Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
A bicyclist riding in the 1300 block of North Clybourn Avenue was hit and killed by a car on Wednesday night. It is not yet clear what caused the collision to occur but the victim has been identified as a well-known bicyclist in the city who encouraged others to bike and who believed in biking safety.
The victim was well known in the Chicago cycling community and consider to be a bicycle ambassador by many. Friends say he regularly participated in Critical Mass, a large-scale bike ride that occurs once a month to promote bicycling and the shared use of the roads between cyclists and motorists. The victim also recently rode in Ride of Silence, a world-wide movement that has mass bicycle rides in designated cities on the same day and at the same time. Ride of Silence is designed to call attention to cyclists who have been killed while riding bikes and also allows friends and communities to honor their memories.
The victim in this case previously worked at an outdoor clothing and sports store that was popular with many locals and is located on North Halsted Street. Reportedly, whenever he was asked about cycling in the city, the victim always talked enthusiastically with customers and touted the benefits of cycling for transportation and enjoyment. His friends say the victim was always focused on safety while riding and always wore a helmet.
By all accounts, the victim in this accident was a knowledgeable and skilled bicyclist who was familiar with the city streets and the rules and regulations of the roads. This highlights the fact that when a driver is negligent, even the most skilled and able bicyclist can become an accident victim.
Cycling in Chicago is becoming more popular every year. The number of riders, number of bicycles, and the distance biked is increasing all the time and the city is changing in response. Some streets now have designated bicycle lanes for bicycle-only traffic while others have a barrier to separate bicyclists from motor vehicles. Some parts of the city even have bicycle-specific traffic lights to enable optimum efficiency and control of this type of transit. The area of Clybourn where the victim was killed did not have a designated bicycle lane but did allow bicycles to share the standard lanes of traffic with other vehicles.
Yet despite all these steps to improve safety as bicycling becomes more common, there are still hundreds of accidents resulting in numerous deaths every year. Many of these are caused by the negligence of a driver who fails to realize that bicyclist may be near them or who fails to watch for cyclists. Still other accidents occur when a driver or another bicyclist cuts off a biker or turns or stops in the biker’s path.
When injuries occur as the result of a bicycle accident, there is often a civil claim that can be made to recover for the victim’s losses, including any medical bills the cyclist incurs. If you have been injured in a collision, call the Illinois bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. for a no-obligation telephone consultation. We have a lawyer standing by to take your call and answer your questions so please do not hesitate to call us at (312) 924-7575 or toll free at (855) 529-2442.
Prior Blog Entries:
$200,000 Settlement Reached for Injured Illinois Bicyclist That Was Hit By Driver On Cell Phone, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published May 30, 2013.
Bounce House Injuries On The Rise in Illinois and Elsewhere, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published May 29, 2013.
Resources:
Bicyclist killed in Old Town was ambassador for biking, by Liam Ford, Chicago Tribune, published May 31, 2013.