Respected Louisville Bicycle Accident Attorney Ready To Assist You
Cyclists have just as much right to utilize our city and state roads as any motorized vehicle. Yet each year hundreds of bike accidents take place in Kentucky due to the ignorance and negligence of others.
Unfortunately, when a bike and a motor vehicle collide, the motor vehicle always wins, while the cyclist all too often is left with serious and sometimes fatal injuries. What would be a simple fender-bender between two cars can be a deadly accident when a bike is involved. Even when the cyclist survives, he or she could face a long rehabilitation or permanent disabilities stemming from head injuries, neck and back injuries, fractures, lacerations, and internal injuries.
Far too many people, from drivers to police officers, are biased against cyclists and bike commuters. For this reason, it is extremely important for injured bike riders to speak to an experienced, knowledgeable Louisville bicycle accident lawyer about their case. To schedule an appointment with Louisville bicycle accident attorney Seth Gladstein and the team at Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC please call us directly or fill out our short electronic contact form.
Contact Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC today online or by calling us directly.
Louisville Bike Accidents Statistics
In 2014, Louisville Public Works put together a seminal report on bike accidents and bike safety in Louisville and the surrounding area. The report contains a number of important facts and statistics about bike collisions in the city, including:
- There is an average of 155 bike accidents in the city each year.
- Over 60 percent of cyclists involved in Louisville bike accidents sustained a serious injury.
- There were 17 fatal bike accidents in Louisville between 2003 and 2012.
- Three out of four bike accidents in Louisville happen on weekdays.
- Nine out of ten crashes take place on clear days and on dry pavement.
- Just over one percent of accidents involved drinking or drug use by either the cyclist or the motor vehicle driver.
- The most common two places for bike accidents to occur was along major arteries where there are high volumes of motor vehicles as well as at intersections.
The Five Most Dangerous Intersections in Louisville for Cyclists
Along with congested main arteries, intersections are the most common locations for serious bike accidents. Specifically, researchers have determined that there are five intersections within Louisville’s city limits that are hotbeds of bike-car collisions:
- Eastern Parkway and Bardstown Road (14 bike accidents in 2012)
- Bardstown Road and Grinstead Drive (11 bike accidents in 2012)
- Broadway and 2nd Street (8 bike accidents in 2012)
- East Broadway and South Jackson Street (8 bike accidents in 2012)
- Taylor Boulevard and Oleanda Avenue (6 bike accidents in 2012)
In some cases, bicycle accidents happen because of poor road design. When municipalities are aware of road design issues and do not fix them, they could be liable for your accident and injuries. It is important that you speak with a knowledgeable Louisville bicycle accident attorney to discuss your case and answer any questions you might have.
Contact Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC today online or by calling us directly.
Common Reasons for Bicycle Wrecks Caused By Drivers
Bike accidents happen for a myriad of reasons, from poor weather conditions to speeding to manufacturer defects. However, a significant number of Kentucky bike accidents take place because of the negligence of a motor vehicle driver. The most common ways that drivers can cause bike accidents include:
- Drivers turning left into the path of an oncoming biker.
- Drivers turning right into the path of a biker in the adjoining bike lane.
- Drivers who strike a bike in front of them traveling in their lane or in the adjoining bike lane.
- Drivers who do not give bikers the right-of-way.
- Parked drivers who open their door into the path of a bike in a bike lane (“dooring”).
- Drivers who are speeding.
- Drivers who are distracted.
- Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Automobile Insurance and Bike Accidents
Many people don’t know that the car insurance of a negligent driver can pay for all of the costs of injuries stemming from a bicycle accident. Under Kentucky law, and cases that have interpreted those laws, personal injuries caused by an automobile is liable to the protection and limitations of the Kentucky Motor Vehicle Reparations Act (MVRA), including bicycle accidents.
$125,000.00 SETTLEMENT for Motor Vehicle Accident Case
This case involved a bicyclist being struck by a car that did not have the right of way. As a result, the other driver struck our client. Our client suffered facial scarring, fibula and tibia fractures, and liver and spleen lacerations. He also incurred more than $3,000.00 in lost wages when he was out of work convalescing from his injuries.
The grand settlement total was $125,000.00.
Seth Gladstein – Louisville Bicycle Accident Lawyer
If you have been injured in a bicycle wreck in Kentucky, or if you know someone who has, the Louisville bicycle accident attorney at Gladstein Law Firm, PLLC is here to help you understand your possible claim and answer all of your legal questions. Seth Gladstein focuses on injury cases, and offers no-cost consultations so you can learn whether you are entitled to financial compensation for your bike accident injuries. Call our Louisville bicycle accident lawyer Seth Gladstein today at (502) 791-9000 or toll-free at (800) 991-0474.
