Bicycle Accident Attorney in Brooklyn

Bike riding is a wonderful form of exercise and can be great, low-impact transportation. If the weather is nice and you don’t need cargo space for storage, a bicycle could potentially get you where you need to go even faster than a car. And you won’t use any gas to get there.

A bicycle is also good to have when you don’t need to go anywhere at all. You can just ride around a park or your neighborhood and enjoy the breeze in your hair. Even in a city like Brooklyn, there are plenty of areas perfect for enjoying a bike ride.

Unfortunately, as great as a bicycle ride can be, it also comes with risk. Anytime you ride a bike, there’s a chance you will end up in an accident. Sadly, bike accidents can result in horrific injuries.

If you have been injured in a bike accident, contact a Brooklyn bicycle accident lawyer at Morgan & Morgan as soon as possible to schedule a free case evaluation and learn about your compensation options.

Traffic Laws for Bicycles

Bikes have an unusual relationship with traffic laws. For many traffic laws, they are treated like cars. But for other traffic laws, they are treated like pedestrians.

Furthermore, bike riders often disregard traffic laws because it’s safer for them to ignore those laws than to follow them. And while a traffic officer might look the other way, this doesn’t mean that these violations are acceptable.

That’s one of the many challenges of riding a bike on Brooklyn streets. Traffic laws don’t always make bike riders safe. But if bicycle riders ignore those laws, they can be cited for making the safer choice. Furthermore, if a bike rider ignores a traffic law, they can be liable for an accident, even if ignoring the law was the best option.

If you regularly ride a bike on Brooklyn streets, you should familiarize yourself with all traffic laws that apply to you and try to respect them whenever you can. This will protect you from liability if you are involved in an accident. Consult with a Brooklyn bicycle accident lawyer if you have any questions.

Dangers of Riding on Brooklyn Streets

The biggest danger of riding on Brooklyn streets are the cars that share the road with you. Unfortunately, even if you follow every law and take care to ride safely, they still represent a serious threat.

The first difficulty is that many drivers don’t respect your right to use the road. If you are following traffic laws, you have the right to use a full traffic lane and travel at a reasonable speed for a bicycle.

Many drivers, though, get impatient when behind a bike rider. They will either try to illegally pass the bicycle or share the lane. Both of these actions put you in serious danger of being struck. Unfortunately, unless a traffic officer directly witnesses this activity, there are rarely consequences—unless they hit you.

Even then, there may not be consequences, especially if the driver flees the scene of the accident. You are unlikely to be able to record the license plate number of a car that just hit you, and there might not be any witnesses. It is too easy to sideswipe a bike and get away with it.

And if the driver does remain at the scene, they might still get away with it. It’s their word against yours about what happened. And since many bike riders break traffic laws regularly, the car driver might get the benefit of the doubt.

Furthermore, even if drivers are respecting your right to the road, you could still be in danger. Bikes have a small frame compared to cars and aren’t always easily visible. Many bike accidents happen because a car driver never saw the bike rider.

This is especially common if you drive when visibility is low, like at night or on foggy days. Even with reflectors or a light, your bicycle will be difficult to see. And unless a driver is being very careful, they are unlikely to notice you before an accident is imminent.

Finally, like nearly all streets in New York City, Brooklyn streets are often crowded and drivers are often in a hurry. This means that you don’t have much room to maneuver, and many people may be driving more recklessly than they should.

This combination makes it difficult for bike riders to avoid accidents. You should be especially aware of your surroundings when riding in Brooklyn and always be on the lookout for a safe place to move if a car is bearing down on you.

During heavy traffic, the safest option is to dismount your bike and walk with it on a sidewalk. While this might slow you down, it’s much safer than trying to ride in the same lanes as cars in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Eventually, one of those bumpers could come into contact with your bicycle.

What to Do if You Are Involved in a Bicycle Accident in Brooklyn

There are a couple of things you should do immediately if you are injured in a bike accident in Brooklyn.

Probably the most important of those things is to ascertain that you are physically safe. If there’s any chance that another car will hit you, move to a place where you are no longer in danger. Otherwise, remain where you are because moving could potentially worsen any injury you already suffered.

Additionally, get a medical evaluation as quickly as possible. While many people are nervous about the cost of an ambulance trip or an emergency room, you will not incur any cost if you are evaluated by an EMT at the scene. You should get that initial evaluation to ensure that you are not in mortal danger.

If the EMT says you need immediate care from a doctor, set aside your fears of cost. A Brooklyn bicycle accident lawyer from Morgan and Morgan can help you get that money later. But we can’t do anything for you if an injury is left untreated and disables you for life—or kills you.

Another thing that you want to do, if possible, is to get the contact information of the person who hit you. If they attempt to flee the scene, record their license plate number and a description of the car as best you can. You may need to speak to witnesses to get some of that information.

If the individual doesn’t flee, get pictures of their driver’s license, insurance card, license plate, and registration. This information will help your Brooklyn bicycle accident lawyer contact their insurance company to get you the compensation you deserve.

Finally, your attorney can only represent you after you retain a lawyer. This means that you should contact Morgan & Morgan as quickly as possible after your accident. The sooner you consult with an attorney, the faster they can get started on your case.

This matters when you have been seriously injured. Your medical bills will start piling up from the moment you see a doctor. But it will take a while before you receive compensation. Every day that we can save is a little less time that you will spend in debt.

Common Bicycle Accident Injuries

Sadly, injuries from a bicycle accident are usually serious. When a car and a bicycle collide, the bike rider typically gets thrown off at a very high speed. This results in common serious injuries like the following:

• Road rash
• Loss of limbs
• Organ damage
• Traumatic head injuries
• Broken and crushed bones
• Spinal cord injuries, including paralysis
• Loss of life

Nearly all of these injuries require months or years of treatment. And depending on the severity, even with proper medical treatment, you could be disabled for life after a bike accident.

The only good news is that you may be eligible to get compensation from the insurance company for the driver of the car that hit you. If you are eligible, you can get enough money to pay for your medical bills, lost work time, and other expenses. 

To accomplish this, you need a good Brooklyn bicycle accident lawyer to ensure that you get the money you deserve.