More and more people have been opting to commute by cycling both for exercise and enjoyment. Unfortunately, these bicyclists can be severely harmed by careless or reckless drivers who fail to exercise proper care around them.
Proving Negligence in a Bike Accident Case
To recover financial compensation following a bicycle collision, it is necessary to prove that the defendant driver was negligent. A motorist is considered negligent when they fail to follow the standard of care of a safe and reasonable driver. An injured cyclist and their local attorney must prove the driver breached this duty and directly caused the bicyclist’s damages. Any time a defendant violates the duty of care could be considered negligence when it harms a claimant. Some examples of defendant conduct that may constitute negligence includes:
- Failure to respect bicyclist’s right of way
- Distracted driving
- Following too closely
- Failure to check blind spots
- Improper passing on roadways
- Crashes onto sidewalk or other non-roadway
When drivers fail to operate their vehicles safely, it can result in life-altering injuries for a cyclist. A reliable legal representative could help an injured biker hold the negligent driver legally liable.
