Like much of the Northwest, Renton has its share of bicyclists. Whether they are bicycling for personal health or for the health of the planet, they are on the roads along with all other traffic. Bicycles, including ones used by small children, are everywhere interacting with other vehicle traffic as well as pedestrians. All too often, riders are overlooked by other drivers on the road due to a wide range of negligence and recklessness. This, in turn, causes far too many bicycle accidents resulting in serious injury and death.
Cyclist Safety Can’t Combat Negligence by Itself
The state of Washington requires that if riding at night, a white front light (not a reflector) which is visible for 500 feet be installed on the bicycle as well as a red rear reflector. Small children, of course, should be attended to at all times while riding their bicycles to avoid injury or death. As bicycles are vehicles under the laws of the state of Washington, riders must abide by the same laws which regulate other vehicular traffic in the state. In addition, in the city, a bicycle rider is required to wear an approved bicycle helmet.
The possibility of injury to a bicycle rider comes from many sources:
- Passenger cars, trucks, buses, motorcycles and other vehicles on the road which may veer into the path of a bicycle to avoid another obstacle or simply because the bicycle was unseen by the driver
- Vehicles exiting parking lots, driveways, garages or other structures in the path of small children, who do not see them and who are not seem by them, biking on the sidewalk
- People opening their car doors in the path of a bicycle
- Potholes, sinkholes and other roadway irregularities or defects which are not readily identified or which have no notice to alert the bicyclist of their existence
- Defective manufacture of the bicycle or defective repair which creates a dangerous condition which is not easily ascertained by the driver, until it’s too late
Even the most careful bicyclist cannot avoid every possible circumstance where an injury or death may result from someone else’s negligence. In a second, someone takes his/her eye off the road and the next thing that happens is a bicyclist has been struck. Some collisions are so seemingly insignificant that after the crash, both the rider and the bicycle appear to be uninjured and undamaged. Some accidents cause sufficient injury to require medical attention immediately after the incident and for months to come. Sometimes, unfortunately, the injury is grave enough to make any aid unnecessary. Regardless of how the injury was inflicted, the consequences vary and their impact may be heavy.
Bicycle Accident Recoveries
- $170,000 recovery for a bicyclist injured when he was struck riding his bicycle.
Renton Bike Accident Lawyers Protecting The Rights Of Injured Bicyclists
If as a bicyclist, you have been injured in an collision, whether it involved a car, truck, motorcycle, or occurred as a result of unanticipated defects in the roadway or due to a bicycle product defect, before you begin to consider settling your case with insurance companies, do not settle for less than you deserve. Consult with an experienced and dedicated Renton accident lawyer at Pendergast Law to find out what rights you may have under the circumstances and what claims may be available to you. For a free consultation, you can call us at 888-539-9211. Se habla español.