Reduce Personal Injury to Cyclists

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Reduce Personal Injury to Cyclists

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

Many people in Chicago ride a bicycle around the city – for transportation, for sport or leisure. But not all drivers take cyclists into consideration when exiting their vehicles. The result is an injury that a Chicago personal injury attorney would advise you is called “dooring” – when a motorist hits a cyclist with their door.

Dooring accidents can cause serious injury and even death by knocking cyclists off their bicycles – onto the pavement and sometimes even into the street. These incidents can cause injuries serious enough that cyclists have mounting medical bills and an inability to work, at which point they require the services of a Chicago personal injury lawyer.

The State of Illinois recently decided to consider dooring crashes when evaluating roadways and outlining improvements to make them safer. Additionally, there will be increased signage raising awareness about the hazard of dooring crashes to both motorists and cyclists.

In spite of these recent efforts to make Chicago safer for cyclists, Chicago personal injury lawyers know that cycling can still be hazardous on city streets. The best way to avoid cycling injuries is to wear a helmet, use recognized signals and be aware of surroundings at all times.

If you’ve been involved in a dooring or other bicycle accident in Chicago contact a personal injury lawyer right away. You need to protect yourself when facing absence from work and mounting medical bills.