Portland is known as a city that is very friendly to bicyclists. It was lots of bicycle pathways that cyclists can use while traveling alongside motor vehicle traffic, and it also has plenty of trails cyclists can enjoy. There are plenty of spots for bicyclists to park and lock their bikes, and some employers even offer incentives for their employees to ride their bikes to work.
It is no surprise that 15 percent of Portlanders commute to their place of employment via bicycle. This is a good thing, but it comes at the cost of additional bike accidents, some of which leave Oregonians either seriously injured or dead.
While of course cyclists need to be careful and mindful of their surroundings, the reality is that cars and trucks with which cyclists share the road are much larger, travel faster, and are therefore much more capable of inflicting serious damage on a cyclist than the other way around. Motorists therefore arguably have a heightened obligation to be on guard for bicyclists.
A driver who is drunk, drugged, traveling too fast or even a little distracted poses a serious danger for bicyclist. This is preventable. Other drivers simply have little regard for the special rules which apply to bicyclist and may not respect a cyclist’s right-of-way or may cross suddenly in to a designated bicycle lane. The consequences of this sort of careless behavior are very serious.
When a bicyclist gets hurt because of a negligent motorist, options are available to them. They can, for instance, pursue a personal injury cause of action to get compensation from the negligent driver for things like medical bills, lost wages and other damages. Our experienced legal team understands the issues that surround bicycle accidents and can be helpful in securing a recovery for victims.
