The most common way that people are injured or killed by riding their bicycle is to be hit by a car or a package delivery truck. Even though Oregon as a state is a bike path-friendly place, a cyclist could cross more than 100 mini-intersections on their way to work. Every street is lined with entrances to malls and businesses and a cyclist must be aware that cars can blindly pull out in front of them. A bicycle must be prepared to stop if a driver is negligent and overlooks a cyclist crossing its path. Cyclists riding into the path of an automobile pulling out of a minor road is a leading cause of bicycle injuries and fatalities in and around Oregon, as is automobiles and trucks pulling “into” minor roads from major roads and failing to see the bicyclist crossing the minor road.
Either way, motorists operating automobiles, 18-wheelers or package delivery trucks have a responsibility to share the road with bicyclists and can be held liable for their negligence. Trucks and package delivery trucks can be particularly insensitive to bicycle safety laws because they are working during bicycle commuting times and are often in a hurry to pull into and out of the businesses they serve. If you are run over or run into by a motor vehicle while crossing a minor road or are involved in an accident with a motor vehicle in any other way, you’ll first need to call 911 and take an ambulance to the local hospital. The very next person you should talk to is a bicycle accident attorney at Shlesinger & deVilleneuve Attorneys, P.C. We are experienced personal injury attorneys who can fight on your behalf to sue the driver and their insurance company, and/or the company that negligently operated the package delivery truck that was responsible for the accident that caused your pain and suffering. Give us a call immediately so that we can go to work for you.
