Burien Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Committed to protecting the legal rights of victims everywhere
Committed to protecting the legal rights of victims everywhere
Washingtonians are well-known as physically active and environmentally conscious people. That is one reason bicycling is so popular in the state. In fact, according to the League of American Bicyclists, Washington ranks as the most “bicycle friendly” state in the country, beating out even our Pacific neighbors Oregon and California.
But as the number of bicycles on Washington’s roads increase, so too does the risk of a potentially catastrophic accident. Although the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention note that only about 1 percent of all daily trips nationwide involve bicycles, bicyclists “face a higher risk of crash-related injury and deaths than occupants in motor vehicles.” Here in King County alone, there were 550 bicycle accidents reported to the Washington State Department of Transportation in 2017 alone, which included 5 fatalities and 45 cases involving “serious injuries.”
Many bicycle accidents are the result of negligent motorists who either do not understand–or simply chose to disregard–the rules of the road when it comes to interacting with bicyclists. If you have been seriously injured, or lost a loved one, as the result of such negligence, you may be entitled to compensation from the responsible parties. The experienced Burien, Washington, bicycle accident attorneys at the Khan Law Firm are here and ready to help.
Obviously, not every bicycle accident is the result of another person’s negligence. Many times, the bicyclist simply loses control of their own vehicle and crashes. So when we’re talking about bicycle accidents in the context of personal injury law, we typically mean collisions that occur at intersections or while riding in traffic. Some of the more common types of bicycle accidents we deal with at the Khan Law Firm include:
It’s important to understand that regardless of the circumstances surrounding a bicycle accident, the bicyclist may be held partially responsible if they failed to follow the rules of the road themselves. Fortunately, Washington State follows a “pure comparative negligence” rule when it comes to personal injury cases. This means that while a judge may reduce a jury award to account for the percentage of fault attributed to the bicyclist, the negligent motorist is still responsible for the balance of the judgment. So hypothetically speaking, a bicyclist could be found 99 percent liable but still recover 1 percent of their total damages from the motorist.
If you are an active bicyclist, you need to start thinking now about your contingency plan in the event of an accident. Obviously, you will likely be too disoriented or physically injured to think about these steps if and when an accident does occur. So here are a few things to keep in mind:
At the Khan Law Firm, we will work to make sure the insurance companies do right by you, and if they do not we are prepared to take your case to court. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation so we can learn more about your accident and how we can best help you.