Abogados especializados en accidentes de bicicleta en Toledo

Toledo, Ohio Bike Accidents

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1,000 bicyclists die each year on U.S. roads in crashes involving a motor vehicle, and crash injuries send an estimated 120,000 more to emergency departments. Toledo’s trails and bike lanes bring riders onto city streets, and many serious crashes happen where those riders meet car traffic.

Where Bike Crashes Happen in Toledo

A bike crash can happen on any street, but some parts of Toledo see more of them because of heavy traffic, frequent turns, and trail crossings:

• Around the University of Toledo: students, staff, and neighbors ride to and from the main campus, and the streets around it are busy with cars turning into lots, buses, and pedestrians.
• Monroe Street: one of the city’s main commercial corridors, with constant driveway and parking lot traffic from Sylvania to downtown.
• Central Avenue: wide, fast lanes and busy intersections make it hard for drivers to notice cyclists, especially when turning.
• Trail crossings on the Wabash Cannonball Trail and the University Parks Trail: riders on these trails cross busy roads, and drivers do not always slow down or yield where the trail meets the street.
• Downtown and nearby neighborhoods: parked cars, delivery vehicles, and drivers looking for parking put riders at risk of doorings and right hooks.

Common Causes of Toledo Bike Accidents

In many cases, bicycle accidents in Toledo happen due to drivers failing to operate their vehicles safely. Some dangerous behaviors by drivers of passenger vehicles or commercial trucks include:

• Failing to check a vehicle’s blind spots when changing lanes
• Making right or left turns suddenly in front of oncoming cyclists
• Sideswiping bicyclists who are traveling on the shoulder
• Opening doors in front of bicyclists in busy urban centers
• Failing to come to a complete stop at stop signs
• Pulling out from driveways or parked positions without looking
• Failing to yield to a bicyclist when it is appropriate
• Speeding, driving recklessly, or harassing bicyclists
• Driving under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or other incapacitating influences
• Talking on a cell phone or otherwise engaging a mobile device while driving

Ohio Bicycle Laws That Affect Your Claim

Ohio treats a bicycle as a vehicle. Cyclists have the same right to the road as drivers, and the same duty to follow traffic laws. Our page on Ohio bicycle traffic laws covers the rules in more detail, but these are the ones that come up most often in a claim:

• Safe passing: Drivers must leave at least three feet when passing a cyclist.
• Lane position: Cyclists generally ride as near to the right side of the road as is practicable, but they may take more of the lane when needed to avoid hazards, parked cars, or a lane too narrow to share safely.
• Lights at night: A bike ridden after dark needs a white front light, a red rear reflector, and a red rear light.
• Car doors: Drivers and passengers may not open a door on the traffic side unless it is reasonably safe to do so, which matters in dooring cases.
• Helmets: Ohio has no statewide bicycle helmet law for riders of any age, though some cities have their own rules for children. Our page on Ohio helmet laws explains how riding without a helmet can come up in a claim.

Shared Fault

Insurers often try to blame the cyclist. Under Ohio’s comparative negligence rule, you can still recover compensation as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault, but your award is reduced by your share of the blame. Evidence from the scene, witnesses, and video often makes the difference.

Common Bicycle Accident Injuries

A cyclist absorbs the full force of a crash, and injuries range from painful to life-changing:

• Head and brain injuries: concussions and traumatic brain injuries, even when the rider was wearing a helmet.
• Broken bones: wrists, arms, collarbones, hips, and legs often break as a rider is thrown or lands on the pavement.
• Road rash and lacerations: deep abrasions and cuts that can become infected and leave permanent scars.
• Spinal cord and back injuries: from herniated discs to injuries that cause partial or full paralysis.
• Internal injuries: bleeding and organ damage that may not be obvious at the scene.
• Dental and facial injuries: broken teeth, jaw fractures, and facial fractures from hitting a windshield or the road.
• Dislocations and joint injuries: shoulders, knees, and elbows are especially vulnerable.

Some symptoms do not seem serious at first but get worse over time. This can lead to compounding medical bills after your bicycle accident, which is why it is important to see a doctor right away and keep every record.

Steps to Take After a Toledo Bike Accident

If you are involved in a bike accident, these steps help you get proper medical care and collect the information your claim will need:

1. Call the police – The police will take and file a police report, even if there are no visible injuries. Again, some injuries initially seem minor but can become more serious over time.
2. Get driver and witness contact information – Get the driver’s name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, vehicle plate number, and insurance information. Plus, try to get the names and contact information of everyone who witnessed the accident.
3. Don’t negotiate with the driver – Let the authorities, insurance, and courts handle the investigations and assign any blame/fault. The last thing you want is a handshake promise only to be later denied by the driver.
4. Give your version of events in the accident report – Make sure the officer talks to you and not just the driver. Be insistent and do everything you can to get your side of the story into the police report. If, for whatever reason, the police refuse to include your statement in the accident report, you can have it amended later.
5. Document what happened – Take as many mental and physical notes as you can. This includes what, where, how, why, and when it happened and all road, traffic, and weather conditions. Then, write all this information down as soon as you can.
6. Note your injuries – Seek immediate medical attention for your injuries, even minor ones, and take photos of them. The fact that you sought medical attention will prove that you were injured, and medical records will document the extent of your injuries.
7. Preserve evidence – Don’t immediately try to fix your bike; leave it and other damaged property in the same state after the accident. Plus, don’t wash your clothing or clean your helmet. Most importantly, take photos of everything and share the evidence with your bicycle accident attorney before anyone else.

Toledo Bike Accident FAQs

Hurt While on a Bike? Call KNR.

If you were hurt while riding your bike, you need an experienced bicycle accident lawyer in Toledo to help. At KNR, we are dedicated to helping injury victims move on after an accident, physically and financially.

Learn more about what legal options may be available when you contact Kisling, Nestico & Redick. Schedule your no-cost, risk-free consultation today. Call our Toledo office at (419) 324-8205 to get started.

Our Bike Accident Lawyers Will:

• Investiga, recopila pruebas y descubre quiénes son los responsables de tu accidente.
• Entrevista a testigos, profesionales sanitarios y expertos para demostrar cómo se ha visto afectada tu vida.
• Ponte en contacto con la aseguradora, aclara quién es el responsable y intenta conseguir la máxima indemnización.
• Determine the full and fair value of your bike accident claim.
• Te mantendremos informado y te haremos partícipe. Puedes contactar con KNR por teléfono, mensaje de texto, correo electrónico o Zoom.
• Defiende tus derechos y, si es necesario, lleva tu caso ante los tribunales.
• Nunca te cobraremos por adelantado. Si no se consigue la indemnización, no hay ningún coste.