A 27-year-old bicyclist was reportedly critically hurt when he was struck by a hit-and-run driver on North Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. The Lakeview resident and bicycle courier was allegedly hit just before noon near Wood Street while on his way home from Wicker Park. According to the bicyclist’s mother, the man was wearing a safety helmet at the time of the accident. Still he was allegedly transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with a cracked skull, 23 broken ribs, a punctured lung, cracked vertebrae, and a number of other broken bones.
The man’s mother stated the bicyclist only remembers being struck by the door of a vehicle that unexpectedly opened in his path and waking up inside of an ambulance. A witness reportedly told paramedics that the bicycle rider was also hit by a truck. Due to the severity of his injuries, authorities reviewed video footage taken at a nearby bank to determine whether the 27-year-old was indeed struck by a second vehicle. The security camera allegedly captured a white pick-up truck running over the man before driving away. The bicyclist’s parents have reportedly issued a plea asking anyone who may have witnessed the crash to come forward.
In 2008, bicycle accidents purportedly killed 27 people and hurt an additional 3,385 throughout Illinois. The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety data claims there were 577 bicycle accidents involving a car door in the Chicago Metro between 2009 and September 7, 2012. Such collisions allegedly occur most frequently on heavily traveled roadways. In addition, more bicycle accidents that involved a car door purportedly occurred on the North Side of Chicago, in Hyde Park, and near the University of Chicago.
Bicyclists in Illinois are required to obey the same laws as other drivers while traveling on streets and other roadways. Unfortunately, most bicycle crashes that involve an adult are caused by automobile drivers who simply fail to yield to bicyclists at traffic signals and stop signs. If you were hurt by a motorist while traveling on your bicycle in Chicago, you should contact a skilled personal injury attorney as soon as possible to discuss your rights.
If you were hurt or a loved one was injured in a Chicago bicycle accident, you should call Abels & Annes, P.C. at (312) 475-9596. At Abels & Annes, P.C., our experienced Chicago bicycle crash lawyers are available to assist you 24 hours per day, seven days per week. Our hardworking attorneys are committed to helping clients achieve the compensation they deserve following an unexpected injury accident. At Abels & Annes, P.C., our office works on bicycle accident cases on a regular basis and we have experience handling many dooring cases. To speak with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer today, please contact Abels & Annes, P.C. through the law firm’s website.
More Blogs:
Proposed Federal Law Would Require Data Recorders in All New Vehicles Sold in Illinois and Nationwide, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, February 21, 2013
Orland Park Man Killed in Tragic Carroll County Single-Vehicle Crash, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, February 17, 2013
Additional Resources:
Bike Messenger Left in ICU, Parents Seeking Witnesses, by Alisa Hauser, dnainfo.com
Dustin Valenta Benefit: Bike Messenger Hurt In Hit-And-Run Recovering, Seeking Witnesses, Huffington Post