Unfortunately, bicycle accidents in Virginia are more common than most think. In 2018, there were 633 reported bicycle accidents, and in 593 of those accidents, bicyclists were injured. A large percentage of bicycle accidents occur at no fault of the bicycle driver.
The most common bicycle accidents occur because of a lack of room on the road—drivers of other vehicles don’t adhere to sharing the road guidelines, or they fail to yield to bicyclists. Cyclists are required to stay on the right side of the road by law, but they are entitled to the use of the road as much as any other vehicle. Additionally, accidents are caused by poor street lighting, lack of safe sidewalks for bicyclists, and multiple other factors the bicyclists has no control over.
If you have been in a bicycle accident at no fault of your own, contact our experienced bicycle accident attorneys to help you receive the compensation you deserve for your losses.
Injuries sustained in bicycle accidents can be minor with small cuts and bruises, or incredibly dangerous, even fatal. If you were injured in a bicycle accident, chances are your injuries are more serious— bicyclists are at higher risk for sustaining serious injuries in crashes because bicycles provide the drivers with little protection.
Some of the most common injuries sustained in pedestrian accidents are:
Bicyclists who have been injured after being hit by a vehicle are entitled to file a claim against the at-fault party like any other automobile accident. For the most part, in Virginia, bicyclists have the same rights on the road as any other vehicle driver. This claim can cover any medical fees that have accumulated since your accident, like emergency room treatment, surgery costs, therapy, treatment center fees, medications, etc.
Your bicycle accident claim could request compensation for not just your medical fees, but compensation for the harms and losses inflicted upon your quality of life. For example, you may be restricted from going to work or participating in your activities like you normally would.
If you or a loved one was involved in a bicycle accident, you could be entitled to compensation for any economic and quality of life losses you have suffered as well as pain and suffering. The dedicated, experienced personal injury lawyers at Parks Zeigler are here to help you receive the justice you deserve.
Children riding bikes on roads requires vehicle drivers to drive with extreme caution. Unfortunately, children are involved with a large percentage of bicycle accidents involving cars. Drivers in Virginia are expected to drive with an appropriate duty of care around children.. For example, a driver who sees a child on a bike knows or should know that a young child may make rash decisions while riding a bike, like crossing into the street, or falling off their bike if they get scared. And the model jury instructions – instructions of law that are given to jurors deciding cases in the Commonwealth of Virginia – anticipate this issue. A jury hearing case involving the child might be instructed that:
If you believe by the greater weight of the evidence that the defendant saw, or in the exercise of ordinary care should have seen, the plaintiff near the scene of the accident, then the defendant had a duty to consider that the child might, upon childish impulse and heedless of danger, put himself in a position of peril. It then became the duty of the defendant to use the degree of care a reasonable person would use under the circumstances of this case.
A bike accident involving your child is incredibly serious and scary. As a parent, you are most likely terrified, frustrated, and anxious for your child while they recover from any damages sustained in the accident. In bicycle accidents with children, the age of the child is relevant. If your child is young, how could they know any better? The law defines the rules for “contributory negligence” of children based on their age.
Under Age Seven: A child under seven years of age is incapable of being contributorily negligent.
Seven to Fourteen: A child seven years of age or older but less than fourteen is presumed incapable of negligence. However, you may find him or her negligent if:
(1)It is shown by the greater weight of the evidence that the child had the capacity to understand the nature of the danger and the peril associated with his conduct, taking into consideration the child’s age, intelligence, and experience; and
(2)If you further find by the greater weight of the evidence that the child’s conduct did not conform to the standard of what a reasonable person of like age, intelligence, and experience would do under the circumstances for his own safety and protection.
Over Fourteen: The standard by which the conduct of a minor of fourteen years of age or older but less than eighteen is to be measured is that degree of care which persons of the same age, experience, intelligence, discretion, and knowledge would exercise under the circumstances of this case.
So it is clear that the agent particular circumstances of the case can have a great impact on the claim in the outcome.
If you are curious about your child’s legal rights in a Virginia bicycle accident, our trusted bicycle accident lawyers can help you understand the liability in your case and advocate for your child.
At Parks Zeigler, our personal injury lawyers have years of experience fighting for clients who have been in all kinds of accidents. We are as confident as we are familiar when dealing with Virginia traffic law cases. Each case is different, and the contingencies of each case will influence the amount of your claim. Our pedestrian accident attorneys will guide you through the process and suggest a strategy that we believe will be most effective for your situation.
We will provide you with the facts of the case as they relate to your unique legal circumstance, and will do all we can to ensure that you are compensated for the following:
If you’ve been in a bicycle accident, make sure you hire our bicycle accident attorneys to recover damages!
You may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering if you have been injured in a bicycle accident as a result of someone else’s negligence. Call us to schedule a free case evaluation to get more information on how we can help you today!
With an office near Town Center, Virginia Beach and a second location beside the Chesapeake courthouse, our team provides quality legal representation across the entire Hampton Roads Area.
Parks Zeigler, PLLC – Attorneys At Law
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