BIKE LAW 101 - Article Says Injured Cyclists More Likely To Hire Lawyers!
A recent AP article published in the Santa Fe NewMexican, http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/66486.html, is entitled " More cyclists hit by cars turning to lawyers." The article's dateline is Boise, Idaho and quotes a number of west coast lawyers who have noticed an uptick in their "bike cases." There is probably a very good [statistical] reason for this.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is a group funded by virtually every auto insurer in the country. The IIHS publishes crash test data and crash statistics every year. The IIHS "Fatality Facts" gives an in depth look at highway deaths, including a special page for Bicyclist deaths. The current version is found at http://www.iihs.org/research/fatality_facts/bicycles.html.
If you compare the statistics for bicycle deaths from 1975 to those of today a few things jump out at you. First, 1003 cyclists were killed on the nation's roadways in 1975, and "only" 782 died in 2005. However, the demographics of those killed have been completely flipped over.
In 1975 67%, or 2 out of every 3, of the 1003 deaths involved a cyclist under the age of 16 - kids really. In 2005, however, 81% of all cyclists killed on the roads were OVER the age of 16. In fact, the vast majority of cyclists killed were over the age of 30!
Does this jive with your perception of reality? I'm 50 [yea yea, I know...] and "... back when I was a kid..." in addition to walking FIFTEEN MILES uphill, both ways, through the snow to get to school, we used to hop on our bikes in the summertime and leave the house after breakfast - we might make it back for lunch, but more likely, we'd get home by dinner time. We rode everywhere and rode on the streets every summer day. Today, that is virtually unheard of in most metropolitan areas.
Today, more and more men and women in their 30's and 40' and 50's getting serious about cycling - as a way to stay fit [that doesn't stress the knees], as a means of transportation, as a way to save gas, make an environmental statement, relive their childhood or just have FUN!! Sales of high end bikes are doing very well. Men and women with careers and disposable income are buying nice bikes and riding on the roads.
The more hours such men and women spend in traffic, the higher the likelihood that they'll get whacked by an errant motorist! When such people are injured, their claims are considerably more valuable due to the potential loss of income and the like. Such men and women are generally motivated, savvy and not afraid to retain competent legal counsel to pursue claims when they are hurt, or can't work, due to the negligence of motorist!
The story in the Santa Fe newspaper makes perfect sense when viewed with this backdrop~
Good Luck and Good Riding!~
Steve Magas, The Bike Lawyer - BikeLawyer@aol.com
