Negligence For A Colorado Bicycle Accident

When a Colorado bicycle accident happens between a bicycle and an automobile it can result in serious injuries or even death. In some cases the cyclist is the one to blame, but the blame can also fall on the driver of the car for not taking extra care or precautions to ensure the cyclist’s safety. After all, cyclists have much less protection on a bike than a person does in a car or a truck. Because of the lack of protection this can cause injuries ranging from broken bones, sprains, spinal injuries, and more. A Colorado bicycle accident is a form of negligence. When it comes time to figure out who caused the accident, this can become difficult.

CHILDREN ON BICYCLES

Unfortunately, when it comes to bike accidents, children are the ones who are hurt the most. While drivers should always exercise the care and awareness of others, accidents do happen. Because children don’t understand how dangerous it can be to ride a bike, especially on roadways that are busy, they don’t realize how careful they need to be as much as an adult bike rider would. When a driver of a car is driving through an area where they know a lot of children will be riding their bikes such as by a school, a park or a residential neighborhood, the driver of the car should automatically exercise extra care in making sure they follow the speed limits and watch out for children on bikes.

DRIVERS VS BICYCLE NEGLIGENCE

In more cases than not, when a bicycle accident happens it’s because of negligence or recklessness. But, this does not automatically mean that the driver was the one that caused the Colorado bicycle accident. In fact, if a cyclist sues a driver for negligence, you can rest assured that the court will also hear and see evidence from the the bicyclist to make sure they were not the one being dangerous, careless, or reckless. The cyclist could have even broken a law, such as not riding with lights or deflectors on their bike when it’s dark out.

A driver may be found guilty if they were caught speeding, driving into the other lane, driving off the road into the bike lane, or failing to follow the laws of the road. Or just being reckless overall. A driver can also be found guilty if they were seen by a witness purposely intimidate or run the cyclist of the road.

If the cyclists is the one who caused the accident or they were the one who was being careless or reckless, they will not be able to sue or counter sue for compensation.

If you are a driver it’s important to always follow the rules of the road when it comes to giving a cyclist enough room. If you are a cyclist, it’s important to take extra care in being aware of your surroundings when stopping, turning, or changing lanes, there are not any cars around so you can do so safely.

Whether you were the driver or the cyclist, if a Colorado bicycle accident happened, you will need a lawyer to help you through the claim, as well as be your legal advocate if it goes to court. If you have questions about your case, need more information or would like a Free Consultation contact Sloat & Nicholson at 1-800-873-3202.