Collisions between standard automobiles and bicycles can be incredibly catastrophic. Due to the smaller size of the bicycle and the massive weight of most automobiles, the resulting crash between the two leaves the car or truck unscathed while the bike receives the brunt of the force of impact. Bicycles can weigh in as light as 20lbs, the average passenger automobile weighs in around 3,000lbs, easily 150 times heavier than the bike. This number alone portrays why autos fair well in these collisions and bicycles are left mangled and barely identifiable. The lack of any barrier between the bicyclist and the road, automobile, and surroundings makes the injuries cyclists suffer all the more severe.
Due to the serious, extensive nature of injuries that bike accident victims in Houston recieve, their lives can be forever changed. Some common injuries that Houston bike accident victims incur are:
• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
• Neck and spinal cord injuries
• Fractured limbs
• Extensive scrapes and cuts
• Paralysis
Although wearing proper protective equipment (such as a helmet) may limit the extent of an injury, the sad reality is that some of these bike accidents are so severe that they cause the wrongful death of the cyclist. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are approximately 520,000 bicycle accidents each year that cause a victim to need hospital care. Tragically, there were an estimated 575 bicycle accidents that ended fatally in 2007. With this data, it can be calculated that there is someone hospitalized every minute in the United States due to a bicycle accident.
When the driver of a motor vehicle engages in negligent behavior, serious accidents can take place; with these accidents often come serious personal injury. As bicycles are significantly smaller than full-sized cars, they can be harder to spot. This alone attributes to a majority of bike accidents in and around the Houston area. A majority of collisions between cars and bikes happen simply because the driver of the car fails to see the cyclist in time. Although this is true, it certainly is not a means of defense againts a charge of negligent driving. Drivers owe a duty of care to other motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists that they share the road with. When this they act negligently, thus breaching their duty, then they can be found to be the causation of or “at fault” in an accident. Some examples of negligent driving that contribute to Houston bike accidents are:
• Failing to yield the right of way
• Illegal turns
• Failure to check blind spot before turning
• Backing out of a driveway without checking for cyclists and pedestrians
• Speeding
• Drunk driving
Statistically, a majority of Houston bike accidents occur in intersections where the driver fails to yield or doesn’t check for a cyclist in a blind spot.
Been in a bike accident in or around the Houston area? If so, seek the service of an experienced Houston bike accident lawyer as soon as possible to start processing your claim. Oftentimes, victims of bike accidents are left injured for life and must rely on the compensation that a claim of personal injury can provide. It is best to not speak with the insurance company of the motorist invovled without a Houston bike accident lawyer present. Insurance companies often try contacting victims to settle quickly at a low figure. Electing to talk with them without professional legal council present can severely limit the extent of the compensation you may be entitled to.