Articles Posted in Bicycle Accidents

According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, bicycle accidents account for a significantly higher percentage of sports-related head injuries than football. This is surprising given that football typically dominates the head injury discussion. In fact, cycling is the number one cause of traumatic brain injuries in this country. This is also true of sports-related head injuries in children younger than 14. While bicycling is an exceptionally healthy, environmentally friendly activity, its wholesome image may mislead people into feeling invincible when on a bike.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that in 2013, 743 bicyclists were killed and 48,000 were injured in crashes with motor vehicles. When cyclists collide with a car or truck, their risk of serious injury and death skyrockets if they are not wearing a helmet. Approximately 90 percent of bicycle riders killed nationwide are not wearing a helmet. There is currently no federal law that requires the use of bicycle helmets, although many states and localities have their own laws. Most of these laws apply to children under the age of 18, however, there are certain laws that pertain to all ages. Although many states do not require the use of bicycle helmets for adults, the decision to wear one should not be taken lightly. Your chance of escaping serious head injuries and death is directly related to your choice to wear a helmet. Continue reading

With the summer in full force and more bicyclists on the roads than ever in Massachusetts, Altman & Altman would like to send out some friendly tips to both cyclists and drivers to stay safe on the roadsthis season.

According to the NHTSA‘s July edition of Safety in Numbers, in 2012 most bicyclist fatalities occurred between 4 p.m. and midnight (48%) and in urban areas (69%). One in four bicyclists (24%) who died in crashes had blood alcohol concentrations (BACs) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher, the illegal alcohol level in all states.

To prevent deaths and injuries, the NHTSA offers up the following tips for both bikers and drivers:

BICYCLISTS SHOULD ALWAYS:

– Wear a properly-fitted helmet that meets Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards.
– Ride focused and alert: don’t use electronic devices, and never ride impaired by alcohol or drugs.
– Be visible: wear bright colors, and use reflective materials and lights on your bicycle at night.
– Check your bike before heading out: check all equipment and parts for proper fit and function, including tires, brakes, handlebars and seats.
– Ride as a vehicle on the road; always travel in the same direction as traffic. Drivers do not expect bicyclists to come from the opposite direction.
– Obey traffic signs, signals and lane markings; signal all turns; and follow local laws.
– Be predictable by riding in a straight line, check over your shoulder for traffic when changing lanes, and always signal every lane change or turn when in traffic. Look ahead for traffic and obstacles.

DRIVERS SHOULD ALWAYS:

– Be predictable and signal your intentions to others.
– Obey the speed limit, drive defensively, watch for others, including bicyclists, and be prepared to stop.
– Turn off cell phones.
– Allow enough room when passing bicyclists, as you would when passing another vehicle.
– Yield to bicyclists as though they were a motorist.
– Stop completely before making a right turn on red and in addition to looking left-right-left, look behind to check for bicyclists approaching from the rear.
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Bicycles are becoming increasingly common in Boston as it evolves into a world-class walkable city. Cars and bikes are still learning to share the road, a task more easily said than done in the tight city streets winding up hills and around cobblestone sidewalks. As all Boston drivers know, traffic comes to a standstill during rush hour, with deadlock turning scenic bridges across the Charles into lines of steady red brake lights. Tempers flare and drivers and bicyclists do not always out for one another.

Bike accidents involving motor vehicles have become a serious concern for everyone on the road. Bike ridership has increased steadily in Boston in the past few years, and with that, problems have arisen with the notoriously treacherous Back Bay roads that were made for trolleys and horse-drawn carriages, not cars and bicycles. So many accidents have occurred in recent years that a Boston-area bike crash map has been created by researchers to map out danger spots for riders.
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A Northeastern student pushing herself to beat her mile time on a morning jog pauses for a moment at the corner of Huntington Avenue and Forsyth Street. A bicycle painted completely in white from its tires to the basket hanging on the front-a ghost bike-is a striking sight along one of the busiest roads in Boston. Kelsey Rennebohm was 28-years-old when she was hit and killed by an MBTA bus while riding her bike in that very spot two years ago. The ghost bike was placed in her honor by a local advocacy group, but Kelsey Rennebohm is hardly alone. A new Boston Bike Crash Map sheds light on the most dangerous spots for bikers in Boston by displaying accident data over a map of the city.

The project was organized and funded in part by the Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI) using data compiled by the Boston Police department. Working with the BPD, the Boston Cyclists’ Union, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh’s office, Harvard Injury Control Research Center doctoral student and BARI Fellow Dahianna Lopez poured over raw data to construct an interactive map that Bostonians could use to plan a safer ride.
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Bicyclists are at the mercy of the drivers around them. They don’t have the benefit of airbags, seatbelts or any protective steel cages. Even when cyclists wear helmets, they can still sustain severe and fatal injuries. Bicycle accidents often leave surviving victims in the hospital and out of commission. Motorists need to be on the lookout for bicyclists and share the road safely.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 800 bicyclists were killed in 2010 and an estimated 515,000 emergency room visits were due to bicycle crashes. They also report that most bicyclist deaths happen in urban locations and at non-intersection areas.
Who is Most at Risk?
• Young adults ages 15 to 24 years old • Adults ages 45 years and older • Males • Children ages 5 to 14 years old and young adults from ages 15 to 24 years old account for nearly 60 percent of all bicycle-related injuries.

Staying Safe

Bicycle helmets do reduce the risk of head and brain injuries during crashes. Helmets should always be size and age appropriate and properly fitted. Savvy cyclists also wear high-visibility clothing and ride conspicuously. Ultimately, motor vehicle drivers have to share the road with cyclists. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, contact an experienced Boston personal injury attorney for skilled representation.
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The family of Christopher Weigl is suing trucking company Ross Express and its employee John A. Brothers for his Allston, MA bicycle accident death. The 23-year-old Boston University graduate student died in December.

According to the plaintiffs’ Boston truck crash lawsuit, Brothers struck Weigle, who was in a bicycle lane while trying to make a left turn. They believe that Weigle had been riding cautiously, exercising the proper diligence for his own safety.

The family says that it was the job of the trucker and his trucking company to make sure they exercised due care so that Weigle was not struck. They say that Brothers should have known it was essential to be very careful, especially when operating his tractor-trailer in the busy urban area.