Chicago Bike Accident Lawyer

Bicycles are no match for cars and trucks on roads. Of course, the safest way to bicycle is first wear a bicycle helmet and make sure that you watch out for cars, trucks, motorcycles that may not see you, the bicyclist. But bicycle accidents resulting in a wrongful death account for about 2% of all traffic deaths. In fact since records have been kept, more than 47,000 bicycle rides have been killed in bike-car-truck collisions. these statistics are gathered by the National Center of Statistics and Analysis.

Bike injuries are commonplace in Chicago, Illinois and the United States. More and more people use their bicycles for work, school and for just getting around doing errands. This fact has come about both as a necessity and because more and more people acknowledge that using a bicycle for short travel is much more efficient and of course, alleviates the need for some other motorized vehicle. At the same time, motor vehicles are not necessarily accustomed to the bicycle traffic that they now encounter. To avoid collisions with cars and trucks, bicyclists must be alerted to that danger.

One of the best ways to avoid a collision with a car or truck is make sure that a headlight is in use on your bike if you’re riding at night. Look for the LED headlights which last ten times longer than the old-styled battery powered lights. A helmet or head mounted lights is the best. Helmets are responsible for saving the lives of thousands of bike riders over the years. Wearing helmet is simply common sense and protects to some significant degree the most vulnerable part of your body; your head.

For bike safety, it’s a good idea to have a loud horn to use whenever a car or truck is approaching. To avoid collisions, be alerted to cars pulling out, cars opening doors in your path, and cars turning right into crosswalks.

Bicyclists should obey all traffic lights and stop signs just as motor vehicles do. Another danger is the right turning vehicle in your path. Bicycle lanes are often on the right curb of the street. Cars and trucks don’t necessarily see bicyclists proceeding straight when cars and trucks are turning right. Be careful not to pass on the right of the car or truck. As a general rule, it would be safer to avoid busy streets. It also may be important to rethink the idea of using mobile phones and iPods when riding your bike.

Bike accidents and serious injury are too common and occur most often because drivers of cars, trucks and motorcycles are not looking for bicycle riders. Even law enforcement officers tend to side with operators of cars and trucks over the bike rider in cases of collisions. We recently handled a case where our client, biking home from his job in Chicago’s Loop was literally run over by a delivery truck. Not only did the truck driver not recognize our client’s presence, who was pedaling along the designated bike path, but he struck the client and crushed both his left leg and the bike. He was seriously injured with a fractured femur and multiple other wounds and injuries. The truck driver stopped his truck only because a witness walking nearby cried out for him to stop. At first blush, the police who reported to the scene as the ambulance took our client to the hospital was swayed by the truck driver that our client, the bike rider was at fault. That quickly changed when the police officer interviewed eye witnesses to the incident. As soon as we were retained, we too interviewed eye witnesses who confirmed the version of the collision was the truck driver’s fault. Although a lawsuit was filed and some oral discovery was done by way of depositions, the case settled for a substantial amount of money as soon as the true facts were known. It was important in the handling of the case that we had the area photographed and witnesses contacted shortly after this occurred. People tend to forget or are less able to recollect a fact clearly if a long time has passed before being questioned.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle accident, call our office 24 hours a day and speak to attorney Robert Kreisman. We are able to give you a free and confidential evaluation of your case. There are no legal fees for this advice. As a driver of a bicycle or a vehicle, it is important to remain alert and vigilant at all times. Drivers of motor vehicles should also be aware that bicyclists are entitled to the very same rights that they have in driving on public ways.

Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Chicago bike accident cases for more than 40 years. From auto-bicycle to truck and auto crashes, Kreisman Law Offices has prevailed in trials and settlements in Chicago and has successfully settled cases for their severely injured clients over these many years.

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a bicycle accident, please call us for an immediate free consultation. With our years of experience and trying and settling bike accident cases, Kreisman Law Offices provides the best possible services to our clients and have achieved unsurpassed results. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free at 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online.