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When to consult a bicycle accident attorney

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Cycling is one of the most stimulating and engaging activities you can participate in. Riding bicycles is fun. You get to have an adventure in your hometown while burning calories, which is beneficial to your well-being.

Bicycle riding is a hobby to most people and a professional sport to others. Have you ever heard of Tour de France? It is multiple annual races held in France. As you can see, cycling is a huge sport and fun activity.

There are different bicycles from road bikes, mountain bikes, commuter bikes, and folding bicycles. Unfortunately, bicycle accidents do occur, and you need to know what to do when that happens. In this post, we will look at the bicycle laws and how an attorney can help you.

How common are bicycle accidents?

According to statistics, there are about 742 fatal bicycle accidents per year in the US. There is a significant increase in bicycle-related accidents. With such high numbers of accidents, you need to have a bicycle accident attorney who can represent you if you go to court.

As a cyclist, you have the right to be represented in court by an attorney aware of bicycle laws. In most cases, the cyclist is innocent and gets in an accident because of carelessness from other road users, institutions that are supposed to maintain roads, signs, or natural factors that are beyond your control.

To be on the safe side, having an attorney will help you defend your case in court. You might be wrongly accused and charged due to lack of information which may lead to jail time or fines you could have avoided by having a lawyer.

Common causes of cycling accidents

Accidents don’t happen out of the blue. There are factors that lead to accidents. Most bicycle accidents are motor-vehicle related which involve drivers. Let’s have a look at the most common causes:

1.  Distracted drivers

Bicycle accidents on public roads usually occur due to driver-related challenges. If you commute to work by cycling, you need to be aware of other road users. Distracted driving is the leading cause of bicycle accidents. Drivers get distracted by using their phones while driving instead of being aware of their surroundings.

If such an event occurs, your bicycle lawyer will help you prove this in court, and you will be compensated by the driver or insurance company of the car owner.

2.  Impaired driving.

Ever heard of the term don’t drink and drive? Drivers who go ahead and drive after having some shots or getting high endanger themselves and other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists. It is illegal to drink and drive.

An attorney will do all the necessary checks to see what caused the accident. If the driver is high during the accident, they are liable to compensate you and could be arrested.

3.  Fatigued Drivers

Drivers who are always on the road from morning to night time are likely to get fatigued and cause serious accidents. Truck drivers are more prone to fatigue because they are consistently delivering goods from one region to another.

To help reduce driver fatigue, most companies have a driver reliever, and the drivers take turns once they get tired. As a cyclist, it is good to avoid cycling next to trucks.

4.  High speeds

Different types of roads have different speed limits. Exceeding the speed limit increases the risk of accidents occurring. This is because high speeds give you little room to make instant decisions which could be lifesaving. To discourage exceeding speed limits, drivers are issued with a speed ticket and fined.

Conclusion

If you happen to get involved in an accident as a cyclist, it is important that you speak to a bicycle attorney as soon as possible. It is also wise to be aware of the bicycle laws in your region.

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