Cars and trucks provide significantly more protection for their occupants in accidents than what bicycle riders have available. Like motorcyclists, bicyclists are much more susceptible to injury in case of an accident — there is no protective cage. But, bicyclists are in many ways more fragile than motorcyclists because they cannot move as quickly or be as proactive in heavy traffic of cars, buses and trucks.
Worse, most vehicle drivers who do not ride bicycles do not understand that bicyclists have many of the same rights as motorists to use the roads. Car and truck drivers who do not ride bicycles often get annoyed at bicyclists for not being able to move as quickly as a car or truck.
For these reasons, it can be a very scary thing to ride a bicycle on surface streets, particularly because cars, trucks and buses driving 30 to 40 miles an hour faster than you often pass within inches of your left shoulder. Bicycle riders simply must steel themselves to this and get used to it.
If you have been T-boned, right or left hooked, rear-ended, doored, or been tossed from your bike by a road defect, in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Edmonds, or Lynnwood, please contact us for a free consultation. For you to safeguard your rights, it is important to contact a lawyer as soon as possible after your accident and hopefully before you speak to any insurance company.
I am here to help. Call 206-274-9997 or email me for a free initial consultation today.