Englewood Bicycle Crash Lawyer Shares Ways Drivers May Be Negligent Toward Bicyclists

Injured in a bike accident? An Englewood bicycle crash lawyer knows that some drivers don’t respect the bicyclist’s rights to the road. If you were seriously injured in a bicycle accident, liability of the driver will need to be established with adequate evidence to file a claim. Proper evidence may refute some of the driver’s defenses in the case.

Traffic Violations or Distracted Driving

One of the more common ways that drivers may be negligent is by violating traffic laws. This could include failing to yield. Some drivers may not even notice a bicyclist, or may simply fail to recognize that he or she has a right to be on the road.

Other traffic violations that may indicate negligence are going over the speed limit and running a red light. A more reckless form of negligence could be driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or driving at an excessive speed. Of course, traffic violations put not only bicyclists at greater risk, but other motorists as well.

Similarly, distracted driving is another type of negligence and could take their eyes off the road long enough to do injury to a bicyclist if they:

• talk on a phone
• interact with another passenger
• text
• reaching for an object that is out of reach.

Common Ways Drivers Are Negligent Specific To Bicyclists

Sometimes bicycles can be difficult to see but that still doesn’t absolve drivers from the responsibility to be vigilant in driving and that includes watching for bicyclists. They may pull out in front of a bicyclist, such as from a parking lot or driveway, which could lead to a collision and injuries.

In some cases, a driver may drift into the bike lane. Although there may be an area of the road designated for bicyclists, drivers may fail to see it or choose to disregard it. Distracted driving, which was mentioned earlier, may play a role in some cases as well.

What’s important to remember when determining bicycle accident liability is that the same laws that apply to a driver also apply to a bicyclist. Both are to be treated the same, despite the difference in the form of transportation.

Consulting with an Englewood Bicycle Crash Lawyer

If you believe that a driver acted in a negligent manner and it caused a bicycle accident, contact Englewood bicycle crash lawyer D.J. Banovitz at 303-300-5060 for help determining bicycle accident liability. You can also help prepare for your meeting with an attorney by obtaining our FREE injury guide, 7 Costly Mistakes that Can Ruin Your Colorado Injury Case. This can help you avoid some of the common mistakes made with an injury claim.