Detroit Bike-Share Accident Attorneys
More people are turning to bike sharing as a primary way to meet their daily transportation needs. Across the United States, bike-sharing programs have become increasingly popular. Bike-sharing programs are available for free or for a small fee at stations around town with the quick swipe of a credit card. While these programs have helped tourists and residents alike enjoy biking, using bike shares can result in a serious or deadly accident.
Unfortunately, bike riders must deal with inattentive motorists, road construction, or even defective bikes. With a bike-sharing program, the bikes are not maintained in the same manner as your own. You likely will have no way of knowing when the last time routine maintenance was performed, and if a bike is not properly maintained, it could lead to popping a tire or the brakes failing. All these factors play an important role in bike-sharing accidents, which cause riders to suffer broken bones, fractures, head and spine injuries, and even death.
If you have been injured riding a bicycle from a bike-share company, you need assistance from our Detroit bike-share accident attorneys who understand laws that deal with bike-sharing programs. Contact Ravid & Associates, P.C. at (248) 948-9696 to discuss the legal options regarding your case.
How Our Detroit Bike-Share Accident Attorneys Can Help
It may be unavoidable that you end up in an accident when riding the share program bikes. There are many circumstances that can occur: You may be hit by another driver, experience some type of mechanical failure, or even collide with a pedestrian. If you suffer a serious injury due to negligence, you need to be compensated for your medical bills and any financial losses. If you have been severely injured, you are dealing with pain, mental anguish, and growing medical bills. The last thing you want to do is deal with insurance companies or endless paperwork.
If you are contacted by an insurance company or a bike-share company, you need to obtain legal representation. Insurance companies have been known to contact victims in hopes of resolving these types of cases right away, but most of the time the insurer will offer a lower settlement than what you are entitled to receive in a bike-share accident. An experienced bike-share accident attorney can thoroughly research your accident claim and help establish who is liable for your accident. A lawyer can also negotiate with the insurance company and liable parties to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.
Why Choose Ravid & Associates, P.C.
Bike-sharing accidents are often caused by the negligence of the rental company or another driver. The bike injury attorneys at Ravid & Associates, P.C. know how devastating the effects of an accident can be for you.
The founding partner, David Lawrence Ravid is admitted to practice before Michigan State and Federal Courts. He is also appointed by attorneys around the state to serve as an arbitrator and act as a Case Evaluator for the Wayne and Macomb County Circuit Courts. In his many years of service, Mr. Ravid has obtained many successful settlements for personal injury cases throughout Detroit and Michigan.
Our attorneys will pursue the compensation that you need after being injured due to another party’s or company’s negligence. When filing a lawsuit, there are important deadlines that must be met to successfully file a claim. A skilled attorney can help you meet these crucial timelines to ensure you get the justice you deserve.
Our experienced and dedicated lawyers have 180 years of combined expertise in helping bike-share accident victims. Call us at (248) 948-9696 to speak with one of our attorneys about your accident.
Bike-Sharing Companies in Detroit
The most popular bike-sharing companies in the Detroit area are Lime and MoGo. These bicycle-sharing programs allow you to purchase a pass online with a Transit App on your phone or at one of their stations. You can take as many trips as you want while your pass is active, and then you return the bike to any location that has an empty dock.
While these programs are beneficial for residents or people visiting the city, they also present a danger. A rider may be unfamiliar with the city and not be aware of the rules of the road, such as signaling turns or yielding to traffic properly. On top of that, a bike rider is dealing with other drivers and pedestrians who may be careless and negligent in their actions, causing devastating results for all parties involved.
Most sharing programs do not provide safety gear to wear, such as helmets. Depending on where you live or what city you visit, not wearing a helmet may be a traffic violation. If a rider does not choose to wear a helmet, they may face serious injuries if involved in a bike-share accident.
Most bike-sharing programs insist that safety for users is their main concern. A bicyclist must sign a rental agreement before being allowed to rent a bike. The renter agrees to comply with all traffic rules and regulations, which include using a helmet. By having users of their program sign this agreement, it may seem as if the bike-share companies are concerned for a cyclist’s welfare.
However, this contract is only written to protect the company if a person suffers a serious injury while using one of their bikes. This brings up issues of liability when someone is severely hurt. This means that there is a certain level of uncertainty when it comes to bike accidents or injuries on a bike-share bicycle. In bike-sharing accidents, it is not always clear who is responsible.
Types of Bike-Share Accidents
There are several ways an accident can occur when operating a bicycle rented from a bike-sharing program. No matter the circumstance, the most common types of bike-share accidents occur from the following:
- Lack of Maintenance — If bicycles are damaged and not repaired or are not routinely maintained, operating the bike could be dangerous. Bicycles under bike-sharing programs are not always fixed and maintained properly. A rider may not know if the bike has lubricated gears, filled tires, or if the chains are working properly. The brakes could fail, or the tires could go flat.
- Collisions with Vehicles — When you are using a bike from a bike-share program, you may collide with a car. Bicyclists have very little protection against a vehicle that is made of metal and is considerably heavier than a bike. One collision with a car can cause serious injuries or even a person’s life.
- Lack of Protective Gear — Bike shares do not often include a helmet, which leaves riders responsible for providing their own safety gear. Bike riders may not have access to a helmet if they are on vacation. Although every state’s helmet laws are different, wearing a helmet is usually required and will help protect against head injuries.
- Unsafe Road Conditions — Bike riders may have an accident due to swerving to avoid gravel, potholes, road debris, or uneven surfaces on the street.
- Bike Defects — A cyclist could suffer an injury resulting from a defect in the bike itself, which involves product liability. You have an expectation that the manufacturer and the company will take certain steps to assure your bike’s safety. Sometimes there are defects in the bike that are not detected until it is too late.
- Vandalization — Some people damage bikes or purposely vandalize them. A bicyclist can unknowingly use one of these bikes and suffer a horrible accident.
Types of Bike-Share Accident Injuries
People involved in bike-sharing accidents may suffer a variety of injuries. When the body hits the ground or another vehicle, the results can be devastating for the bicyclist. Common injuries from bike-sharing accidents include:
- Facial wounds and injuries
- Broken bones and fractures
- Head and neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Damages to internal organs
- Death
The most common type of injuries in bike-sharing accidents are head injuries. Although the use of a helmet and other gear doesn’t always guarantee protection, but it can reduce the risks of severe injury significantly since cyclists often suffer severe injuries resulting in brain damage, coma, or even death.
Contact Our Detroit Bike-Share Accident Attorneys Today
If you or a loved one has suffered injuries from a bike-share accident, contact the bike-share accident attorney at Ravid & Associates, P.C. Our lawyers assist individuals that were hurt in bike accidents in the Detroit metro area and throughout Michigan. You need to focus on your health instead of fighting with the insurance company, and you’ll be able to do just that when you let our experienced bicycle accident lawyers handle your case.
We will review the details of your accident and discuss all the legal options that will allow you to move forward with your life. We will assist you in obtaining compensation and damages for any pain, suffering, or emotional trauma that you experienced because of your injury. Call us at (248) 948-9696 or contact us online for a free evaluation of your case today.