Bicycling among adults has become increasingly popular in the last few years and has always been a popular activity for children. The unfortunate truth is that motorists are not accustomed to sharing the road with bicyclists and scooters, since they are are permitted by law to ride on sidewalks. Cyclists also do not often have enough time to react to activity on the road such as car doors opening and vehicles backing up quickly.
The McEnery Law Group is a Connecticut personal injury firm with a doctor/attorney and nurse/attorney. Their medical knowledge combined their decades of trial experience will help protect your interests. Do not hesitate to call 855-494-8300 if you or your loved was injured on their bicycle or scooter.
Staggering Truth
Injuries from bicycles, scooters, electric scooters and all terrain vehicles (ATVs) are increasingly common, and can be very serious. According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2010 over 515,000 people were sent to hospital emergency rooms in the U.S. because of injuries from riding bicycles and scooters.
Connecticut law says that a driver who is negligent is liable to pay for pain or injuries that he or she caused to another person as a result of that negligence. Generally you are entitled to recover from the driver even if you are partially at fault, as long as you are less at fault than the other driver.
Causes of Bicycle and Scooter Accidents
Common causes of bicycle and scooter accidents include:
- Driveway rideout: A youngster rides out of the driveway and gets hit by a car. Very often these incidents involve younger children: the median age is less than 10. Does your driveway present obstructions to the view of passing motorists, such as bushes or trees? If so, trim them back. Most importantly, teach your child about driveway safety.
- Running the stop sign: Most bicyclists who get hit riding through stop signs know that they are supposed to stop. They just don’t see why, or they get distracted. Impress on your child that while he or she may not get hit every time, running stop signs is very dangerous.
- Turning without warning: These collisions occur because the bicyclist makes an unexpected left turn without scanning behind for traffic or signaling.
- After dark: Most crashes in which a car comes up from the rear and hits a bike happen at night. These overtaking accidents can be serious. Most, however, involve older cyclists; the median age is about 20.
If you or your loved one was injured on a bicycle or scooter and you believe a motorist may have been negligent, call the experienced attorneys at the McEnery Law Group for your free consultation at 855-494-8300 or fill out the form.