The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) rightly touts its Dallas District Bicycle Program as an inexpensive and efficient form of transportation. In fact, Dallas has some of the best bicycle trails in Texas. Each day many people ride their bicycles to and from work, for exercise around White Rock Lake, or numerous trails in and around Dallas.
While we would like to think of Dallas being bicycle-friendly, not all drivers act responsibly or respect the rights of bicyclists in Dallas and throughout Texas. As a result, we see large numbers of bicycle accidents resulting from negligent drivers who fail to obey the rules of the road.
It is important that every driver take all precautions and obey the rules of the roads when sharing our streets and highways with bicyclists. Even in areas that do not have dedicated bike lanes or paths, bicyclists have a right to ride on the road and have the right-of-way just as a car would. Many drivers, however, are reckless and fail to yield to bicyclists.
We see many accidents when a car makes a right turn and fails to yield to a bicyclist traveling in the bike lane or on the road. Injuries may also occur when drivers negligently park vehicles in the bike paths or swerve into the bike lanes.
Bicyclists are particularly vulnerable when sharing the road with larger, faster-moving cars. Even with properly functioning safety equipment and helmets, a bicyclist stands no chance when a car turns into his or her path or runs the bicyclist off the road.
Even a relatively minor collision between a car and a bike can create traumatic and devastating injuries for the cyclist, including road burn, fractures, and head injuries. In the severest cases, the bicyclist can be killed if run over or hit at a high speed.
Contact Our Dallas Bicycle Accident Attorneys
If you are injured in a bicycle accident, contact a Dallas bicycle attorney who can help you protect your rights. If the car that hit you is insured, you may have injury insurance available to you through the at-fault driver’s vehicle or personal injury protection.
Seek medical attention immediately and remember the Law Firm of Jessica B. Davis is here to make sure that your rights are preserved.