Why You Might Need a Bicycle Accident Attorney
As children, we learn about the many dangers in the big world around us, and what to do to protect ourselves from it all. They all seem to be obvious and quite basic safety measures, such as wearing a helmet when you ride your bike, but as we grow older, so many of us seem to think that we have grown immune to those dangers. Yes, as you grow older, you become more aware of your surroundings and how the world works, and you begin to trust yourself more. You know how to avoid those dangers without taking extra precautions.
But what so many people seem to forget is that it is not always up to their own skill or powers to avoid trouble. There are many others out there who are not paying attention or being as careful, and they may very well cross your path. Taking precautions does not mean that you do not have faith in yourself in whatever given task you may be carrying out, it simply means that you are aware that anything can happen.
Get to know your local accident law firm
While everyone clearly hopes to avoid any major accidents, it never hurts to have at least a little bit of knowledge about how you would proceed in the event that something did happen. Even just finding out about where you would be able to make an accident claim will put you ahead of the game if something unfortunate occurs.
Imagine, for example, that you or someone in your family has gotten into an accident while riding a bike, and it involves a vehicle. Chances are, the person on the bicycle is not faring quite as well as the person or people in the vehicle. It would be a scary, traumatic, and painful experience. Starting from scratch to find the right bicycle accident attorney, in the midst of all of that stress and pain, would be exhausting and overwhelming. If you have at least some information ahead of time, you will have a place to start.
Staying safe while riding your bike
Bicycles have been a reliable mode of transportation for quite some time, with the first versions appearing hundreds of years ago. Significant improvements on the simple machine have been made over time, and now we have several different types to choose from, depending on the rider’s particular interests. But other advances have been made in transportation as well, and now bicycles share the roads with cars, motorcycles, semi trucks, and more. Wearing a helmet, being extremely aware of your surroundings, using proper hand signals, and paying attention to others on the road around you are all ways to help keep yourself safe. Knowing where to find your local bicycle accident attorney would also be advisable.
The most important thing to note, however, is the fact that some drivers do not value the same level of awareness. Many are distracted, rushed, or careless, and many are not watching for anything other than cars. This puts pedestrians, bikers, and motorcyclists at even higher risks of accident and injury.
Cars are not the only ones on the road
It is a common thing, unfortunately to drive in a distracted manner. It could be a cell phone or other portable device that takes the driver’s attention from the road, it could be loud music or kids in the back seat. It could simply be that the driver has a lot on his or her mind and is not paying enough attention to actually driving. For the most part, people seem to be comfortable with being distracted behind the wheel, armed with the false confidence that their past driving experience will keep them out of trouble. But many drivers are only paying attention to other full size vehicles on the road, which can very easily lead to the need for a bicycle accident attorney or a motorcycle accident lawyer.
Over the course of one year, more than 1,000 bicyclists were killed and nearly half a million more injured. More than 5,000 pedestrians were killed and around 70,000 more were injured in car accidents.
Accidents happen, but distracted driving needs to come to an end. Countless pedestrian and bicycle accident attorneys would agree.
