While the Capital Region might be more known for its iconic New York traffic jams than any other transportation-related phenomenon, there are actually 75 miles of off-road or shared-use bike trails in the Albany area.
While the Mohawk-Hudson Bikeway, which connects Albany and Schenectady, has always been an off-road favorite, there are also plans to construct more bikeways within the City of Albany.
As the region improves its biker-friendly infrastructure, there is an unfortunate lag between the increasing number of bikers and the current Albany bike routes. This means that biking, especially in busy downtown Albany, comes with its fair share of risks and accidents.
Biking-Related Accident Statistics
According to preliminary 2017 “NYS Bicycle Crash Summary” data from the Institute for Traffic Safety Management and Research (ITSMR), there were 6,134 crashes involving bicycles. Of these reported crashes, 49 were fatal and a staggering 97.69 percent (5,992) were categorized as “personal injury.”
Interestingly, of the fatal crashes, only four occurred when riders were wearing a helmet as opposed to the 34 where riders were not wearing a helmet.
The data also shows a direct correlation between afternoon riding and the likelihood of being involved in a crash. Indeed, the most bicycle crashes occurred between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. nearly every day of the week.
Contributing Factors for Personal Injury Crashes
As with most vehicular crashes, the bicycle crashes reported overwhelmingly involved human factors. This means that someone wasn’t paying attention while driving, disobeyed a traffic sign, failed to yield, or in some other way disregarded a driving directive.
Of the 5,842 bicycle crashes involving personal injury, 5,002 were categorized as “Crashes With Human Factors.” These human factors include but are not limited to:
- Driver Inattention/Distraction
- Failure to Yield Right-of-Way
- Passing/Lane Changing/Improper Use
- Traffic Control Device Disregarded
- Unsafe Speed
- Turning Improperly
On the other hand, 1,500 of these accidents involved pedestrian/bicyclist errors/confusion. If you were driving a car and were involved in a crash with a bicyclist, they could indeed be liable for any damages or injuries you sustained.
When a crash involves human factors, personal injury lawsuits can and usually do come into play.
After all, if you’ve been in an accident by mostly no fault of your own, then it should not fall on you to cover medical expenses as you regain momentum on the long path to physical, emotional, and financial recovery.
Personal Injury Lawyers for Bicycle Crashes
If you’ve sustained a personal injury as a result of a bicycle crash (whether you were the driver or cyclist), it behooves you to consult with a personal injury attorney.
When you have a legal team on your side, you have a chance at recovering damages for medical expenses, long-term medical care, and other financial burdens related to your injury.
About Girvin & Ferlazzo’s Personal Injury Lawyers
Girvin & Ferlazzo is a personal injury law firm serving Albany and the Capital Region. With more than 25 years of experience negotiating personal injury settlements, our team of personal injury attorneys knows exactly what it takes to win you the compensation you deserve.
We’re also very sensitive to the toll that a personal injury and resulting litigation process takes, so our team is extremely proactive, supportive, and responsive.
If you or a loved one has sustained a personal injury as a result of a bicycle accident, call us today for a free consultation. We can help you to start moving forward with your case and getting the closure to which you are entitled.