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Have You Been Injured In A Bicycle Accident?

Appleton, Wisconsin, is a popular place for bicyclists. Our city boasts well-maintained public paths and trails perfect for a bicycle ride. Many residents also rely on their bicycles to get back and forth to work and to run errands around their neighborhoods.

Bicycles, like any other type of vehicle, come with the risk of injury. Bicyclists are often forced to ride in the road’s shoulder, putting them at risk of collisions with cars and other motor vehicles. If you are involved in a bicycle accident, you can potentially suffer serious injuries like broken bones, organ and tissue damage, and traumatic brain injury. If the accident was due to another party’s negligence, you can potentially recover monetary compensation for your damages through a personal injury claim. These damages can include your medical bills, lost wages due to having to spend time out of work to recover, and miscellaneous expenses like your need for a mobility aid or over-the-counter pain medication.

Wisconsin Bicycle Accident Statistics

Since 1990, the number of bicyclist injuries has decreased in Wisconsin, as reported by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. The number of fatalities, though, has remained fairly constant, especially in recent years. A few other bicycle accident statistics from the Wisconsin DOT include:

  • In 2013, 958 bicycle accidents were reported
  • In 2013, 10 bicyclists died and 868 were injured in collisions
  • Most bicycle accidents occur between the hours of three and seven p.m.
  • Significantly more bicycle accidents occurred in urban areas than in rural areas

How To Prevent A Bicycle Injury

If you are a bicyclist, you can reduce your chance of being injured in an accident by doing the following:

  • Always wear a helmet when riding your bicycle
  • Ride with, not against, the flow of traffic
  • Obey the posted traffic signals just as you would driving a car
  • If you must ride in the roadway, stick to the shoulder and use your hands to signal to other vehicles
  • If you ride at night, wear light or reflective clothing to make yourself more visible to drivers

If You Are Involved In A Bicycle Accident

If anybody involved in the accident needs emergency medical attention, call 911. Otherwise, call for a police officer to be dispatched to the scene to file an official police report.

If a driver was involved in the accident, take down his or her insurance information. If your accident was due to a poorly maintained trail or roadway, you may be able to file a claim against the government body in charge of maintaining that road or path. Do not leave the scene without a copy of the official police report, contact information for the attending officer and any witnesses, photographs of the scene and the other party’s insurance information.

Work With An Appleton Personal Injury Lawyer

If you or your child is injured in a bicycle accident, consider working with an experienced personal injury attorney to pursue monetary compensation for your damages through a bicycle accident claim. To learn more about your rights and the process for filing such a claim in Wisconsin, contact our team of experienced Appleton bicycle accident lawyers at Hammett, Bellin & Oswald, LLC, today. Contact our team online or call 920-202-8872.