In the past week the Chicago bike accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent three bicyclists that were injured recently in three separate bike vs. car accidents.
One case involves a 29 year old Chicago woman who was riding her bicycle eastbound on Lawrence Avenue in a designated bike lane. As she entered the intersection of Lawrence & Washtenaw an eastbound vehicle turned right and failed to notice the plaintiff. Our client was knocked to the ground, landing on her left side.
She was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at Swedish Covenant Hospital where she was diagnosed with a fracture in her left foot, and left knee and shoulder injuries. She has since followed up with a medical doctor and has been scheduled for surgery to repair the fracture.
The accident was investigated by the Chicago Police Department. The officer ticketed the at fault driver for failing to yield to the bicyclist.
Our law firm will be pursuing a claim against the defendant’s auto insurance carrier to recover for our client’s injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, and loss of income (as she is off work due to the accident).
Most of the bicycle vs. car accident cases we work on occur when a driver is turning and fails to keep a proper look out for bike riders. Drivers need to remember that they are sharing the roads of Chicago with many bicyclists, especially during this time of the year, and careful driving is required.
Another common accident is when drivers fail to look for for bicycles when opening car doors. This type of accident can be a nightmare for bicyclists, as they have little or no time to react to the swinging car door, and the bike rider usually flips over, exposing him or her to serious injuries.