Bicycle accidents in Pennsylvania resulted in 1003 injuries and 16 bicyclist fatalities in 2019, according to PennDOT statistics. Given the nature of bike accidents, cyclists often sustain serious, if not fatal, injuries upon impact. A bicycle accident attorney in Pennsylvania can help you get the compensation you deserve.
Pennsylvania is absolutely gorgeous, and many cyclists love to take in the scenery and get in their exercise via cycling. Plus, a lot of riders use cycling as a regular means of commuting. Unfortunately, we have many bicycle accidents in the state, posing a real concern to riders. Victims (or their families) can pursue compensation against any drivers whose negligence contributed to the accident. To determine if you are eligible to file a claim, you can contact our firm to speak with an experienced bicycle accident attorney today.
What do I do if I was in a bicycle accident?
If you were injured in a bicycle accident, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. Sometimes, you may not feel like you’re in pain immediately after the bicycle accident. This is actually common. You should still seek medical care just to make sure you don’t have any serious internal injuries. Additionally, if you don’t treat immediately, but go to the hospital days later, it could hurt your claim.
Once your medical care is under control, contact our Pennsylvania bicycle accident attorney to discuss your claim.
What if I’m in a bicycle accident but don’t have health insurance?
In most cases, if you have car insurance, you should have medical coverage available. But even if you don’t, if the driver of the vehicle was at fault, your medical expenses may be covered by the driver’s insurance. Don’t let a lack of health insurance stop you from getting treatment!
Once your medical care is under control, contact our Pennsylvania bicycle accident attorney to discuss whether we can help you get your medical bills covered.
Factors of Bicycle Accidents
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation divulges interesting bicycle accident facts for the state in 2019. We’ll break down some of these bicycle accident statistics for you.
Time of Day
The majority of bicyclists’ injuries occurred during daylight hours. However, several of the fatalities occurred during non-daylight conditions.
Intersections
In 2019, the majority of bicyclists were injured at intersections and one half were fatally injured at non-intersections.
Traffic Control Device
Bicycle accidents occur with roughly equal frequency, whether there is a traffic light or stop sign present or not. Injuries occurred more often at traffic control devices than where there were no controls, but a higher percentage of fatalities occurred where there were no controls.
Age
The two most vulnerable age groups for bicycle accident injuries are ages 10 to 14 (15.7 percent of injuries), and ages 20 to 34 (25.5 percent of injuries). Children ages 5 to 14 were the most vulnerable to fatal injury and injury while riding a bicycle.
Drivers Must Obey Traffic Safety Laws
There are numerous traffic laws regarding bicycles that both drivers and cyclists need to adhere to. Failing to follow the basic rules of the road and driving while distracted largely contributes to bicycle accidents.
For instance, some of the basic bicycle laws that drivers in Pennsylvania need to be aware of include:
- Drivers have to stay at least four feet away from cyclists on the road.
- Bicyclists have the right to use any portion of the lane to avoid roadway hazards if only one lane is available.
- Drivers turning left must yield to oncoming cyclists.
- Drivers who force cyclists off the road can face criminal charges.
If a driver doesn’t follow these laws and you’re hurt as a result, you may be entitled to compensation for the driver’s negligence. Our Pennsylvania bicycle accident attorney can discuss this with you.
Pursuing Compensation for Bicycle Accident Injuries
If a driver causes a bicycle accident and is in violation of a traffic law, it can be considered negligence under Pennsylvania state law. The cyclist or his or her family can file a claim against the responsible party to recover losses for damages such as:
- medical and/or funeral expenses;
- lost wages or loss of income;
- pain and suffering; and
- mental anguish.
For help starting the claims process, contact a Pennsylvania bicycle accident attorney and begin compiling paperwork and evidence. Your attorney will need to be able to demonstrate the other party’s negligence, as well as the extent of your damages to the insurance company or the courts.
Pennsylvania Counties Served
With three offices in Pennsylvania, we are close to you no matter where you are. Typically, our PA bicycle accident attorney services the following counties:
- Adams County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Berks County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Bradford County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Bucks County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Carbon County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Chester County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Columbia County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Cumberland County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Dauphin County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Delaware County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Franklin County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Juniata County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Lackawanna County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Lancaster County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Lebanon County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Lehigh County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Luzerne County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Lycoming County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Mifflin County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Monroe County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Montgomery County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Montour County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Northampton County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Northumberland County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Perry County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Philadelphia Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Pike County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Schuylkill County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Snyder County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Sullivan County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Susquehanna County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Union County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Wayne County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- Wyoming County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
- York County Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If your county is not listed, call us. While these are the counties we typically serve, our PA bicycle accident attorney has handled cases in other counties upon request.
Contact Our Pennsylvania Bicycle Accident Attorney for Help
You do not have to go through this difficult process on your own. Out PA bicycle accident attorney will provide you with the strength, confidence and charisma you need to fight for what is right after someone else’s negligence has left you with a serious injury.
With three offices in Pennsylvania, we’re close to you no matter where you are. Call 570-224-9529 to schedule a free consultation with our PA bicycle accident attorney or reach out to your closest office:
