The Florida Bicycle Accident Attorneys of Gilman Law LLP are Here to Help You.
Accidents: Car Accidents | Truck Accidents | Motorcycle Accidents | Bus Accidents | Pedestrian Knock Downs
Florida Bicycle Accident, Personal Injury Lawyers
Riding your bicycle in Florida is an enjoyable and healthy form of recreation, and cycling recently gained popularity in Florida as a form of commuter transportation when gasoline prices climbed to $4 or more. Yet bicycling can be dangerous because cyclists must share Florida’s roads with larger cars, trucks and buses.
Collisions between a bicycle and a car or truck can be devastating to bike riders, resulting in serious injuries, fractured bones, paralysis or death. Bicycle accident injuries are often serious, leaving people with substantial medical bills and lost time from work or school. In some cases, the victim may have permanent disabilities and be unable to work.
Sobering Bicycle Accident Statistics
Many drivers do not look out for cyclists or recognize that bicyclists also have a legal right to be on the roads. In 2007, nearly 700 bicyclists were killed and more than 44,000 were injured in traffic accidents according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Florida had the highest number of bicycling fatalities among all the states. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reported that there were 4,847 crashes injuring 4,403 bicyclists and killing 121 bicyclists. In 2007, Florida had the nation’s highest rate of bicycle fatalities in the nation–6.5 bicycle deaths per million people. Nationally, the fatality rate for all cyclists was 2.31 per million people.
If you or a loved one have been injured in a bicycle accident in Florida caused by another motorist, the personal injury law firm of Gilman Law LLP has experienced bicycle accident attorneys that will represent your legal rights and strive to get you the compensation you deserve for your injuries. Our bicycle accident attorneys serve clients across the state of Florida, including Naples, Fort Myers, Marco Island, Cape Coral, Lee County, Collier County, Everglades City, Golden Gate, Immokalee, Bonita Springs and Sanibel.
Please complete our online free consultation form or call Gilman Law LLP toll free at (888) 252-0048.
Causes of Bicycle Accidents
Bicycle accidents can occur due to roadway hazards, defective parts and mistakes made by the rider. Many injuries, however, involve a car or other motor vehicle. Driver negligence or recklessness is often behind car-bicycle accidents. In some instances, drivers pull out of a parking space without checking for approaching bicyclists. Increasingly, bicycle accidents take place while drivers are distracted by talking on cell phones or texting messages.
Other common mistakes made by motorists that lead to collisions with bicycles include:
- Turning in front of a bicycle;
- Inattentiveness while passing a bicyclist;
- Failure to yield right of way at an intersection or running a stop sign or red light;
- Failure to look both ways at a stop sign;
- Failure to signal;
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol;
- Opening the door of a parked vehicle without looking for cyclists.
When motorists fail in their duty to keep a proper look out for bicyclists, they can be held liable for the damage and injuries that they cause. Even when a bicyclist’s actions contribute to the accident, a motorist has a responsibility to watch the road in front of them and obey traffic laws, such as speed limits, that are intended to protect other road users. Our lawyers who concentrate in bicycle accidents investigate each case to expose driver negligence, speeding and other factors that contributed to the accident.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Bicyclists face a number of factors and risks when riding their bicycles due to the lack of protection for the cyclists. This does not include the fact that they share the road with motorized vehicles that may have limited sight lines, slow reaction times and other risk factors. A car or truck striking a bicycle may result in the cyclist suffering very serious injuries:
- Broken Bones/Compound Fractures
- Head Injuries/Traumatic Brain Injuries
- Back and Spinal Cord Injuries
Bicycle accident injuries are often serious, leaving people with substantial medical bills and lost time from work or school. In some cases, the victim may have permanent disabilities and be unable to work. If you’ve been a victim of a Florida bicycling accident caused by another motorist, you may be entitled to compensation for current and future medical bills, as well as lost wages and pain and suffering. Bicyclists have the same rights as any other person on the road and they deserve an aggressive lawyer to fight for those rights. Our Florida bicycle accident lawyers have helped hundreds of victims and their families recover from injuries in car, truck and bicycle accidents. Our lawyers have achieved success in winning large settlements to ensure our clients can put their lives back together after a serious accident.