Blog Post
Frequent Biker? Don't Be Negligent – Follow These 3 Tips
- By Admin
- •
- 05 Jan, 2018
In a personal injury case - including in a bike accident case - you have to prove both that the other person involved in the accident acted negligently and that you didn't contribute to the accident through your own negative behavior. In some cases, if the court or insurance company decides you shared fault for the accident, you might not be awarded the full amount of compensation you'd otherwise receive.
If you're a biker, do your part to avoid car collisions by following the guidelines listed below. If an accident happens in spite of your best efforts, get in touch with a lawyer who can help you fight for financial restitution so you can recover from your injuries.
1. Follow Traffic Laws
Automobile drivers are notoriously bad at understanding the basic rules road bikers are legally required to follow. For instance, many drivers fail to realize that bikes are allowed on most major roads and prohibited from biking on sidewalks, where they could strike pedestrians. As a result, many drivers honk, swerve wildly around bikers, or drive aggressively to show that they don't believe you deserve to be on the road.
As a cyclist, you absolutely have the right to be on the road as long as you follow a few basic rules, including the following:
- Always bike on the correct side of the road - with traffic, not against it.
- Like the cars around you, obey traffic signals, stop signs, and yield signs.
- Use hand signals to indicate left and right turns and stops.
When you follow these rules, you protect yourself both physically and in a court of law. If you can show that you weren't doing anything illegal or violating traffic laws at the time of the accident, you'll have a much easier time proving that the driver who struck you did so because they were negligent and, most importantly, that you played no role in the accident.
2. Wear a Helmet
If you suffer a major head injury after being hit by a negligent driver, you'll likely still be awarded damages even if you weren't wearing a helmet. However, wearing one shows the judges and insurance company that you did everything you could to protect yourself while biking. And, in some cities, wearing a helmet on the road is the law.
Most importantly, wearing a helmet can protect you from devastating brain damage that can result from car accidents. Whenever you head out on the road, wear a properly sized helmet buckled neatly under your chin. It could save your life.
3. Be Careful in Inclement Weather
Just as drivers still have to drive in bad weather, bikers still have to bike in bad weather. But if you're cycling during a windstorm, snowstorm, or thunderstorm, you should take a few extra steps to protect yourself:
- Be extra aware of your surroundings, especially speeding cars and standing water.
- Wear brightly colored reflective gear so drivers can see you through the wind and rain.
- Give yourself extra time to slow down or stop, especially on slick roads.
When you follow these tips, you'll do your part to bike responsibly and help yourself and others weather the storm safely. You'll also decrease the chances of an insurance company claiming you were at fault in a bad-weather accident.
Following these tips won't guarantee you make it down the road accident-free, but they'll go a long way toward showing a judge that you did everything in your power to prevent an accident from occurring.
Need help demonstrating that you weren't at fault? A lawyer can make an even stronger case that you behaved responsibly while biking and that the driver acted negligently. If you were recently involved in a car accident in Wisconsin, contact a lawyer with Osinga Law Offices, S.C., who can defend you.