Despite the state of Connecticut focusing on road safety, bicycle accidents continue to happen at an alarming rate. Most bicycle accidents in Connecticut involve passenger vehicle drivers, city buses, or commercial truck drivers. In other cases, city buses will fail to yield or see the bicyclist before it is too late. Many Massachusetts bicycle accidents happen when the driver or the bicyclist became distracted and did not pay enough attention to their surroundings.
Unfortunately, bicyclists do not have any protection around them and are more likely to suffer serious injuries or death in a collision. If you have been involved in a Connecticut bicycle accident, it is essential that you speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. You may be entitled to compensation for your injuries through a personal injury lawsuit. We have listed some recent examples of devastating and deadly bicycle accidents below.
Last week, a 25-year-old Yale law student died while riding a bicycle north near the intersection of York Street and South Frontage Road. The bicyclist was riding North in the right-turn-only lane. He continued riding his bicycle through the intersection. A 25-year-old driving a truck turned right, and the bicyclist collided with the truck’s passenger side. Emergency medical personnel transported the bicyclist to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. This particular Connecticut intersection is particularly dangerous. Another crash happened only a day before in which a pedestrian stepped into the intersection and was hit by an oncoming vehicle. The pedestrian suffered dangerous, life-threatening head trauma as well as internal injuries.
In August, a bicyclist died after a car struck him and left him on Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford, Connecticut. Law enforcement has asked anyone with details of the accident to contact them and help them identify the hit-and-run driver. The victim was identified as a 44-year-old man who lived in New Britain and Hartford. The victim was riding a blue mountain bike when the driver struck him.
Two vehicles were traveling together for multiple blocks, dangerously weaving in and out of traffic while driving at high speeds before the driver struck the bicyclist. A witness to the bicycle accident stated that she heard a loud bang and realized that a dangerous event had taken place. He did not hear any attempt to stop or screeching tires after the pedestrian was hit. Hartford residents have claimed that residents frequently use the accident location as a drag racing site where drivers fail to abide by speed limits.
A bicyclist died after colliding with a large tractor-trailer truck in Middleton. The bicyclist was a 64-year-old man, and the accident happened on Randolph Road. While the truck driver was not injured, the bicyclist passed away from his injuries. Police officers are not aware of the accident’s cause but have sought tips from anyone who witnessed it.
Bicycle accidents can happen almost anywhere, and they are particularly common during the cold and icy winters in Connecticut. Many bicycle accidents are caused by passenger vehicles; however, bicyclists themselves cause accidents in some cases. Some of the most common causes of Connecticut bicycle accidents include turning without looking for bicyclists, driving too close to bike lanes, driving too close to shoulders, making unsafe lane changes, and using cellphones while driving.
In one of the fatal bicycle accidents mentioned above, the driver made a right-hand turn into a bicyclist crossing the street. We do not know with certainty whether the bicyclist had the right-of-way while crossing the street. However, it is a bicyclist who was legally crossing the street; the motor vehicle driver would be at fault for his death. The driver could have been distracted and failed to pay attention properly to the path ahead before making the right hand turn. If he or she had been looking and traveling at a safe speed, perhaps the collision could have been avoided.
Unfortunately, both motor vehicle drivers and bicyclists are more distracted than ever. Many of us are used to using our cell phones and tablets for most of our waking hours. For some people, they do not have the self-control to put their phones down even for a short time while driving, and they will check text messages, talk on the phone, or adjust their GPS or song selections while driving. When a driver is traveling at 45 miles per hour and looks down to check a text message for five seconds, he or she can travel the length of an entire football field without looking up. Bicyclists are smaller and less easy to see, making them common casualties of distracted drivers in Connecticut.
Another common cause of bicycle accidents in Connecticut involves failure to make enough room for bicyclists. In some cases, drivers pull over too far when they see a bicyclist because they are afraid of colliding with him or her. In other cases, cars cut it too close to bicyclists and fail to provide the bicyclist the amount of room he or she needs to safely ride. Failure to leave enough room for a bicyclist is especially dangerous during the fall and winter months, as cars may have to maneuver wet roads when trying to avoid hitting a bicyclist.
If you have been involved in a Connecticut bicycle accident, the best thing you can do is speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer who can advise you of your legal rights. Contact The Law Office of Michael E. Skiber today to schedule your initial consultation and learn how we can advocate for your right to compensation for your injuries.