear-end collision when bicyclists are traveling with other traffic in the roadway. Drunk and distracted drivers also pose a significant risk. These drivers can swerve into bike lanes and strike bicyclists or run them off the road.
Those who are hurt in a bicycle accident often face serious damages. Since these individuals lack the protections afforded to those in passenger vehicles, bicyclists are often left with broken bones, serious lacerations and brain and spinal cord injuries. The physical, emotional and financial ramifications can be devastating, if not ruinous. This is why it is often in these individuals’ best interests to consider legal action. If successful on one of these claims, a victim may be able to secure the compensation they need to obtain needed medical care, cover lost wages and obtain a sense of closure.
