How Many Cyclists Suffer Injuries Occur Each Year?

NHTSA reported 49,000 injuries from traffic-related cycling accidents in 2021, representing a 5.4 percent increase from 2020. In the aggregate, it represents about two percent of all preventable traffic injuries in the U.S.; bicyclists make up less than one percent of all traffic participants.

What Accounts for The Upward Trend in Bike Accidents?

While fatalities have dropped over the last two years –most experts attribute the decline to decreased traffic during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic – injuries and bike accident reports have risen steadily over the last decade. Many factors have possibly contributed to the increase, including:

• Cycling continues to grow in popularity (meaning more inexperienced cyclists are on the roads).
• Drivers are not looking out for cyclists and do not share the road properly.
• Municipalities have been slow to recognize the threat bicyclists face, meaning safety measures like dedicated bicycle lanes have not been installed at the same pace as the number of bicyclists.

Of course, there are steps bicyclists should take to reduce their risk of being seriously hurt in accidents, including wearing helmets, following the rules of the road, and avoiding high-risk areas.

What are the Most Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents?

1. Drivers Not Paying Attention to Cyclists; NHTSA data shows that 30 percent of all bicyclist injuries result from cars striking them, and driver distraction is the most common reason.
2. Dangerous Road Conditions; roadways are not always safe for bicyclists and the responsibility falls on local municipalities to maintain dedicated bike lanes. However, NHTSA reports 13 percent of all cycling accidents resulting in injuries are due to unsafe road conditions, often due to the negligence of public entities responsible for maintaining the streets.
3. Drivers Fail to Consider Bicycles as Vehicles; motor vehicle operators must afford bicycles the same space and right-of-way as they do cars and trucks. More than 20 states have passed a “three-foot rule,” which requires drivers to allow at least three feet of space between their vehicle and a bicycle on the road.
4. Alcohol; More than one-third of fatal bicycle crashes involved alcohol in the system of either the driver or cyclist. Intoxicated driving rose during the pandemic, increasing the chances drunk drivers either failed or were indifferent to cyclists, causing severe injuries or death.

What You Should Do After a Bicycle Accident?

If you are a cyclist involved in an accident, attend first and foremost to your health. Get checked out by a doctor immediately and actively participate in any treatments your doctor recommends. In addition, make sure to attend all follow-up appointments and keep any records you receive.

As soon as you can, create a detailed statement of your experience in the accident while the details are still fresh in your mind. This statement will form a useful reference for any legal counsel you may secure and claim you make. Moving forward, keep a journal detailing your recovery and how your injuries affect you every day.

Do You Need an Attorney?

Seeking counsel after an injury-causing crash is always a smart move if you have been the injured party. Injuries from bicycle accidents are often severe. You may need expensive medical treatment, may lose work, and experience significant income loss as a result of your injuries.

While you’re dealing with potential losses, the other party’s insurance company adjuster will focus on resolving your claim for as little money as possible. If you’ve been injured in a bicycle accident and have questions, call Turner & Turner for a free consultation at (248) 355-1727.

Nobody anticipates being hospitalized, but it happens, and to plan, you need information, which is why Turner Law has made a list of eight things to consider ahead of a hospital visit. Print this list out and keep it posted somewhere accessible if you are unable to retrieve it ahead of hospital admission, someone you trust can easily find it.

Some items may seem obvious, but if you don’t have this basic information you can do very little, and your anxiety may spike. So even if  you think a question is stupid, try to answer the question yourself and, if you can’t do it in one sentence, get a professional to clearly explain the answer to you:

1. Find out your primary doctor’s name and the names of the specialists he or she will consult for your treatment.

2. Write down your diagnosis. Make sure that know the correct spelling of every condition or affected body part.

3. Ask what your prognosis is based on your response to treatment.

4. Get the name of the hospital social worker. He or she will help with insurance payments and billing issues.

5. Ask about complications from medicines you were taking before your hospital stay might have if they interact with medications from your hospitalization. Ask a professional to record these reactions on your discharge instructions.

6. Ask for multiple copies of discharge instructions, or at least a way of obtaining another copy of discharge instructions if you lose them. Make sure you run through all of the instructions with your caretaker (e.g. is there a special way to wrap a bandage) before you leave the hospital in front of nurse staff.

7. Ask about any special equipment that will help with your recovery, and get a recommendation from a nurse about a place to purchase it.

8. Ask a friend or family member to buy a paper calendar so you can record follow-up appointments. Sync up iCalendar or Google Calendar with your new paper calendar so you don’t lose track of any appointments.

If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident that requires a hospital stay, and another party was partially or fully at fault, call Turner & Turner PC today for a free consultation at (248) 355-1727.