Personal injury lawyer NYC and other legal professionals around the country have been fighting for cyclists and pedestrian rights for years now. In many states, bicyclists are granted many of the same rights as motor vehicles, however these rights are not always clear.
This past summer, police in northeast Washington, D.C. had the difficult task of identifying a man who was killed while riding his dirt bike on the road, which in D.C. is perfectly legal. Unfortunately and due to a tragic series of events, the unknown biker was hit and killed by a tractor-trailer in the early morning hours of August 1st.
After hours of difficult search and investigation, the D.C. police identified the body as an 18-year-old man by the name of Royal Garner, who lived in Hyattsville, Maryland.
He was traveling down Florida Avenue when the trailer was making a wide turn onto another street. Without sufficient time to stop, Mr. Garner slammed into the trailer as it crossed traffic. Because of a lack of the differences in eye-witness accounts, fault was difficult to determine in situations like this one.
One bystander stated that Garner lost control of his bike and crashed into the side of the trailer. Another said that Garner was cut off by the trailer and unable to stop.
Unfortunately, he was pronounced dead at the scene. Although the report does not place blame on either driver, it is likely that some mistakes were made by one or both parties involved. Part of a personal injury lawyer’s job, in situations like this, would be to collect data in an attempt to determine who was at fault.
If it turns out that the driver of the tractor-trailer was to blame, then the family of the deceased would have a legal leg to stand on in bring a case against the driver or the company he works for. If a similar situation has happened to you or someone you know, a personal injury lawyer NYC would be the person to talk to if you are having doubts about an accident involving a bike, car, or any other type of vehicle.
Any personal injury lawyer NYC is going to be familiar with the laws of the road and which laws apply to cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles and other vehicles.
Because of its unique city structure, New York has a larger subway and bus system. Many New Yorkers also walk and ride bicycles, aside from driving cars regularly, according to the NYC Bicycle Association. Statistics from the same source state that “of major U.S. cities, NYC has one of the highest proportions of residents who walk or bicycle for basic transportation purposes”.
A personal injury lawyer NYC will be aware of the laws and how to defend those who have been victimized by another vehicle on the road. They may also be aware that between 1996 and 2003, a total of 3,462 NYC bicyclists were seriously injured in crashes with motor vehicles. The annual number of serious bicyclist injuries decreased by 46% during the 8-year period, say NYC Bicycle Association stats.
With numbers like this it is no wonder that personal injury attorneys have a stressful job.
