New York City’s Department of Transportation estimates that the number of commuters who cycle in the city has seen an increase of 221% during the past decade. Many New Yorkers view bicycle riding as an efficient mode of transportation, a fun way to exercise, or one way to limit damage to the environment. However, occasionally the riders are the ones who are harmed.

Every year, some people are seriously injured or killed in bicycle accidents in New York. The accidents often involve collisions between bicycles and automobiles, which may be either moving or parked. Drivers sometimes ignore road signs or streetlights; other times, they may simply get distracted, fail to notice a bicycle rider near their car, and turn into the rider’s path. A common type of bicycle accident occurs when a driver parks a car and opens the door directly into the path of an oncoming rider.

If you have been injured in a bicycle accident, you may be able to get compensated financially for your medical bills and associated costs, for the pain and suffering that you underwent (or are undergoing), and for any lost wages related to the injury. If the injuries were severe, you may require expensive, life-long care, and your ability to earn a living may have been reduced by the accident; such costs and losses may also be compensable. In order to be eligible for compensation, you would have to prove the extent of the harm that you suffered, as well as the fact that the injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence (or, in some situations, by the use of a defective product).

If you or someone you love has been injured in a bicycle accident, you should contact an experienced attorney right away. With the passage of time, key information (for example details about the road conditions at the location and time of the accident) may be lost. On the other hand, you should not rush into any settlement offered by an insurance company: early in the process, you may not even realize the full extent of your injuries, or the impact they may have on your life long-term.

Consulting with an experienced personal injury attorney is the best way to ensure that you will gather all the relevant evidence and present it effectively as you pursue your legal rights, whether in court or during negotiations with an insurance adjuster.

For a free consultation regarding your case, please contact attorney Nicholas Rose by calling toll free (877) 313-7673, or emailing info@nroselaw.com.