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Bicycle accidents can be terrifying, leaving you with serious injuries and a mountain of debt. With car accidents, you have a protective layer of metal surrounding you (a curse and a blessing), but with a bicycle accident, you’re much more vulnerable. The only protection cyclists often utilize is a helmet, and even then, your body is still extremely at risk of injury. If you’re looking to learn more about how to file a lawsuit for your bicycle accident, and how to receive compensation for your injuries, keep reading.
In 2018 alone, there were 857 cyclists killed in traffic accidents in the United States. Additionally, 2% of all motor vehicle crash deaths are cyclists. In a majority of these cases, the most serious of injuries are to the head, including traumatic brain injuries. This only highlights the importance of wearing a helmet, but sometimes a helmet isn’t enough to protect the brain from a serious impact. Bicycle deaths are also common in children, as many kids begin riding bikes unsupervised in their early teen years.
Overall, bicycle accidents are on the decline, however, fatal accidents are on the incline. This means that while there are fewer accidents occurring, a larger majority of them are resulting in death because factors like unsafe drivers and poor city planning.
If you were involved in a bicycle accident in Minneapolis, contact the experienced attorneys at Sand Law today for a free consultation.
[Pedestrian and Bicycle Accidents on the Rise due to COVID-19]
There are a few key laws that cyclists are required to follow when riding in Minnesota. Cyclists must ride as far to the right side of the road as is physically possible to avoid interaction with vehicles. They must also ride with traffic, and not against it. When a cyclist signals a turn, they must use an arm signal 100 feet before turning.
When riding in a group, cyclists are allowed to ride in twos, but no more than that. This means that two cyclists may ride next to each other, but any more than two must follow behind. Cyclists are also required to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.
These laws are meant to keep cyclists and vehicle drivers safe while on the roads. Obeying the laws, both as a cyclists and driver, can help to keep everyone safe in Minneapolis.
Understanding how a bicycle accident claim works can help you to understand how your claim may work. At the scene of the accident, it’s important to gather as much information as you can. If you’re seriously injured, medical attention is the most important task on your list, and you should get checked out as soon as possible. If you’re able to gather the following evidence:
Make sure that you receive medical attention as soon as possible. Make sure to let the doctor know that your injuries were caused because of a motor vehicle accident. Follow any treatment that they recommend and make sure to record your visits and keep your track of your bills as they come to you.
After receiving medical treatment, you’ll then want to contact a bicycle accident attorney to argue your case. They’ll begin an investigation your accident to gather evidence for your case. They’ll also help you file a claim with your insurance company and to contact the driver’s insurance company to let them know you are being represented by an attorney.
Your attorney will then begin the process of negotiation with the insurance company to get you a fair settlement. This process can often go back and forth as the insurance company tries to lowball the case. In the rare instance that a settlement cannot be reached, your attorney will prepare your case for trial where a jury will decide what compensation will be awarded. This situation is not common but sometimes it is necessary to get the compensation you deserve. A personal injury attorney will help you to make sure that every opportunity for full compensation is explored.
Bicycle accidents are commonly caused by driver negligence, whether it be because the driver isn’t paying attention or because they’re driving carelessly. Bicycle accidents most often occur because of:
Injuries from bicycle accidents are often more severe–or even fatal–when compared to car accident injuries because of the lack of protection that a cyclist has. Common bicycle accident injuries include:
Compensation is probably something that’s been on your mind since your accident occurred. An experienced attorney can help you recover the maximum amount of compensation available for your case. This will help take the weight off of your shoulders and allow you to focus on your recovery instead of worrying about your financial burden.
You can receive compensation for economic damages like medical bills (including hospital visits, surgery costs, therapy, and more), any wages you may have lost while you were out of work, and any wages you may lose in the future. You can also receive compensation for any in-home care you may have needed, like child care.
Non-economic damages are harder to attach a number to, as they vary depending on the individual person and their accident. When deciding this number, the judge and jury (or during negotiation) your life before and after the accident will be considered. The greater the change in quality of life, the greater the amount awarded for pain and suffering will be. You can also receive compensation for loss of companionship and loss of earning capacity.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a bicycle accident in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the experienced attorneys here at Sand Law are ready to help you with your case. We’ll negotiate with reluctant insurance companies on your behalf, and allow you to recover from your injuries while we work on your case. For more information or a free case evaluation, contact us online or at 651-291-7263.
In today’s modern world, cycling is one of the most productive activities you can do for your personal health. It’s a fantastic way to stay in shape with many documented health benefits, and it can reduce your carbon footprint if you bike more places than you drive. However, the lack of a multi-ton vehicle around you means cyclists are far more at risk of serious injuries if they are involved in a collision on the road. Many car drivers do not respect cyclists, or are unsure of how to handle them. These can result in bicycle accidents that lead to serious injury or death. If you or a loved one has been a bike accident and was injured to the negligence of a driver, contact Sand Law today to see how we can help.
Because of the risk of unaware or disrespectful drivers on the road, cyclists must be aware of their surroundings at all times. Motorists often fail to respect cyclists on the road, leading to accidents that could otherwise be easily avoided. Common accidents involving bicycles include:
Without the protection of windows, air bags, and a steel frame around them, cyclists are vulnerable to far more than car drivers. All the safety precautions in the world like helmets and knee-pads will do little good if a cyclist collides with a car going highway speeds. Serious injuries can occur even at low speeds, if the cyclist is knocked off their bike and lands on asphalt.
Helmets are made to absorb force, but even they have their limits. The most common head injuries concerning bikes are skull fractures and concussions. Particularly hard impacts can lead to traumatic brain injuries.
Landing on the upper torso can dislocate the shoulders or damage the essential vertebrae and nerves in the neck, and could potentially lead to neck-down paralysis.
If you fall head over heels off your bike, you stand a good chance of landing back-first on asphalt or pavement and injuring your spine. Impacts like this can crack vertebrae, slip disks, and tear muscles and spinal nerves. At higher forces, these impacts can break the spine outright.
A heavy landing on something other than pavement can send debris into the eyes, or could rupture the eardrum from the impact force.
Contact with a car going at speed can break limbs in a way that they cannot be set right, sever the spine, or cause head trauma that can lead to reduced cognitive and motor function. Limbs may be damaged to a degree so great by the impact or the landing on the road that they may have to be amputated. Neck-down or waist-down paralysis can also occur with high impacts.
Most bicycle injuries, even the most minor ones, are the fault of reckless or negligent drivers. A modicum of caution on their part could prevent hundreds of injuries a year. The most common driver behaviors that lead to accidents are things like:
Under the Minnesota No Fault Act, Minnesota is one about a dozen “no-fault” states in America. This means that your own personal injury insurance will pay for medical expenses and out-of-pocket expenses after a car accident, up to the policy limit, regardless of who caused the crash. The no-fault system has its advantages, such as if the injuries incurred in the accident are minor.
However, no-fault claims do not allow you to seek monetary compensation for pain and suffering, as well as other non-monetary damages stemming from the accident. To seek those damages, you can file a third-party lawsuit with an insurance company, which could allow you to seek greater amounts of compensation than a no-fault claim might otherwise get you.
Injuries from bicycle accidents can be devastating to the well-being of an individual and their loved ones. If you or a loved one was injured by a negligent driver while riding a bicycle, please contact us online or by calling our Woodbury office at (651) 291-7263. Our team will make sure that the drivers are held responsible for their actions, and that you receive the compensation you deserve.
One of the best ways to enjoy the beautiful scenery in White Bear Lake is by getting outside and riding your bike. It’s a great way to exercise, avoid traffic, and enjoy all the natural beauty of Minnesota. With the number of bikers on Minnesota’s roads growing with each passing year, it is an unfortunate reality that bicycling injuries in our state continue to rise. These increasingly frequent accidents often involve serious injuries that can dramatically alter the course of the victim’s life. If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident, talking to the experienced bicycle accident attorneys at Sand Law can help you to understand your rights and options.
When discussing bicycle-related personal injury cases, one is almost always discussing a crash that occurs between a motor vehicle and a bicycle. A car accident that involves a bicyclist is by far the most common way that a bike rider is injured involving negligence. The most common negligent behaviors that lead to accidents are things like:
Bicycle riders have all the same rights and duties that a car driver has under Minnesota law. The only laws that differ are those that address riding a bike with a child, helmet laws, etc. Beyond that, however, cyclists are as entitled to the road as any car.
Bicycle lanes exist for riders that are going slower than the normal speed of traffic. If a particular stretch of road doesn’t have a bike lane, then cyclists are required to ride as far to the right of the road as possible. Unfortunately, drivers often don’t consider bike lanes as traffic lanes, and fail to yield to the right-of-way when crossing them. This can lead to them crashing into riders who are adhering to the law; this is considered negligence.
Generally, an attorney will seek to prove negligence on the part of a driver that injured their client with a motor vehicle. The point of an injury claim is to recover compensation for damages, like medical bills and lost wages. In order to show this, the attorney must prove the following:
Traumatic brain injuries (TBI) are the most serious injuries that are suffered in bike accidents, especially if the bike rider wasn’t wearing a helmet. TBIs can result in lifelong disabilities and loss of motor function for the victims. Even a minor impact can turn fatal depending on what the cyclists hits on the way down and how they hit it, whether that be the ground, a vehicle, or some other object.
Other common bike accident injuries include facial disfigurement, dental injuries such as teeth being knocked loose, bones being fractured or dislocated, neck and back injuries, and abdominal injuries. With the severity of some of these, it’s important to contact a White Bear Lake injury attorney as soon as possible.
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident as the result of a negligent driver, don’t hesitate to contact the experienced White Bear Lake bicycle accident lawyers at Sand Law LLC. We offer a free consultation where you can learn your rights and options from an actual attorney. We can be reached by filling out our online contact form, or by calling us at 651-291-7263. We look forward to answering your questions and helping you get compensation for your Minnesota Bicycle Accident.
Cycling has grown tremendously throughout the entire country within the last 10 years or so. As more cyclists have taken on the roads, the number of injuries and fatalities in bicycle accidents has risen in St Paul, Minneapolis, and across Minnesota and the US. If you’re injured in a St Paul bicycle accident, contact Sand Law, Minnesota’s premier personal injury attorneys. Contact us online or by calling us at 651-291-7263.
Fortunately, this isn’t the case in Minnesota where the number of bicycle accidents has actually decreased in recent years, according to a 2014 Governors Highway Safety Association report. This is mainly because Minneapolis is considered to be one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation. Although Minnesota has seen incredible success in keeping cyclists safe, that hasn’t been the case at all nationwide.
You can view our 2016-2018 St. Paul bicycle accident map to learn more about dangerous intersections and problem areas.
What we’ll be going over throughout this page will include the basics of bicycle accident liability, negligence as it relates to bicycle accidents, safety tips to keep yourself out of harm’s way on two wheels, and Minnesota as well as national bicycle accident statistics.
This page is here to help anyone who has experienced a bicycle accident and is weighing their options in terms of litigation. It also helps cyclists in general who need to know the basics of their legal rights while out on the road, just in case an unfortunate collision does occur.
Bicycle accidents can, at times, result in serious injuries and even fatalities. The lawsuits involved with these kinds of accidents are pretty similar to auto accident lawsuits in that they envelope the same issues. Negligence is one of the main factors to consider when it comes down to liability for bike accident injuries, which essentially details whether the car operator, the cyclist or both parties displayed negligence in contributing to the collision and subsequent injuries or damages.
Obeying the rules of the road are always the obligation of both cars and cyclists. Sometimes this is a lot easier said than done, especially in urban areas when people think they can get away with certain traffic maneuvers. The main rules that everyone must consider include exercising ordinary care and following traffic laws, and that entails being considerate of your own safety and the safety of everyone else simultaneously.
No matter what, state laws, including local traffic laws, oversee bicycle accidents.
There are two questions that must be answered when a cyclist ends up suing to recover damages for injuries or property damage in the case of an accident with a car. The outcome of the lawsuit largely depends on what the answers to the following questions are:
There are many different ways in which a driver can be negligent, and some common examples include running a stop sign, drifting into a designated bike lane, speeding and other forms of negligence. Recklessness is defined as purposefully having disregard for other people’s safety, and is a more extreme version of negligence.
Within the lawsuit, it’s the plaintiff’s responsibility to prove that the defendant violated a specific duty that they were owed when alleging negligence. This primarily includes proving there was a violation of the basic duty of care that everyone must exhibit out on the roads.
Many times, it requires the use of eyewitnesses and other forms of evidence to unequivocally prove that a motorist acted out negligently, but each case is handled uniquely due to the latent facts as to how the collision occurred. Traffic violations typically are considered negligence per se, and that means that if someone was cited for some kind of traffic infringement, like speeding, then the evidence that they were speeding would be enough to constitute negligence. Once negligence is proven upon a defendant, it’s their responsibility to prove they didn’t cause the plaintiff’s injuries, which may or may not be viable.
Cyclists can also be sued for negligence in causing an accident or an injury to someone else. The main determination of the outcome of these kinds of lawsuits would be cyclist negligence. Some common examples of cyclist negligence include turning abruptly into traffic, going down the wrong way on a one-way street and riding through a stop sign.
Cyclists who are proven to be found negligent may not be able to get any compensation for their injuries or property damages in bike accident cases. This kind of negligence is also commonly described as comparative or contributory negligence, which essentially means that the negligence of the cyclist had at least a slight amount to do with the causation of the accident that resulted in the injuries of either the cyclist or someone else. Of course, if a biker rides negligently and causes someone to get injured, they are technically liable for that other person’s injuries.
We’ve already talked about negligence and the rules of the road, but the Governors Highway Safety Association reported that across the nation, the major factors that go with bicyclist deaths are that the cyclist wasn’t wearing a helmet or was cycling while drunk.
It’s a startling statistic, but in 2012 over two-thirds of bicycle accident deaths entailed cyclists not wearing a helmet, and one-fourth of adult bicycle accident deaths had alcohol involved.
When it comes to the previous safety tips, Minneapolis experienced a rather good time span in terms of bike crashes involving drinking or drugs between 2000 and 2010. During this time only around 6 percent of bicycle accidents involved impaired cyclists, and about 1.2 percent involved impaired drivers.
An interesting statistic that has changed over the past 40 years or so, has been the age of bicycle fatalities. People 20 and older are now the representative age bracket of 84 percent of bicycle accident deaths as compared to 21 percent in 1975.
In Minneapolis from 2000 to 2010, there were only 12 cyclist deaths, and about 270 bicycle accidents/collisions occurred each year during this timeframe.
Although Minneapolis is considered a very bike-friendly city, the bicycle accidents that have occurred in the city have predominately resulted in injuries. About 87 percent of cyclists sustained an injury when involved in a collision with a vehicle, while no injuries resulted towards the motorists.
If you or a loved one has been in a bicycle accident, then it’s imperative that you consult one of our attorneys to help protect your legal rights and get you the best result possible in the potential subsequent litigation.
The personal injury lawyers at Sand Law have office locations in Saint Paul and White Bear Lake. We are conveniently located to meet your car accident and personal injury needs. To arrange a no-pressure consultation with a top rated car accident attorney, please send us a message online or call 651-291-SAND (651-291-7263). There is no fee unless we obtain compensation on your behalf.
Of the many things that Saint Paul is known for, walking and biking may not typically come to mind. Ranking just slightly above average in walking and biking scores, sidewalks in Saint Paul tend to be only averagely maintained and serviced by pedestrians, while the city’s bike routes are sporadically placed and not well-connected to one another.
For pedestrians and bicyclists, these two factors can have serious and deadly consequences in the form of personal injury. While the number of bicyclists in Saint Paul has reached an all-time high in recent years, the number of pedestrian deaths has also skyrocketed. This is due to the fact that many pedestrians have fallen victim to distracted drivers, as well as drivers attempting to navigate hazardous road conditions.
At Sand Law, we have observed pedestrian and bicycle accident trends of recent years, and we have provided our findings in order to help keep pedestrians and bicyclists safer as we approach the warmer months of the year once again.
Across the state of Minnesota, traffic-related fatalities have been on a downward decline thanks to state-wide efforts to reduce driving fatalities. Despite this, in 2016, nearly 30,000 people were injured, with 798 crashes involving at least one bicyclist and 1,151 crashes involving at least one pedestrian.
In Saint Paul, there was an 8 percent decrease in the number of pedestrian and bicyclist accidents between 2016 and 2017. The number of reported fatalities in these cases did not changes; in both years, 4 people were reportedly killed in accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists.
Drivers involved in these accidents tend to be younger, with nearly 10 percent of incidents reported between 2016-2018 across Minnesota having involved drivers between the ages of 25 and 30. Pedestrians tend to be younger as well—nearly 7.5 percent of reported pedestrian accidents in these years involved teenagers and young adults aged 15 to 20.
The trend of younger drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists being more accident-prone on the road holds true in Saint Paul:
We list each of the pedestrian/bicyclist deaths in 2016 and 2017 to determine what, if anything, could have been done to prevent such tragedy. We found that most of the accidents occurred at night, during poor weather conditions or because the driver may have been impaired.
Mississippi River Boulevard & Dayton Avenue – February 22, 2017
On February 22, 2017, St. Paul attorney Peter Berge struck pedestrian jogger Scott Spoo at approximately 4:40 PM at the intersection of Mississippi River Boulevard and Dayton Avenue. Witnesses report that Berge shifted in and out of his lane prior to striking Spoo at the crosswalk, who later died from his injuries about an hour after the incident. While authorities initially suspected that Berge was initially driving while intoxicated or distracted, it was later discovered that Berge’s erratic driving was the result of a massive brain tumor found two days after the accident; as a result, he was found to not have been grossly negligent when the accident occurred, and no felony charges were filed.
On June 17, 2017, police were called to the west parking lot of Harding Senior High School at approximately 5:45 PM after a car struck a child who was seriously injured as a result. According to information gathered at the scene, a visibly shaken and emotional Wah Hsa Paw, 39 year old mother of Hsa Kpaw Moo Ku, 3, accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brake while practicing driving with family members in the parking lot of the school, causing her to lose control of the car and strike Moo Ku, pinning him against a clothing collection bin. Moo Ku and a family member were taken to Regions Hospital by a passerby, where Moo Ku died from his injuries after efforts to save his life proved unsuccessful.
Around 2 AM on July 3, 2017, residents reported hearing a crash in the area and arrived on the scene to find Ta Ku Htoo, 41, lying in the grass on the south side of Larpenteur Avenue. According to a report made by St. Paul police spokesperson Sgt. Mike Ernster, Htoo was walking in the road (due to a lack of sidewalks on Larpenteur’s east side) to a friend’s apartment late at night when he was struck by a pickup truck driven by Jeremy Michael Ranft, 39, who was believed to be driving while intoxicated. Ranft was arrested on the scene due to the presence of an alcohol-like odor on his person, and further investigation revealed that he had previously plead guilty to a DWI misdemeanor in 2013. Htoo was taken to Regions Hospital by paramedics, where he later died of a head injury on Tuesday, July 4.
At approximately 2 AM on November 7, 2017, police officers traveling west on East Seventh Street witnessed Gordon “Gordy” Paul Johnson, Jr., 39, being struck in an eastbound lane near Kittson Avenue, with the driver fleeing the scene immediately after. One officer reportedly leaped out of the squad car to assist an unconscious Johnson in the street, calling for medics and performing chest compressions before Johnson ultimately succumbed to his injuries on the scene. Officers caught up with driver Komeng Xiong, 24, on Mounds Boulevard, who was arrested on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide, and also on suspicion of driving while intoxicated due to the presence of an alcohol-like odor on his person. Xiong had previously been convicted in December 2016 for failing to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk, and was also previously convicted on charges of using prohibited blue lights, disobeying a stop sign, speeding and failing to yield to the right of way when approaching an intersection.
On November 26, 2017, Jose Hernandez Solano, 52, was biking home from his dishwasher shift at the nearby Brasa Rotisserie when an SUV ran a red light and struck him at approximately 12:10 AM. Evidence collected at the scene, including traffic camera footage, indicated that a 2008-2010 platinum sage metallic Hyundai Santa Fe was to blame for the accident after it was seen striking Solano and driving off immediately after. An anonymous tip reported that a vehicle matching the description of this car was frequently seen at nearby Keenan’s Bar, and Dustin Hegner-Royce, 28, and his mother, Abbey Hegner, 47, were later arrest for suspected involvement in the accident upon further examination. The two were later released without charges due to a lack of evidence. Despite wearing a helmet and following traffic laws, including the use of rear reflectors on his bicycle, Solano succumbed to his injuries at Regions Hospital on December 7.
At approximately 7:40 PM on March 15, 2016, 24-year-old Shelby Marqui Kokesch and her mother, 64-year-old Teresa Kokesch, were in the crosswalk at Bekklogg Boulevard and Mulberry Street attempting to cross the street during inclement weather when a sport-utility vehicle struck both of them due to the decreased visibility. Both women were taken to Regions Hospital, where Shelby was pronounced dead. Teresa recovered for injury, and upon preliminary investigation, drugs and alcohol did not appear to cause the 44-year-old driver to collide with the pair. As such, no charges were filed in this case.
Around 8:10 AM on May 23, 2016, 34-year-old Erin Durham was struck by driver Elizabeth K. Soung, 26, who failed to see Durham entering the crosswalk after a driver in the adjacent lane stopped and waved for her to cross. Preliminary evidence suggested that the accident was not related to driving while intoxicated, or to distracted driving; in fact, the only time Soung used her cell phone that morning was when she dialed 911 after the accident occurred. The tragic nature of the accident did not result in charges against Soung, as the family felt no need to hold a grudge against her. Erin was transported to Regions Hospital, where she died of her injuries five days after the accident.
At about 4:15 PM on June 7, 2016, 55-year-old Channy Kek was struck by a minivan as she attempted to cross the street in the crosswalk. Despite first aid attempts, Kek was declared dead at the scene by paramedics. The driver, 41-year-old Said Ali Mohamed, showed no signs of drug or alcohol impairment and was fully cooperative with authorities when stopped for questioning.
Police were called to the intersection of Arlington Ave. and Matilda St. at approximately 2:30 PM on November 2, 2016 after 78-year-old Ker Par had been struck by a small pickup truck while attempting to cross the street. The driver, Choua Tong Yang, 68, reportedly “never saw him” in the road, and investigations revealed that neither drugs nor alcohol were a factor in the crash. Yang was fully cooperative in efforts to figure out how and why the accident occurred. Par was transported to Regions Hospital after the accident, but he later died of his injuries after attempts to treat him proved unsuccessful.
There are several dangerous intersections in and around St. Paul. Most are concentrated in places you would expect to find more accidents – high traffic areas, busy streets, near restaurants and nearby school areas/parks. You will notice nearly all of the intersections have crosswalks, security cameras, stop signs (or signals) and street lights. Cyclists, pedestrians, and drivers all need to be paying attention and follow the rules of the road when approaching intersections. The city of St. Paul has done a good job of preempting accidents with the measures mentioned, now the onus is on the citizens to take more precautions. For your convenience, we’ve listed and provided photos for some of the more dangerous intersections below. These are areas where we found a high number of accidents in the past 2 years.
There are many dangerous areas moving west of downtown. The reason is simple, there are more people, homes and restaurants on several of the main roads leading into/out of downtown. Some of the main roads which have high incident rates are Grand, Lexington, Summit, and University. Here are a few intersections to be aware of:
Many accidents are occurring along the Green line on the city’s west side, specifically in at intersections along University Ave W. Due to the presence of METRO stations and highway entrances/exits, these areas are unfortunately more accident-prone than more pedestrian-friendly walkways in the remainder of the city.
Since 1997, there has been a general downward trend of traffic fatalities in the state of Minnesota, with nearly a 5 percent reduction in fatalities between 2015 (411) and 2016 (392) alone. Despite this, as the population of Minnesota continues to rise, the number of accidents tend to increase by a slight amount each year, even as the number of overall fatalities decreases.
In Saint Paul, the amount of accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists follows a similar trend—in 2016, 188 pedestrian crashes and 126 bicycle accidents were reported, with nearly 77 percent of these crashes resulting in an injury to the pedestrian or the bicyclist. By comparison, in 2017, 192 pedestrian accidents and 99 bicyclist accidents occurred, with approximately 81 percent of these accidents resulting in injury.
Understandably, winter months generally see less pedestrian and bicycle accidents as more people opt to drive or stay indoors than to walk or bike. Warmer months such as July and August tend to see the highest incidents of pedestrian & bicycle accidents in Saint Paul, with 42 incidents reported in August 2016 and 38 incidents reported in July 2017—the highest of their respective years.
Many accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists happen at night, when visibility is lower, drivers tend to be more distracted, and impaired drivers take to the road—often at the expense and livelihood of pedestrians and bikers alike. In 2016, East 7th Street, as well as 6th Street E and 10th Street E, saw the most pedestrian accidents in the downtown Saint Paul area out of all streets with reported accidents.
Other dangerous streets for pedestrians and bikers include Minnehaha Avenue, Rice Street, Snelling Avenue, and 7th Street.
Car accidents happen for a variety of reasons; in 2015, for example, the top four contributing factors for road fatalities in the state of Minnesota were:
Construction, inclement weather, and negligence are also citable in accidents involving pedestrians and bicyclists. While the driver is usually at fault when a collision or accident occurs, sometimes the pedestrian or bicyclist can also contribute to causing an accident that results in personal injury—this may include disobeying traffic laws, walking in the street outside of a designated crosswalk, or not taking proper visibility precautions.
In cases where liability is expected to be contested, having a solid case is essential in the event that your case is taken to trial. As litigation specialists, Sand Law, LLC will prepare for anything and everything that could happen in order to ensure that you receive full compensation for any injuries sustained as a pedestrian or bicyclist involved in an accident, especially if the case is brought to court.
For all drivers, it is a critical responsibility to know the rules of the road not only as they pertain to other drivers, but how they pertain to pedestrians and bicyclists as well. The roads and sidewalks of Saint Paul are traversed by all residents—whether by car, by bike or by foot.
Keeping residents alive and well is the purpose of campaigns such as The Minnesota Crosswalk Laws—which outline the expected protocols for pedestrians attempting to cross the road in the presence of drivers to follow—as well as community efforts to keep pedestrians safe at busy intersections.
Essential measures that drivers can take to help guarantee pedestrian and bicyclist safety may include:
Stricter safety laws, enhanced enforcement, education & outreach, engineering, and emergency medical and trauma response are the core components of Minnesota’s Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) initiative, which seeks to address traffic issues at a local level with the goal of bringing the total number of driving-related fatalities to zero.
For those seeking to explore Saint Paul by foot or by bike, it is essential to have a basic knowledge of traffic laws, and to obey them whenever possible in order to avoid accidents. For bicyclists, wearing a helmet and using proper lights/reflectors when visibility is impaired. Pedestrians are expected to remain on the sidewalk whenever possible, and to also obey traffic laws when walking in or near the street is required.
The personal injury lawyers at Sand Law have offices in both Saint Paul and White Bear Lake, and with our proven record of success, we are well equipped to meet all of your accident and personal injury needs. If you or a loved one has been involved in an accident as a pedestrian or a bicyclist, contact us today for a free consultation. Because we accept cases on a contingency basis, you will be charged nothing unless and until we win your case.
Bicycle accidents kill or injure thousands each year in the United States. With motor vehicle drivers refusing to share the road and not keeping out of the bike lane, these accidents are at an all-time high. There are certain rules in place that keep bicyclists safe from these accidents, but many motor vehicle drivers don’t know they exist or simply ignore them completely. The bias that bicyclists don’t belong on the roads often also causes these accidents to occur.
In 2015, there were 467,000 bicycle-related injuries. Out of those accidents, there were over 1,000 deaths. While bicycle trips only account for about 1% of all trips in the United States, bicyclists face a much higher risk of crash-related death or injury compared to other occupants in motor vehicles. This is likely because they don’t wear much padding. A bicycle helmet can help prevent brain injury when falling off a bike, but it might not do much when impacted by a motor vehicle. While the head is covered, the rest of the body is completely exposed.
In Minnesota, bicyclists may ride on any roads (except where restricted), and they must ride in the same direction as traffic. Motorists must maintain a three-foot clearance while passing the bicyclist and should use as much caution as possible. Even with all these rules (and more), bicyclist accidents are still fairly common in Minnesota. Approximately 7 bicyclists are killed each year in Minnesota, with many more injured.
Driving a motor vehicle requires your attention at all times. Distracted driving, speeding, or consuming alcohol all have an effect on your driving ability. If you’re constantly checking your phone or driving 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, you’re more likely to get into a car accident over someone who’s driving carefully with their full attention.
In a study done by the National Safety Council, among drivers ages 18 to 20, 20% said that texting while driving doesn’t impact their ability to drive safely. When they asked the same question to people ages 21 to 34, 30% stated the same thing. This means that nearly a third of the younger population believes that texting while driving is a completely safe thing to do. Texting while driving can be a huge problem and can result in hitting another car, pedestrian, or cyclist because the driver wasn’t paying attention or didn’t see them.
30% of all bicycle accidents involve the rider getting hit by a car, but 13% involve improper roadways, or roadways that are not in good repair. Other accidents include rider error, crashing with a fixed object, or a dog running out in front of the cyclist.
The most common injuries in minor bicycle accidents include breaking, spraining, or fracturing bones. However, more severe accidents can lead to much more severe injuries, like head trauma, neurological damage, spinal cord injuries, ruptured discs, or bone fractures.
Head trauma can be a severe injury that can lead to death if not taken care of properly. Head trauma can also lead to developmental issues in young adults and children. Head trauma is often linked to memory loss and other issues, depending on where the trauma occurs.
Spinal cord injuries can also be fatal depending on where along the spine the injury occurred. Many spinal injuries also lead to paralysis of limbs, depending on the severity of the accident.
Many of these injuries can be handled easily and effectively, depending on what exactly happened. However, there are some injuries that are much worse than others and will require more medical attention. That means that your medical bills will be higher, and the injury may cause an issue for you in the future.
Getting the compensation you deserve for your bike accident can be a huge hardship, especially if you’re doing it all on your own. When you’re involved in an accident, you are entitled to compensation for past and future pain and suffering, past and future wage loss, and past and future medical bills.
This means that if you have to go back to the hospital because of the same injury or require physical therapy, you may be able to receive compensation to cover those costs as well. You can also receive compensation for any wages you lost because of your injuries, and any future wages you may lose.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a bicycle accident, one of our lawyers here at Sand Law would be happy to help you get the compensation that you deserve. We’ll handle everything for you and get you the money you need to get back on your feet. For a free evaluation of your case, contact us online here or by calling 651-291-7263 to schedule your consultation.
With offices in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Woodbury, and White Bear Lake.
