Seattle Bicycle Accident Attorneys

“I enjoy helping cyclists because I am one myself.  I have lived in Seattle and Bellingham, Washington, and Boulder, Colorado, three of this country’s most bike-friendly cities.  My wife and I celebrated our honeymoon by riding our bikes across Spain.  I know how much fun bicycling can be.  I also know how dangerous and scary it is when motorists drive unsafely. “

-Brett Murphy Attorney David Brown

As it is becoming more and more clear with each new petroleum-related disaster, we all need to do our part to end our dependence on oil.  While fabulous new technologies appear every day that offer the promise of a future free of oil dependence, there is one proven technology that offers complete freedom from petroleum:  bicycles.  Running errands, commuting, vacationing, and recreating by bicycle is one way to drastically reduce our carbon footprint and reduce our consumption of oil.

The only downside to bicycle transportation is that it often leaves the rider uniquely vulnerable to car accidents and personal injury by motorists in heavier vehicles travelling at much greater speeds.  Most drivers understand this and try to give bicyclists extra room to maneuver through traffic.   However, even those conscientious drivers sometimes make driving errors, and when they do they can badly hurt a cyclist.

Other drivers are not so conscientious; they see cyclists only as impediments to their travel on surface streets.  They let cyclists know of their displeasure and annoyance by purposefully driving too close to cyclists, attempting to startle them with horns or shouts, and occasionally even throwing items at the cyclists.

Many cities like Seattle have enacted laws which provide additional protection for cyclists, or have created safety features such as designated bicycle lanes to decrease bicycle accidents.  Unfortunately, every year more and more cyclists are being hurt by inattentive or hostile drivers.  As a personal injury lawyer and a cyclist, I want to do what I can to increase the safety of cyclists on our roads.

HOLDING RECKLESS DRIVERS ACCOUNTABLE

The best way to make sure that cyclists are kept safe and to avoid bicycle collisions is to hold drivers responsible for the damages they cause when they engage in behaviors that result in injuries to a cyclist.  Holding drivers accountable helps ensure the safety of all cyclists in a number of ways.

First, the driver is forced to acknowledge the hazard they created by driving in an unsafe manner, either by not watching where they were going, not yielding to bicycles, or trying to execute a risky driving maneuver that can result in a bicycle accident.  But holding the driver fully responsible does more.  The insurance company for the driver, who will ultimately bear the cost for the resulting bicycle accident and injuries, will be forced to acknowledge the financial cost of bicycle accidents.  Just as the Insurance Institute for Traffic Safety works towards making safer cars to cut down on expensive personal injuries to insured motorists, the insurance companies will see the real costs of these car vs. bicycle collisions.  As a result, insurance companies will lobby Olympia for more bike lanes, more bicycle friendly intersections, and more alternate, bicycle-safe routes.  This will happen only when bicycle collisions start to affect the bottom line of insurance companies.  That will only happen if we hold drivers fully responsible for causing bicycle accidents and injuries.

Second, we can help making cycling safer for everyone by holding aggressive, anti-cyclist drivers fully accountable.  If a hostile driver is forced to pay in full for the damage and personal injuries he or she causes, they are less likely to behave this way in the future.  Also, every time a hostile driver is held fully accountable, it sends a message to the community that this behavior will not be tolerated, and that these kinds of drivers are not in the majority.

I enjoy helping injured cyclists for many reasons; because everyone who makes the choice to ride a bike instead of drive should be fully supported. This is the only way to stop the environmental degradation caused by dependence on petroleum.  I also enjoy helping cyclists because I am one myself.  I have lived in Seattle and Bellingham, Washington and Boulder, Colorado, three of this country’s most bike-friendly cities.  My wife and I celebrated our honeymoon by riding our bikes across Spain.  I know how much fun cycling can be.  I also know how dangerous and scary it is when motorists drive unsafely.

If you have been injured in a bicycle accident with one of these types of drivers, let us help you hold the driver responsible. We make sure that reckless and hostile drivers are held fully responsible for the injuries they cause.  Give us a call and tell us your story.