Causes of Bicycle Accidents

Orlando, Florida

If you are injured in a bike accident (or any type of motor vehicle accident), you probably have many questions and don’t know what your legal rights to compensation are. The experienced bike accident attorneys at Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter in Orlando can help. We have handled countless motor vehicle and bike accident cases for Floridians who were injured (or killed) due to someone else’s negligence. Cyclists have as much right to be on our roadways as passenger vehicles do, but sometime the rules of the road are not obeyed and respect is not shown to cyclists. Most bike accidents occur due to driver negligence.

Popular, Yet Dangerous, Activity

Bicycling has become increasingly popular in Florida, especially in tourist areas such as Orlando. Sightseeing via bicycle is an extremely popular tourist activity, and there are more and more bike paths being constructed to keep up with the rise in the number of cyclists on our state’s roadways. Also, with gas prices going up and down (mostly up), many Florida residents are cycling to work now to save on gas. Sadly, with the rise in bikes on the road, also comes a rise in the number of bike accidents. As stated earlier, in the majority of bike accidents, the driver of the motor vehicle is at fault. Some of the most common driving errors made include:

• Pulling out in front of a cyclist
• Opening a car door in the path of a cyclist
• Failing to yield properly
• Ignoring a stop sign or stop light
• Drinking and driving
• Turning into a cyclist

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles lists the following statistics for the year 2007:

• 4,800—total number of bike accidents
• 4,303—total number of bike accident injuries
• 121—total number of bike accident fatalities

If a cyclist is not killed in a bike vs. car accident, then usually serious personal injury is suffered due to a lack of protection. Some very common bike accident injuries include:

• Traumatic brain injury
• Spinal cord injury
• Broken bones
• Severe lacerations

If you have been injured (or a loved one was killed) in a bike accident in the Orlando area, you may be entitled to compensation. Please contact the experienced bike accident attorneys at Colling Gilbert Wright & Carter today to schedule a confidential, no-cost consultation so we may hear the details of your case.