Chicago Bicycle Accident Lawyer - Article

Causes of Bicycle Accidents

With the increasing prices of gas, more and more people are turning to commuting by bike than ever before. Unfortunately, this frequently puts them in the path of cars and other motorized vehicles.

Part of the problem surrounding bicycle accidents is that drivers of motorized vehicles, or non-cyclists, feel that cyclists take their lives into their own hands by riding recklessly or venturing onto a street at all. Unfortunately, this does not give proper due to the cyclists. The majority of cyclists are very alert and very responsible when riding on city streets.

Cycling accidents, in fact, are much less common than accidents involving a pedestrian and a motor vehicle or two motor vehicles. While responsible bike riders do a lot, many more risks could be diminished through public education, combined with more responsible pedestrians and drivers.

There are three main traffic risks for cyclists. They are:

• Reckless, belligerent, or blindsided motorists
• Swinging car doors
• Jaywalking pedestrians

Unfortunately for cyclists, all three of these dangers are beyond their ability to control. A cyclist cannot control how alert another motorist is on a given day. A cyclist cannot control when people open their car doors, and a cyclist does not make pedestrians jaywalk.

When cyclists are involved in accidents involving motor vehicles, they frequently suffer severe injuries. It is rare for the driver of the motor vehicle to be injured seriously, as the car has so much more weight and so many more protective features.

If you have been injured by a car while riding your bike, contact the Chicago bicycle accident lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake at 314-466-8220 to discuss your situation and to determine your legal options.