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Bicycle accidents among children are incredibly common for a variety of reasons. Children often ride their bikes around their own neighborhoods, however as they grow up they’re often allowed to branch out further, exploring nearby neighborhoods or even venturing into town. Children may not be equipped with the rules of the road enough to keep themselves safe at all times, they may goof off or make mistakes. It’s the utmost importance of drivers to ensure that they’re driving carefully and keeping a safe distance from children on bicycles, even when in small neighborhoods.
Each year, approximately 100 children are killed and 254,000 are injured because of bicycle related accidents. The Nationwide Children’s Hospital told CBS news that they often saw “cuts, bruises, fractures, scrapes, and then also traumatic brain injuries” from bicycle accidents.
If you’re a parent with a child who bikes, it’s your responsibility to teach them tips to ensure that they’re safe while not under your supervision. It’s also up to you to decide at what age they’re allowed to bike without your direct supervision, and how far from your house they’re allowed to go. Monitor your child and make an informed decision about what’s safe for them and what’s not.
As far as safety tips go, you should purchase the correct size helmet for your child and make sure that they’re wearing every time they leave the house on their bicycle. Wearing a helmet can reduce the risk of a traumatic brain injury. Teach your child the rules of the road, such as riding with traffic, wearing bright clothing, and keeping as far to the right as possible. If your child is riding around in the neighborhood, make sure they’re keeping an eye and ear on their surroundings. Discourage them from listening to music through earbuds while riding, as it can prevent them from hearing oncoming vehicles.
You should also always ensure that your child’s bicycle is in good working condition, making sure it’s free of rust, that the breaks work properly, and that the tires are full of air. A bike that’s in good condition is a much safer bike than one that’s not.
Your child should always be the only person riding their bicycle, a second person (or more) is never allowed on the bicycle with them. Both hands should remain on the handlebars at all times and any items that need to be held should be in a backpack or basket.
Bicycle accidents can be caused by both drivers and riders, though they’re more often caused by the negligence of a driver. The most common cause of accidents is distracted driving. Bicycles are already harder to spot, so when a driver takes their eyes off the road for even a few seconds, they’re much more likely to miss a bicycle rather than a large vehicle. Bicycle accidents can occur at intersections, crosswalks, bike trail crossings, because of improper lane merging, lane drifting, or in neighborhoods or parking lots.
A driver’s negligence can look like texting, talking on the phone, eating, or generally not paying attention while driving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not looking before backing up or switching lanes, impatient driving, and more.
Driver’s owe an increased duty of care when driving around children. When they expect that children may be present, they are required to pay extra close attention to avoid harming the child. This is most common in places frequented by children, like parks and school zones, although drivers should always be on the lookout when in areas with school bus stops, residential areas, trailer parks, and other areas that may have more children.
When children are present, drivers are always held to a higher standard, but in the case of children’s bicycle accidents, a driver may claim that the bicyclist’s negligence played a part in the accident as well. This is called “contributory negligence”. In all states, children under the age of four are incapable of contributory negligence. In Minnesota, children under the age of seven years old are incapable of contributory negligence.
You can claim both economic and non-economic damages for your child’s injuries. Economic damages will cover any medical bills you may have, and may cover any wages you lost while you were out of work taking care of your child. Non-economic damages cover things like pain and suffering, loss of earning capacity, and compensation for permanent disability or disfigurement. If your child’s life has been greatly impacted by their injuries, this compensation will be higher. If it will affect their ability to work in the future, you may be able to receive loss of earning capacity compensation.
If your child has been injured in a bicycle accident, our experienced attorneys at Sand Law are ready and willing to help you get the compensation that you deserve. Our years of experience will be instrumental in helping you win your case. For more information, or a free case evaluation, please contact us online, through our chat box, or by calling us at 651-291-7263.
To be “the backbone” of something has come to mean the most important element that holds the rest together. This phrase is popular with good reason. The muscles, nerves, and bones of the back greatly impact our mobility and the feeling in the rest of our bodies. These critical bones of the spine extend to the neck as well. When either body part becomes injured, the effects are debilitating. Fortunately, there are various treatments that can help to restore some functionality and relieve some pain. While treatments can be a significant cost after an accident, a personal injury attorney can help you to recover the expenses.
Falls are the number two cause of spinal cord injuries among those who are 65 and older.
Car accidents are another major cause. They are the number one cause of spinal cord injuries in the country. In an instant, they contort the neck and back in unnatural ways. Whiplash is another common car accident injury. It is a type of soft tissue damage that affects over one million people in the United States annually. Neck pain is common among sufferers.
Some neck and back treatments are out-patient procedures. However, more invasive treatments like surgeries can be necessary.
Physical therapy is meant to decrease pain in the neck and back. Additionally, it restores some mobility and functionality. Physical therapy typically includes a series of stretches and other exercises. Your therapist may guide you through exercises at a facility then give you instructions to continue at-home exercises between visits. Therapists often also do heat or cold treats and ultrasounds to improve pain over the course of several or more sessions.
When a bone spur happens or a spinal disc slips out of space, pieces of bone can pinch the nerves. Corrective neck surgery can help to ease the pressure and pain in these cases. Similarly, vertebrae in the neck and back can cause pain when they grind together. Surgeries can be performed to put padding between the vertebral bones. In some situations, a discectomy, the full or partial removal or a damaged disc between the vertebrae, is necessary to relieve nerve pain.
Several types of injections can be administered to the neck and back. Some injections control pain. For example, steroid injections reduce swelling and inflammation. This relieves pressure on the nerves in the neck and the back.
Other spinal injections are used as a diagnostic tool to figure out specifics of an injury. For instance, damaged nerve roots can be detected through injections. In some cases, it is discovered that pain from other areas of the body is actually a result of damaged nerves in the back or neck.
No two injuries are the same. However, the costs of back and neck injuries can quickly add up. They’re a big contributor to the $2.8 trillion dollar annual cost of healthcare in the United States. Just one spinal surgery can easily exceed $100,000. Nationwide, the yearly costs directly related to back pain totals $96 million dollars a year.
The out of pocket cost per patient also varies based on the severity of the injury as well as the insurance coverage the patient has. As a patient, you can miss a significant amount of work because of back and neck injuries. Older patients typically take longer to heal. Regardless of age, a back or neck injury can leave you permanently disabled. You lose out on your wages as well as possible career advancements you could have had in your future. You’ll also have to pay for services you can no longer do for yourself. For instance, if you’re unable to drive, you’ll be forced to pay for transportation.
To begin a lawsuit for your injury, you file a summons and complaint against the party you believe is at fault. This gives that party 20 days to provide a written response. Once a response is given, there will be a series of written requests called motions that must be filed through the court to keep your lawsuit moving forward. The discovery process, the process in which evidence is gathered, begins as well.
Compiling evidence can be difficult if you don’t know where to start. There are also various filing deadlines to meet. To complicate matters, it is possible for documents to be rejected if they’re not done properly. This can be costly and time consuming. An experienced personal injury attorney can manage this process for you. Your attorney may also be able to settle your case through negotiations. That way you can avoid spending time in court.
If another person has caused your back or neck injury, a personal injury attorney will be instrumental in recovering the expenses you need to move forward. At Sand Law, we’ve exceeded the expectations of countless clients when it comes to compensation. Our attorneys will carefully analyze your case to ensure that you receive all the damages you’re entitled to. Initial consultations are always free. Call us today at 651-291-7263 or contact us online or using our chat function.
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