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Bicycle riding is an enjoyable sport. Many people hop on their bikes and go. What many people don't know is that bicycling is an extremely dangerous sport. Not because a bicyclist is at risk of losing a wheel or having a pedal fall off, but the risk of getting hit by a car. When we were kids, all the bike stores used to have these orange flags that you'd attach to the back of your bike that allowed cars to see you. Nobody uses those things anymore. Instead we rely on people to wear helmets and wear reflective clothing to warn drivers that there's a biclyclist nearby.

The problem is that bicyclists appear to be going very slow when compared to a car travelling at greater speed. The differences between a bicycle rider and a passenger in a 4000 pound car are incredible. Behind all the glass, steel, metal, rubber, mechanics and electronics is a driver and passengers. Every safety device is found on cars today; pre-tensioned seat belts, air bags, air curtains, anti-lock brakes, anti-slip devices, stabilization devices, skid-control, seats that immediately fold backwards to minimize injury to neck and back (in a Volvo) are just a few.

Contrast that with the saftey devices on a bike:

Reflectors, front and back. Reflective stripes on a bike rider's sneakers, jacket and pants. Headlight and rear light, and also a blinking red light to alert cars. A bike rider wears a helmet to protect him from injuring his head. That's it!

Bicycle accidents happen often when bike riders are hit by cars turning and they don't see the bike rider. Another type of bike accident involves getting 'doored' where a person in a parked car opens their door into moving traffic and hits a passing biker causing damage and injury. Many bikers have been thrown into the middle of the street and suffered horrible injury when they then get run over by a passing car or truck; all because the person opening their car door never bothered to look behind them to see if there was anyone there.

As with most accidents, bike accidents can be preventable. Be aware of your surroundings, watch the weather and ride safely. If you've been in an accident, get yourself to a hospital, then call an experienced lawyer who's represented injured people in all five boroughs of New York including Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island and also Nassau and Suffolk Counties. A serious injury deserves a serious attorney committed to helping you and representing you.

I know first-hand the effects of a bike accident with a car. Trust yourself to an experienced bicyclist and an experienced attorney. Call Gerry Oginski today for your free consultation 516-487-8207. Until then, be safe.

Blog for Bicycle Accidents

• Bicycle Law Develops Niche in NYC
• Queens Bicycle Rider Hit By Car at a T Intersection-New York Accident Attorney Explains

Library for Bicycle Accidents:

• Queens Bicycle Rider Hit By Car at a T Intersection-New York Accident Attorney Explains   
  My client was out riding his bicycle on a beautiful sunny Spring day this year, on a quiet stretch of road in Queens. He was approaching an intersection where cars were coming off of the Grand Central Parkway exit ramp. As a driver coming from the Grand Central heads down the exit ramp, he is left with one of two choices as he approaches the T intersection: Either turn left, or turn right.
  
  If you are going to make a left turn, you must get into the left-hand turning lane. There is a stop sign at that T intersection for cars just getting off the GCP exit. In this case, a driver coming off the Grand Central Parkway exit ramp got into the left-hand turning lane and proceeded to stop at the Stop sign. A good thing he did.
  
  However, instead of looking to his left, which is where he was intending to turn, to check for oncoming traffic, he looked to his right and removed his foot from the brake and applied the gas. As he did so, he proceeded to hit my bike-riding client-who by the way was in the middle of the intersection, on the right side of his body, throwing him to the pavement.
  
  A trip to the emergency room revealed a fractured finger, that days later required surgery to correct. An MRI of the knee revealed damage to a tendon, which required arthroscopic surgery to fix. In addition, my client suffered a significant shoulder injury requiring extensive physical therapy. This young man, who was wearing his helmet at the time of impact, was a computer programmer and because of the injury to his finger and surgery, had great difficulty typing and performing his job duties. Recuperation and physical therapy has helped him regain function to his finger and hand, and he performs strengthening exercises each day.
  
  This accident was preventable. The careless and negligent driver had only to look to his left to see what he should have seen. Had he merely looked to his left, he would have seen my client riding his bike peacefully on a beautiful Saturday morning. Instead, through the negligence of this driver, my client's day was turned upside down.
• NY ACCIDENTS-Are you in the 'Zone of Danger'?   
  If you think the "Zone of Danger" is a place in the end zone, think again. If you think that "Fear of Impending Doom" is what happens to you if you damage your parent's car, think again. Learn what the "Zone of Danger" is and how it applies to accident victims. Find out what "Fear of impending doom" is and what it means to an accident victim. Both are legal concepts that have a very big impact in proving an accident victims' pain and suffering in New York.
• Bicycle Accidents In New York- Bicycle V. Car, Who Wins?   
  Learn what a young man went through when he was smashed into the road by a fast-moving car who never saw the bicyclist. Learn what safety features bicyclists have compared to a car. Read what an experienced New York accident lawyer has to say about bicycles and cars and what happens when they unintentionally meet up.
• My Bicycle Accident   
  Gerry describes how a woman who didn't look caused an accident with him while he was riding his bicycle. A riveting story of a great bike ride gone horribly bad.
• The 10 Most Common Car-Bike Collisions & How to Avoid Them   
  The following material examines the 10 most common bicycle-car collision types and discusses how cyclists and drivers can avoid them.
  
  This is considered essential reading for all cyclists and all drivers.
• Read about Gerry's recent bicycle accident [PDF]   
  Bike accident, bicycle, bicycle accident, car accident, bike injury, bike injuries, cannondale, cannondale bike, damages, hurt, pain, suffering
• My Bicycle Accident - A Detailed Account Of a Woman Who Didn't Care [PDF]   
  My Bicycle Accident - A Detailed Account Of a Woman Who Didn't Care. Gerry describes in vivid detail what happened to him when a woman opened her car door into moving traffic without looking. Unfortunately for Gerry, he was riding a bicycle at the time, and not driving his car. In his case, the bicycle accident was traumatic and forced him over the handlebars and right into the middle of the road.
• Common questions about bicycle and pedestrian traffic laws in the State of New York   
  Common questions about bicycle and pedestrian traffic laws in the State of New York
• Bicycle and Pedestrian laws in the State of New York   
  Read frequent questions that arise when bike riders share the road with cars. Learn what the rules of the road are in New York State. Read about what a pedestrian's legal responsibilities are as they cross the road.
  
  Bikes, bicycles, bicycle law, New York, State of New York, bike accidents, bicycle accidents, laws for pedestrians, pedestrian, bike, laws for bicyclists, rules of the road, New York State bicycle laws, New York State pedestrian laws.
• How not to get hit by cars- 10 Ways not to get hit by a car   
  Bicycle safety
  How not to get hit by cars
  Bicycle accidents
• Ten ways to avoid getting hit by cars while bicycle riding   
  Ten ways to avoid getting hit by cars while bicycle riding.

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Frequent Questions for Bicycle Accidents:

• What type of bike do you like to ride?
• Bicycle Accidents In New York- Bicycle v. Car, Who Wins?

Case Results for Bicycle Accidents:

• Driver Fails to Look Before Passing Stop Sign

Awarded: $95,000

Videos about Bicycle Accidents:

• Bike Accidents; Newsday Special Report
• NY Bike Accident on Rte. 347
• Queens Bicycle Rider Hit At a T Intersection- New York Accident Attorney Explains
• My Bicycle Accident

Web Resources for Bicycle Accidents:

• 5 Borough Bicycle Club

  Description: 5BBC advocates for your right to ride, and to ride safely
  Your bicycle club has joined with Transportation Alternatives and other organizations in efforts to restore 24-hour bicycle access to the George Washington Bridge.
  We promote the Bike Safety Action Plan, a set of workable proposals to make your city a safer place to ride.
  Safe bicycle riding begins with YOU. Here are some of our favorite tips for a safe ride.
  Welcome to the website of New York's Five Borough Bicycle Club. We invite you to explore these pages, then get on your bike and explore the city and countryside with us.
  
  We offer day rides every weekend and many holidays. We also offer multi-day weekend trips, monthly meetings, and classes on bike repair. And each May, the 5BBC hosts New York's bicycling event of the year, the Montauk Century.

• Bicycle Traffic Safety- Ken Kifer's Bike Pages

  Description: Articles on bike traffic safety. Bicycle traffic accidents, also called cycling accidents, pedalcycle accidents, bicycle crashes, pedalcycle crashes, and bike-car collisions, can be avoided through understanding why they occur.

• New York State Bicycle and Pedestrian Laws- Sharing the Road

  Description: COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT BICYCLE
  AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC LAWS IN THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

• Oregon Bicycle Accident Attorney

  Description: Bicycle accident attorney, Michael Colbach also handles Vehicle Accidents, Automobile, Motorcycle, Bicycle, Truck, Bus, Light Rail, Scooter, ATV - All Terrain, and Snowmobile accidents.

• The 10 Most Common Car-Bike Collisions & How to Avoid Them

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