Arlington Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Experienced Bike-Riding Personal Injury Lawyer for Arlington

If you suffer an injury while riding your bike in or near Arlington, TX, there is a chance your life will never be the same. Arlington bicyclists have minimal protection compared to drivers who wheel around town with thousands of pounds of steel surrounding them. Even if the bike accident is partially your fault, there is a good chance Bill Shirer, Esq. Cyclist at Law, will be able to obtain significant financial compensation on your behalf. This is the expert legal assistance you need to make it through the complex legal maze in a timely and successful manner.

The first phone call you make after contacting the police and emergency medical personnel should be to our law office. In addition to being an avid cyclist, our head attorney, Bill Shirer, is board certified to practice personal injury trial law. Bill has nearly 30 years experience practicing trial law. Even if your bike injury is fairly minor, Bill is willing to advocate on your behalf in and out of a court of law, ensuring justice is served in full and without delay. Contact our office today to schedule a no-obligation consultation.

Determining Liability for a Bicycle Accident

Bike accident liability typically falls on the driver rather than the bicyclist. Drivers have a duty of care for bike riders on the roads as well as those on sidewalks, in parking lots, and in other spaces. If motorists fail to honor this duty of care, they may be found guilty of negligence. Negligence is a legal term used by lawyers, judges, paralegals, and others in the legal industry to refer to a party’s failure to provide the proper level of due care for others in the vicinity.

However, there is a chance that you, the bicyclist, will be found partially liable for the accident. As an example, if you cycle through a red light, directly into oncoming traffic, you probably won’t win your personal injury lawsuit. However, if you are not at fault or partially at fault for the accident, there is a good chance you will be able to obtain a settlement or a court award that covers the damages you incurred due to the crash. This is the money you need to pay for related medical bills, cover your lost income, offset your diminished earning capacity, repair your damaged bicycle, and pay for all other expenses tied to this unfortunate accident.

The bottom line is the nuanced facts of your particular bike-riding accident are just as important as the experience and merit of your Arlington bicycle accident lawyer. Put your faith in Bill Shirer, and you will sleep soundly at night knowing your case is in good hands. Our legal team will identify all potential liable parties, including the motorist who struck your vehicle, the local government for failing to provide sufficient signage or the proper road conditions, the bicycle mechanic that last worked on your bike, the bicycle store that sold the bike, and possibly even the bicycle manufacturer. In some cases, multiple parties share liability, meaning it is possible to obtain financial compensation from several parties after your biking accident in or near Arlington.

Cyclist Laws in Arlington, TX

Arlington bicyclists have the same rights and duties as those operating motor vehicles. In other words, you must stop at red lights and stop signs while riding your bike on public roadways. Cyclists are required to raise the hand on the side of their body where they will be turning. Bike riders in Arlington are to ride near the curb and travel in the same direction as automobiles as opposed to riding against the flow of traffic.

Only one rider is permitted per bike saddle. Two bicyclists can ride abreast of one another as long as they do not interfere with traffic. When riding at night, the bicyclist is to have a red reflector light on the back of the bike and a white light on the front of the bike. Bike riders must also have a bike that ensures the brake wheel skids.

Car Drivers’ Rights and Responsibilities to Cyclists

Though many motorists are unaware of it, bike riders in Arlington have many of the same rights as drivers. This means drivers owe a duty of care to bicyclists in Arlington similar to how a duty of care is owed to fellow drivers. Motorists are to share the road and act in a manner that provides bicyclists with due care. Drivers are required to look for bike riders and do everything within reason to prevent colliding with these comparably small and vulnerable individuals. Drivers cannot pass a cyclist until it is safe to do so. Furthermore, passes should only be completed when there is a minimum of three feet between the bike rider and the driver.

Drivers should be aware of the potential for a bicyclist to collide with car doors that are opened after vehicles are parked, especially when parked on busy streets. Failing to look for approaching bicyclists after parking, then opening the door and causing a collision, has the potential to set the foundation for a lawsuit that costs the motorist a considerable amount of money.

Cyclists’ Rights and Responsibilities

Bike riders also owe a duty of care to motorists. Although bicyclists can ride in the road in most locations in Arlington, they are to do so as far as possible to the right by the curb. Cyclists do not have the right to ride on the highway. Bicycles can ride on sidewalks, yet they have the same responsibilities as pedestrians who walk on the sidewalk. Cyclists must ride in a manner that does not interfere with pedestrians. Bicyclists are also responsible for notifying pedestrians of their presence when approaching. This notification is performed with a verbal announcement of their presence or by ringing a bell on the bike.

What to Do After a Bicycle Accident

If you are capable of moving and thinking clearly after your bicycle accident, be highly strategic with your actions. Do not state you are sorry or admit fault in any way. Contact emergency medical responders by dialing 911. Reach out to the police so a formal accident report can be created. Use your smartphone to take pictures of the accident scene, your injuries, damage to your bike, damage to the vehicle, and the intersection/area where the accident occurred.

If anyone witnessed the accident, flag them down and record their names and contact information. Write down or use your smartphone to save the name, phone number, license plate number, and insurance information of all drivers and riders involved in the accident. Above all, the most important thing you can do is contact Bill Shirer’s law office to coordinate an initial consultation. We will review the details of your unique cycling accident and determine if it is in your interest to move forward with a personal injury lawsuit.

Elements of a Bicycle Accident Claim

Our bike accident attorney in Arlington is here to help you obtain financial compensation after your collision. We will file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf, identify all potential liable parties, gauge the amount of damages, and negotiate with the insurance company as well as opposing counsel on your behalf.

The overarching goal of filing a personal injury lawsuit is to obtain the money you need to offset all losses that are causally related to the accident. This means you might receive a significant amount of money through a settlement or court award that covers everything from your medical costs to lost wages, reduced earning capacity, damage to your bike, pain, suffering, and more.

Bicycle Accident Statistics in Arlington

Arlington was the 13th-most-dangerous city for bicyclists in 2020. The study’s results, publicized by CarInsurance.org, make it clear that Arlington is one of the most treacherous places to ride a bike in the entirety of the United States. The city averages 262 yearly cycling deaths for every 100,000 bike commuters. There are 2.6 bicyclist deaths in Arlington for every million residents. In the four-year period between 2016 and 2020, four Arlington bike riders died as a result of collisions.

Best Bike Trails in Arlington

Arlington is chock-full of beautiful trails for biking, hiking, walking, and running. Some of the best places to ride a bike in and around Arlington include:

• Crystal Canyon Natural Area
• Dr. Robert Cluck Linear Park
• Bob Cooke park River Legacy Parks
• Elmer W. Oliver Nature Park
• Cravens Park
• Veterans Park Northshore Trail
• Horseshoe
• A-Train Rail Trail
• Bachman Lake Park Loop Trail
• Arbor Hills Trail
• Beaver Bend Trail
• Bedford Trails
• Bernal Trail

Worst Areas for Bike Riding in Arlington

Bike riders should avoid certain uber-busy Arlington intersections as well as those that provide little space for cyclists to ride. Examples of the area’s worst places to ride a bike include the following intersections:

• Pioneer Parkway and Cooper Street
• W. Park Row Drive and Cooper Street
• E. Park Row Drive and Watson

In general, anywhere near Highway 360 and Watson Rd. will prove dangerous for cyclists.

How to Avoid a Bike Accident

Using arm and hand signals to communicate your intention to turn makes it that much easier for motorists to understand the direction in which you will ride. Be sure to wear light-hued clothing, add reflectors to your bike, and don a helmet along with pads just in case you are struck by a car, jogger, or fellow bicyclist. Test the pressure in your bike’s tires every now and then to ensure they have enough air. Be hyper-aware when riding toward parked cars as their doors could easily open and cause you to be knocked off of your bike.

Contact the Arlington Cyclist at Law

If you or a loved one are involved in a cycling accident, contact us today for an analysis of your case. Bill Shirer, Esq. takes pride in being a Cyclist at Law. This means Bill also shares the roads with motorists while riding his bike in Texas. Bill will carefully review the facts of your case and determine if there is solid legal footing for a personal injury lawsuit. If you lose a loved one as a result of a biking accident, Bill will determine if you stand a reasonable chance of winning a wrongful death lawsuit that provides financial compensation for the loss of care, the loss of financial support, funeral costs, burial costs, and all other costs tied to the accident.

Reach out to our law office today to coordinate an initial consultation so we can review the unique facts of your case. You can reach us by dialing (972) 392-1249 / 800-887-6188. You can also contact Bill by email.