Bergeron Law Firm – Serving all of Northern VA

Bicycling is a healthy and economical way to get around, and as an added bonus, it’s good for the environment.  Unfortunately, cycling also can be dangerous, especially from drivers who break the law and don’t share the road.

A few recent statistics:

  • 689 bike-vehicle collisions occurred
  • 661 bike riders suffered injuries in those accidents
  • 15 bike riders were killed in those crashes

Main causes of bicycle-vehicle accidents

  • Speeding
  • Failure of driver to check mirrors and blind spots
  • Failure of driver to yield when the cyclist has the right of way
  • Failure to leave ample space when passing a cyclist
  • Failure of driver to use turn signals
  • Following a cyclist too closely
  • Opening a car door without looking for an on-coming cyclist

Some rules of the road when cycling in Virginia

  • You must ride on the right side of the road with the flow of traffic.
  • Though built for your safety and protection, you are not required to use a bike lane.
  • If the road is too narrow to share with other vehicles, you have the right to use the full lane when biking.
  • The law allows you to pass both on the left and the right.
  • You may ride two abreast as long as you don’t impede other traffic
  • Vehicles passing a bicycle, must give the bike at least three feet of space.

Although in most areas of Virginia you are not required to wear one, you should always wear a bike helmet. Only the jurisdictions of Alexandria, Falls Church, Vienna, Arlington, and Fairfax Counties have mandatory bike helmet laws, and they apply only to riders 14 years of age and younger.

Bicycle injury claims

Cyclists can suffer devastating injuries when struck by a vehicle, including:

  • Cuts and lacerations
  • Friction burns
  • Fractures
  • Internal injuries to organs
  • Soft tissue injuries
  • Spinal cord injuries
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Death

Understanding your rights

If you have been injured in a bicycle-vehicle accident through the recklessness or negligence of a driver, you may be entitled to monetary damages under Virginia law.  Victims deserve fair compensation for their injuries.  Damages may include compensation or reimbursement for:

  • Past, current and future medical costs
  • Rehabilitation
  • Lost wages
  • Pain and suffering
  • Disfigurement

Get help from the Bergeron Law Firm

A bicycle-vehicle accident can change your life, raising difficult questions and challenging problems.  Steve Bergeron understands the challenges that cyclist accident victims and their families face and can explain your legal rights and the applicable law, and investigate your accident to determine if there is sufficient evidence to make a claim against the driver that caused your injury.

If a vehicle driver failed to respect your rights as a cyclist and caused injury to you, you have the right to take legal action against that driver and seek a full recovery for all the harm you have suffered.  Steve Bergeron will work with your doctors, other medical providers, and insurance companies to understand and explain the nature and extent of your injuries and its impact on your life.  Steve will also investigate potential insurance coverages that might be available to reimburse you for your expenses and damages to try to help you solve the real-world problems caused by your accident, so you can focus on getting well and getting back to your life.

So, before you speak with an insurance company about your bike accident and injuries, give Steve a call. He’ll do his best to the explain the applicable law, your legal rights, insurance coverages, and give you his best advice on whether you have a personal injury claim against another and how you can try to solve the problems caused by your injuries so that you can focus on your treatment and getting back to a meaningful life.