Bicycle Accident

How to Stay Safe while Bicycling in Virginia

by admin@gotechark.com | October 24th, 2022

Fall is one of the best times of year to be a cyclist in Virginia. The scenery is beautiful and the weather is mild. But no matter what time of year you ride your bike, you face serious risks from other road users. When you ride your bike, especially if you bike in an urban area, your biggest priority should be reducing your risks of being struck by vehicles.

Here’s how to stay safe while cycling:

  • Wear a helmet—Just as wearing a helmet saves motorcyclists’ lives, it can also save your life if you’re struck by a vehicle while riding your bike. Make sure your helmet fits you properly, and replace your helmet if it gets damaged in a crash.
  • Obey traffic laws—When you bike on public streets, you’re required to obey traffic laws just like people in cars, trucks, and SUVs. That means you need to come to a complete stop at stop signs and red lights, obey the speed limit, and maintain your lane.
  • Avoid distractions—Riding a bicycle requires focus and concentration. If you’re listening to music, engrossed in a podcast or audiobook, or looking at your phone, your focus won’t be on your surroundings. Keep distractions to a minimum while riding, and ensure your eyes, ears, and mind are focused on staying safe.

Even the safest and most conscientious cyclists can be seriously injured when other drivers are negligent, careless, or reckless. If you or someone you love is injured while riding a bike in Virginia, Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers wants to help.

Contact our Virginia bicycle accident lawyers today for a free consultation.

Your Bicycle Accident Injuries Deserve Maximum Compensation

by admin@gotechark.com | August 1st, 2022

It’s more important than ever for people to do their part in preserving our planet and environment. One of the best ways to contribute is by riding a bike instead of driving a car. But during the past century, our roads became dominated by cars, and their presence puts bicyclists at risk.

Cars becoming the standard vehicles on roads means that bicyclists are often viewed negatively, even when they’re involved in crashes that weren’t their fault. Insurance companies may assume that bicyclists were riding negligently, holding up traffic, or breaking traffic laws just before they were struck by vehicles.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know how expensive the medical bills associated with bicycle accidents can be, and we also know how common it is for injured bicyclists to be disabled for weeks, months, years, or even permanently. Between medical bills and lost wages, the costs of a bicycle accident can be enormous, and many injured riders feel helpless.

If you were recently injured in a bicycle accident, our Virginia bicycle accident lawyers want to help. We have many years of experience building successful compensation claims for injured bicyclists. We know the challenges associated with these types of accidents, including the challenge of convincing insurance companies that our clients weren’t at fault and are deserving of full compensation.

After a bicycle accident, get the legal representation you deserve. Contact our firm for a free consultation. There’s no obligation to hire, and we don’t get paid unless we get money for you.

You Can Sue if You Were Injured by an Opening Door While Riding Your Bike

by admin@gotechark.com | May 16th, 2022

The biggest threat that bicyclists face while riding in Virginia is vehicles. Cars, trucks, and SUVs, not to mention buses and semi-trucks, all pose serious risks to bicyclists. Even low-speed collisions can seriously injure and potentially kill bicyclists, as they may be wearing little to no protection at the time of their crashes.

But vehicles don’t have to be in motion to put bicyclists at risk. They can also cause serious injuries when they’re parked and drivers or passengers open their doors into the paths of bicyclists. This extremely dangerous scenario occurs all the time in urban areas and where street parking is near bike lanes.

This type of injury can be easily avoided when drivers and their passengers take just a few moments to check their mirrors or turn around and see if any vehicles or cyclists are approaching before opening their doors. But vehicle occupants don’t always do this, and when they don’t, they can open their doors directly in the paths of cyclist, putting them at risk of serious injuries.

“Dooring” is a common term for this type of accident, and it’s known to cause cyclists to suffer broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, paralysis, and even death. At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we work hard to help injured cyclists get compensation after accidents caused by negligent drivers and vehicle occupants, including those that occur while their vehicles are stationary.

Contact us today for a free consultation if you or someone you love was injured in a dooring accident. Our Virginia bicycle accident lawyers want to help you get maximum compensation.

Bicycle Injury Claims Aren’t Always Taken Seriously, But We Can Help

by admin@gotechark.com | January 31st, 2022

There are many good reasons to get around town on a bicycle. They have the lowest cost per trip of any type of transportation aside from walking, they provide exercise, and they allow you to soak in your surroundings and appreciate your neighborhood and community. But they also come with a huge drawback: a serious risk of injury when you’re involved in an accident.

America has been a car-centric nation for a century, and Virginia is no exception. We’ve built our cities to accommodate wide, multi-lane highways and giant parking lots. And while bike lanes are present in many cities and help cyclists stay safer, they aren’t a foolproof option.

Ultimately, the safety of bicycles comes down to drivers paying attention to them and being on the lookout for them, but that doesn’t always happen. Motorcyclists are already overlooked, despite having loud engines. Bicycles make no noise, making them even easier for drivers to overlook.

Unfortunately, when cyclists get hurt, they may have insult added to injury when they find out that their claims aren’t taken seriously. Insurers may either believe that they caused their own accidents or that their injuries aren’t as severe as they claim. In some cases, adjusters may be biased because they believe that bicyclists shouldn’t be allowed on public streets.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Virginia bicycle accident lawyers know the frustrations and stresses that injured cyclists face. Insurance companies are notorious for giving just about all auto accident victims a tough time, and cyclists often get the worst of it. We can stand up for your rights to the money you’re owed. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Don’t Be Unfairly Blamed After a Bicycle Accident

by admin@gotechark.com | October 25th, 2021

Bicyclists are extremely vulnerable on Virginia’s roadways. When they get hit by vehicles, they often suffer debilitating injuries. But because Virginia is a contributory negligence state, some bicyclists are unable to pursue compensation claims because they’re ruled to be partially at fault for their accidents.

Contributory negligence states rule that people who are even one percent at fault for their injuries and accidents can’t get compensation for them. Most states have comparative negligence statutes, which allow people to get compensation provided they aren’t more than 50% at fault.

Because Virginia is a contributory negligence state, it’s common for at-fault drivers and their insurers to claim others had at least a small degree of fault—including bicyclists. And because many bicyclists are seriously injured after accidents, they often aren’t in a position to defend themselves or prove otherwise, which means they’re forever locked out of getting compensation.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, we know how unfair this system can be to people who are wrongly blamed for accidents that weren’t their fault. Bicyclists may be blamed for failing to signal, speeding, failing to come to a complete stop, or turning into the path of a vehicle. And unfortunately, many police officers and insurance companies have negative views of bicyclists and assume they’re reckless and caused their own accidents.

If you’re being unfairly blamed, contact our Virginia bicycle accident lawyers today for a free consultation. We’ll work hard to protect your rights to full compensation.

Bicyclists Have Rights on Virginia’s Roads—Especially After Accidents

by admin@gotechark.com | August 9th, 2021

If you ride your bike on public roads near traffic, you already know that there are many perks—and many downsides—to getting around town this way. It’s an extremely low-cost form of transportation, and it provides plenty of fresh air and exercise. But it also puts you at an extreme risk of serious injuries if you’re involved in a crash.

Unfortunately, many bicyclists fail to pursue compensation after accidents that weren’t their fault. That’s because they may not realize that they have the right to do so under Virginia law. Bicyclists in our state are required to obey all traffic laws, including driving at or below the speed limit, stopping at stop signs, and maintaining a lane, but that also means they can sue drivers whose negligence injures them.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Virginia bicycle accident lawyers have helped many injured cyclists get the money they need for their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. We’ve seen the devastation that bicycle accidents can cause in riders, and many are left disabled, facing huge medical bills, and unable to enjoy their hobbies and time with loved ones.

Don’t miss out on the money you’re owed after a bicycle accident that wasn’t your fault. Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll work hard to get you every penny you’re owed, so you can work towards putting your life back together as best you can.

The 5 Biggest Risks Bicyclists Face in Virginia

by admin@gotechark.com | May 3rd, 2021

Riding a bicycle means exercise, fresh air, and NO visits to the gas station! There are plenty of perks to riding a bicycle, whether it’s for fun or to get around town, but there’s also a huge drawback: safety. When you share the road with big cars, trucks, and SUVs, you’re at significant risk of suffering a serious injury.

Avoiding a painful, disabling, and potentially life-threatening crash is all about riding as cautiously and defensively as possible. And doing so requires knowing the biggest threats you face on Virginia’s roads, which include:

  1. Intersections—Intersections are extremely dangerous for bicyclists, especially when drivers run red lights, don’t stop at stop signs, or turn right into the paths of bicyclists.
  2. Impatient drivers—Bike lanes allow riders a chance to share the road without slowing down traffic, but when they don’t exist, drivers may get impatient and dangerously overtake cyclists.
  3. Distracted drivers—Drivers must give the road their full focus and attention, but many drivers are distracted. Drivers who aren’t paying attention can drift into bicyclists.
  4. Vehicle doors—Cyclists who ride through downtown or urban areas often ride near parked vehicles. Open car doors are a huge threat to bicyclists and they must always be accounted for.
  5. Slick and uneven roads—The road surface can put cyclists at risk, especially when they ride over potholes, loose gravel, and wet leaves. Riders must always scan the road ahead for hazards.

When cyclists are injured because others were negligent, we work hard to help them get full compensation. Contact the Virginia bicycle accident lawyers at Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation.

We Help Injured Bicyclists Get the Money They’re Owed

by admin@gotechark.com | March 1st, 2021

Spring is almost here, and that means more days to enjoy your bicycle. Whether you use one to commute to work, or you just enjoy cruising around town and enjoying the pleasant weather, safety should always be your biggest priority.

Unfortunately, not all drivers are committed to safety, especially when it comes to sharing the road with bicyclists. To many drivers, bicyclists are little more than traffic-slowing nuisances, especially on roads without dedicated bike lanes. They often unknowingly put bicyclists’ lives at risk by recklessly passing them, drifting towards them, or cutting them off.

You can’t always trust drivers to be safe and attentive when they’re near you. And if you’re struck by a vehicle while you’re riding, it’s important to know that you’ve got an experienced legal team on your side that’s just a phone call away.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Virginia bicycle accident lawyers know that bicyclists have all of the same rights as other motorists, and when they’re injured because of negligence, they deserve a chance to pursue compensation. When bicyclists are struck by vehicles, they often suffer severe injuries, including broken bones,

Those injuries often mean weeks or months out of work and expensive medical bills that you may be unable to afford. Filing a compensation claim against the at-fault driver is an important way for injured bicyclists to get the money they need to recover and move forward with their lives. But convincing the at-fault driver’s insurance company to pay can be difficult, and that’s where we come in.

Contact us today for a free consultation. We’ll work hard to help you get the money you’re owed.

Watch for Road Hazards While Cycling This Winter

by admin@gotechark.com | December 7th, 2020

Riding a bike is great for exercise, but it can be much more dangerous than driving a vehicle. That’s because bicyclists’ only protection is the safety gear they wear. And for most adults, that amounts to a helmet—if that.

Although the biggest risk factor that bicyclists face in Virginia is inattentive drivers, another major risk factor is present during winter: icy roads, fallen tree limbs, and potholes. Here’s how these hazards can put bicyclists at risk of serious accidents and injuries:

  • Ice—Ice is the natural enemy of anyone using a roadway. It causes tires to lose their grip and brakes to lose their effectiveness. As a bicyclist, you’re better able to spot ice than people in vehicles, so take advantage of that by always scanning the road ahead.
  • Fallen limbs—Winter weather often causes downed limbs, especially after heavy snowfall and ice accumulation. Even small branches and sticks can cause bicyclists to take painful spills onto the road. When swerving to avoid downed limbs, check to ensure the road or adjacent lane is clear.
  • Potholes—When water gets into small cracks in the pavement and freezes, it expands and can cause the pavement to break apart. That results in potholes. These hazards are dangerous for everyone, including drivers, motorcyclists, and bicyclists, who can flip over the handlebars if their front tires enter them.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, it’s our job to help injured Virginia bicyclists get the compensation they’re owed when they’re hurt because of others’ negligence—even if that negligence is on the part of governmental agencies or road crews. Contact us today for a free consultation.

We’ll Help You Pursue Full Compensation After a Bike Accident

by admin@gotechark.com | September 14th, 2020

Bicyclists rarely get the respect and space they deserve on Virginia’s roadways. Every time they ride, bicyclists must be intensely focused on the dangers around them—particularly other drivers. Are those drivers looking out for them or even aware of their presence? When they aren’t, serious accidents can occur.

At Lowell Stanley Injury Lawyers, our Virginia bicycle accident attorneys believe bicyclists who get struck and injured by negligent motorists should never have to pay for their own bills out of pocket. Instead, that money should come from the negligent drivers or their insurance providers.

Unfortunately, we know that many bicyclists are reluctant to file compensation claims, or they may even be unaware that they’re eligible to do so. But bicyclists have just as many rights as other motorists on Virginia’s roads, provided they’re legally allowed to ride on them (i.e., roads and streets that aren’t considered major highways and interstates).

It’s our job to protect those rights and to hold the negligent parties responsible. If you or someone you love was hurt in a bicycle accident, the expenses you incur could be extremely costly and even put you at risk of financial ruin, especially if you are too hurt to work. Don’t be a victim twice—get our law firm on your side today.

We have decades of experience fighting for the rights of injured victims, and we know what it takes to win claims like yours. Call us now—we’re ready to put our experience to work for your family.