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Bicycle Accidents
- CNN article discusses Clash between Bicycles and Cars
- How Many Years In Jail Can You Get For Road Rage Driving?
- LA Road Rage Driver Convicted of 6 Felonies l Seattle Bike Lawyer
- What would you do if you were paralyzed in a hit & run bike accident? l Washington Spine Injury Attorney
- Bicycling Made Easier by Pavement Markings in Redmond and Kirkland l Kirkland Bike Attorney
News
- New Law Proposed to Increased Criminal Penalties in Bicycle Accidents...
Posted on 1/27/2010 - Ballard Businesses File Lawsuit Over Seattle's Burke-Gilman Trail Expansion...
Posted on 7/23/2009 - Cambridge, MA Bicyclist dies following Car v. Bike accident near Raymond, WA...
Posted on 7/13/2009 - 30th Annual Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic, Saturday, July 11th & 12th...
Posted on 7/10/2009 - Colorado Women Gets 3 years For Killing Two Bicyclists...
Posted on 6/9/2009
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Bicycle Accidents
CNN article discusses Clash between Bicycles and Cars
Bicycles and cars often don't see eye to eye. When bicycles are hit by cars often there is a bias against the bike rider. It's important to find an experienced Washington Bicycle Accident Attorney is these situations. Call 425-822-5700 and speak to one of our experienced WA bicycle Accident Lawyers.How Many Years In Jail Can You Get For Road Rage Driving?
Bicycle v. car accident in Los Angeles, CA results in 5 year sentence for driver found guilty of 6 felonies following road rage incident that seriously injured to bicyclists. As Washington bike accident lawyers we see this kind of dangerous accident all too often. Been in a bicycle accident, call Bike accident attorneys of Scott McDonald And Associates at 425-822-5700.LA Road Rage Driver Convicted of 6 Felonies l Seattle Bike Lawyer
A Los Angeles County jury found a car driver guilty of six felonies following a July 2008 incident where the driver had a violent altercation with two bicyclists. The driver slammed on his brakes in front of the bicycle riders causing serious injuries to both bicyclists. The driver became angry at the bicycle riders as he drove down a windy canyon road in the Los Angeles area. He was having difficulty passing the bikes.The car driver Christopher Thomas was an emergency room doctor in Los Angeles. He had a prior history of conflicts with bicycle riders. It was clear from his reported statements that he believed bicycles should not be on the road and needed to get the hell out of his way. He made it a point to teach these bike riders a lesson. Well, who was taught the lesson here?
Thomas had been out on bail, but the judge revoked bail and Thomas was place in jail immediately following the guilty jury verdict. Thomas is no longer an ER doctor and does not live in the LA area. He is likely to lose his medical license as a result of the felony convictions. Thank God! Any doctor that is okay with trying to seriously hurt a bicycle rider with his car should not be permitted to practice medicine.
Thomas faces a maximum of 10 years in prison at his sentencing in a few weeks. But as a first time offender he likely will not receive the maximum.
It is not okay to use your car as a weapon no matter how frustrated you get with a bicycle rider, motorcycle, or other vehicle driver. Follow the Golden rule...Treat others how you would want to be treated!
What would you do if you were paralyzed in a hit & run bike accident? l Washington Spine Injury Attorney
A retired neurosurgeon and 72 year old bicycle rider, Ross Bornfleth of Yakima, Washington, came very close to having to answer that horrifying question. In early September Ross was riding his Trek road bike in the West Valley on Wide Hollow Road when a car tried to pass him and hit him from behind. Ross was sent flying by the impact and landed in the road badly injured. As Ross laid in the middle of the road he watch as the vehicle's brake lights came on for a few seconds as if the vehicle was stopping, and then it sped off leaving him lying in the road with broken bones and in pain.
Ross' injuries were severe. He suffered fractures to his pelvis, scapula, and clavicle and is confined to a wheelchair for six weeks. Luckily, Ross will be able to get up out of that wheelchair and walk again. But what if he was not so lucky? What if the wheelchair was permanent?
The hit & run driver fled his responsibility taking any insurance coverage with him. Ross has been left to pay all of his own medical bills and expenses for his severe bicycle accident related injuries. What are his options? If Ross had downloaded our report "The Guide To Buying Car Insurance In Washington" then perhaps he had maximized his Uninsured Motorist (UIM) coverage and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage on his own car insurance.
PIP insurance would pay for Ross' medical bills up to the policy limit, which is usually $10,000 but sometimes can be as high as $35,000. If that is not enough then Ross will have to look to his health insurance to pay the remaining bills. If he has no health insurance then he will have to pay the bills out of his own pocket until he has completed his injury treatments. Ross' last option will be to seek compensation through his UIM insurance.
We almost always recommend that you wait until you have finished injury treatments and healed from your injuries, either totally or as much as possible, before making a Uninsured Motorist (UIM) coverage claim. Why? Because UIM coverage by design takes the place of the at fault driver which is an adverse relationship. UIM generally will not pay medical bills as you treat and the bills are incurred. UIM will only pay one lump sum to settle the whole claim at once and pay all bills and expenses. Because of this you want to wait until you're healed and know exactly how much treatment your injuries require before closing your UIM claim.
UIM insurance pays for more than just medical bills. It pays for any future care that may be needed. If you were left paralyzed you may need daily care from a nurse or other medical care person. You may not be able to work at your job any longer, losing all your future income from your chosen career. You may have been left with a certain amount of daily pain that will not be going away and you will live with for the rest of your life. UIM insurance is designed to pay for all of these things and others.
The short answer to our initial question hopefully for you is "I will make a UIM claim to pay for all the damages that I suffered and the care I will need in the future." Hopefully, you purchased as much UIM coverage as possible to deal with this worst case scenario.
For more information and recommendations on what insurance coverages to buy to best protect your family please download our report The Guide To Buying Car Insurance In Washington.
Carbon Bike Fork Failure Can Cause Serious Injury
An attorney friend, Mike Schafer, has an interesting blog post at his The Kentucky Accident Attorney blog about carbon bicycle fork failure.Apparently, carbon forks can become stressed by hitting potholes, running into a curb or normal wear and tear, which can lead to fork failure where the fork can unexpectedly break during a ride. Given the state of many of the roads around Washington especially here in King County, that's scary. You can imagine the type of crash which would result from a broken fork.
Check out Mike's article. You may also want to check or have a professional check your carbon bicycle fork for signs of stress from time to time.
Bicycling Made Easier by Pavement Markings in Redmond and Kirkland l Kirkland Bike Attorney
As a bicyclist in Redmond and Kirkland, Washington have you ever had problems triggering traffic lights to change? Well the cities of Redmond and Kirkland have started a new pavement marking program to make your life easier.The new pavement markings are designed to help Washington bicyclists know where to stop so that the traffic light will "see" or sense you. A bicycle symbol is paint on the road, and when you stop on it the traffic light is activated. So you should not have to sit through endless light cycles hoping a car comes up behind you to trip the light.
Kirkland is painting the markings at seven locations between Carillon Point and Juanita. They will also be located on portions of 150th Avenue NE in Redmond.
Both cities are piloting this project and would like feedback. To report signals in Kirkland that don't detect bicycles, email at publicworks@ci.kirkland.wa.us or call (425) 587-3800.
Seattle Bicyclist hit by Drunk and Killed on Dexter in Seattle
At 10:20 p.m. last night a Seattle man was involved in a fatal bicycle accident on Dexter Way in Seattle, Washington. My sincere condolences go out to this bicyclist's family. The Seattle bicycle rider was crossing Dexter Way when a car exit Aurora Avenue N. and attempted to enter or cross Dexter hitting the bike. The exact details of the bicycle accident are not yet known. The Seattle bike rider's injuries were severe and he died at the scene.Police at the scene arrested the yet to be identified driver of the car because they observed signs of intoxication. This appears to be another tragic drunk driving related fatality.
Here are 10 Tips for safe bike riding in Washington state.
Bellevue Bicycle Safety Fair | Bellevue Bicycle Accident Lawyer
The 4th Annual Bike Safety Fair takes place in Issaquah on June 13th and Bellevue on June 14th for Elementary school children. Students in kindergarten through 5th grade in Issaquah, Bellevue and Lake Washington School Districts are invited to bring their bikes for some fun and safety training.
The goal is to prevent bicycle accidents. Issaquah and Bellevue police officers will fit kids with helmets and teach the rules of the road. The event teaches the importance of bike safety and always wearing a helmet. Kids will also get to ride through a fun bicycle obstacle course.
Locations:
Saturday - June 13, 2009 - 10am - 2pm
Issaquah Valley Elementary School
555 N.W. Holly St., Issaquah, WA
Sunday - June 14, 2009 - 2-6pm
Lake Hills Elementary School
14310 S.E. 12th St., Bellevue, WA
Contact Us
Scott McDonald and Associates PLLC
410 Market Street
Kirkland, WA 98033
Phone: 425-822-5700
Fax: 425-828-0871
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