As people
attempt to incorporate more fitness activities into their lives, bicycling has
become more popular in the United States. New bike-sharing programs in many
cities, including West
Palm Beach,
are also helping to increase the popularity of cycling as a means of
transportation. While bicycling has many benefits, sometimes tragedies occur,
as with car versus bicycle accidents, and bicyclists may need the help of an experienced
bicycle accident injury lawyer .
Florida Bicycle Accidents
From 2008 to
2012, almost 3,800 bicyclists were seriously injured and another 530 were
killed on Florida roads and highways. This breaks down to an average of 2.3
bicyclists being killed and another 88 bicyclists becoming injured every week,
according to the Florida
Department of Transportation.
Most cycling
accidents happen in urban areas (69 percent), where most cycling takes place.
However, crash data may be skewed because accident reporting typically applies
to public roadway accidents. So it is possible that many crashes are unaccounted for if they
occurred on non-roadway locations, such shared-use paths, parking lots,
driveways, and sidewalks.
About 71
percent of bicycle accidents happen on roadways, rather than at intersections.
About one-third occur on local streets and about three-fourths occur on roads
with speed limits of 35 mph or less.
Data also
shows that most bicycle fatalities happen during the daylight hours of June,
July, and August. Most accidents happen between the hours of 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.,
but early mornings are also a dangerous time for bicyclists.
Recent Bicycle Accidents In West Palm Beach And Boca Raton
Sadly Verify Statistics
In the past
couple weeks, there have been at least three tragic examples of the frequency
of bicycle accidents during the summer months in the West Palm Beach and Boca
Raton areas.
One accident
occurred on June 24th, where a bicyclist’s body was discovered hours
after the
bicyclist was fatally struck and killed in a hit-and-run crash near the
intersection of Okeechobee Boulevard and Sansbury’s Way in West Palm Beach,
according to police.
Two days
later, on June 26th, an early morning crash involving a man on a
bicycle closed all but one lane of traffic near Forest Hill Boulevard and
resulted in a Trauma Hawk air ambulance being sent to the scene to fly an injured
person to the hospital.
Then on June
29th a car
hit a cyclist just before 8 p.m. near Sandalfoot Boulevard and State Road 7, according to
the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office. The cyclist was found in the road and
was rushed to West Boca Medical Center.
Legal Help To Recover Damages In A Bicycling Accident
The law
requires drivers of automobiles, trucks, and other motorized vehicles to share
the road with bicyclists. All are required to obey traffic laws as well as use
ordinary care for the safety of those sharing the roadways.
If a driver
fails to obey the laws or otherwise behaves in a negligent way causing injury
to you, you may be able to collect for your injuries, including head or neck
injuries, broken bones, road rash and lacerations, or other internal injuries
or trauma.
At the law
offices of Scott J. Sternberg & Associates, P.A., we
represent West Palm Beach and Boca Raton clients who have suffered personal
injuries from bicycle accidents, or who are survivors of a cyclist killed due
to a driver’s reckless or negligent conduct. Our experienced attorneys will
discuss your situation and go over the options available to you, as well as
work with insurance companies and other involved parties to make sure you
receive maximum compensation for your losses. Call our experienced West Palm Beach bicycleaccident injury attorneys today at (561) 419-9321.
