Bicycle accidents are usually particularly serious. This is mainly due to the fact that the bike rider receives absolutely no protection from his means of transportation and when his body collides with a few hundred pounds of steel, the results are pretty catastrophic. The compensation that you are eligible for will depend upon the level of injuries that you have sustained. There are, however, different types of bicycle accidents. Let’s have a look at some of them.
Accidents at STOP signs
This particular type of bike accidents represents roughly around 10% of all the intersection accidents where the cyclists has his STOP sign while the motorist doesn’t. The most common scenario would be for the cyclist to stop at his sign and then ride out right in front of a passing vehicle. If this is the case and other factors are absent, the one who’s at fault is the bike rider himself. This is something important as a lot of people tend to believe that they have the right of passing but they don’t.
Never ride against the traffic
Bicycles are legally considered to be an official form of transportation. They are practically vehicles. This is the main reason for which a cyclist needs to abide by the rules set forth in the Highway Traffic Act of Ontario. Of course, there are special things that you need to take into consideration but driving against the traffic is absolutely unacceptable. A lot of cyclists are doing so because they feel safer observing the vehicles that come against them but know this – bikes are manufactured to be perceived from the back as this is where the car is regularly coming from.
There are a few helpful things that a bike rider might employ in order to ensure that he is safe on the roads.
· He might want to maximize his own visibility.
· He need to keep proper look for intersections and follow the rules as he gets there.
· He needs to adjust his lane position effectively and drive only where it is allowed to.
Ontario is proud to have quite a lot of special bike lanes but they aren’t everywhere. When there is no lane designated for bikes, the rider needs to stay on the far right of the lane. It is particularly important to do so. It is about your own safety and security.
In any case, should you find yourself in an accident of the kind and you want to recover damages, the most important thing that you need to do after you get the necessary medical treatment is to find an experienced lawyer in the city to help you out. This is undoubtedly going to help you get the compensation that you are legally entitled to or it could save you a lot of money if you are not entitled to any compensation at all. Having the right legal representation is important.