It can be dangerous for an adult or child to ride a bicycle near or with the flow of traffic on Indiana roads. Even if protected by a helmet, a bicyclist hit by a car in Indianapolis can suffer serious and potentially deadly brain and spine injuries.
In many cases, these crashes are caused by the vehicle driver’s negligent, reckless or intentional acts. If you have been injured in a crash while you were biking or lost a loved one in a bike accident, you may be eligible for compensation.
Sevenish Law Firm is here to help you. Randall “Randy” Sevenish is a veteran personal injury lawyer with a passion for protecting those who have been harmed by others. His experience can make a difference in your recovery. He is a “Real Bicycle Lawyer & Real Cyclist©.” He has literally been a cyclist his entire life, especially during his adult life.
Randy and Sevenish Law are known advocates for Bicyclists in Indiana and remain active supporters and/or corporate sponsors of Bicycle Indiana, INDYCOG, CIBA (Central Indiana Bicycling Association), The League of American Bicyclists and others.
Further, Randy and his firm have sponsored numerous events for cyclists, including Ride to Work Day for the City of Indianapolis. He is a regular speaker at bicycle clubs on legal issues of cyclists and actively engages the public, especially in educating non-cyclist drivers of motor vehicles on topics such as “The Etiquette of Sharing the Road with Bicycles”, “The 3-foot Rule” and others.
Randy is actively engaged jointly with BicycleIndiana.org for purposes of approaching law enforcement and Indiana’s lawmakers to propose and to support pro-cyclist legislation, which will be good not only for the cyclist but for the non-cyclist motor vehicle driver as well. Both cyclists and non-cyclists need to be on the same sheet of music in order to be able to safely “Share the Road”.
So when injured in any type of bicycle-related crash it is to your advantage to consult with a “Real Bicycle Lawyer & Real Cyclist©” — one who actively cycles
, knows and understands bicycle injury law and one who has a long history of advocating on behalf of cyclists rights to this day.
“In 1998, my wife Regina (Business Administrator of Sevenish Law) was diagnosed with systemic lupus and had to undergo chemotherapy and nearly died. Bicycling literally saved her life and put her back on the path of health. In result of her efforts and cycling she has been in remission ever since! Because of that I feel I have a duty to advocate not only the safety aspects of cycling but the health related benefits as well!” …….Randy Sevenish
Please review the following general information about bicycle accidents in Indianapolis and throughout Indiana. If injured in a bicycle accident, please contact one of our Indianapolis bicycle accident lawyers today.
Causes of Indianapolis Bicycle Accidents
Drivers of cars and trucks often cause collisions with bicyclists. The underlying causes may be:
- Lack of attention
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Illegal turns
- Running through a red light or stop sign
- Opening a car door without seeing the approaching bicyclist
- Failing to exercise due care in a school zone
For a free legal consultation with a bicycle accidents lawyer serving Indianapolis, call 317-636-7777
4 Safety Tips for Sharing the Road with Bicyclists
In some instances, a vehicle driver may fail to respect the bicyclist’s right to share the road. The driver may:
- Follow the bicycle too closely
- Make a dangerously close pass
- Fail to signal a turn while in front of the bicycle
- Intentionally “buzz” the bicyclist or run the bike off the road
However, it is not always vehicle drivers who are the cause of crashes. Often, crashes result from poor road conditions such as potholes, cracks in sidewalks, deteriorating shoulders or uneven pavement.
Indianapolis Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 317-636-7777
Indianapolis Bicycle Accident Compensation
Our Indianapolis bicycle accident lawyers strive to visit the scene of a bicycle accident as soon as possible. This is why we urge cyclists who have been in an accident to contact us immediately if they are able to do so. This will allow us to launch an investigation while the accident scene is still fresh.
Once we have established the cause of a crash, we can determine who can be held liable for your losses and execute a strategy for recovering compensation.
Often, the vehicle driver should be held liable. Compensation can be sought by turning to the driver’s liability insurance coverage. If the driver was working at the time, the driver’s employer may be liable as well.
In some instances, an injured bicyclist may seek to recover through his or her own uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) policy. These are optional types of insurance coverage that may or may not have been purchased. If the coverage is available, it can be used in a bike accident claim.
UM covers losses when the at-fault party lacks liability insurance or when a bicyclist is injured by a hit-and-run driver – a situation that is very common.
UIM kicks in when the at-fault party’s insurance fails to cover the full amount of a victim’s losses. Given that medical expenses for even minor injuries can be very high, and that many drivers only purchase minimum required amounts of liability coverage, the need to use UIM coverage is also very common.
Keep in mind: If the claim is brought against a government entity, it would be subject to the Indiana Tort Claims Act. The timeline for taking legal action would be sped up considerably, and a recovery could be barred if a bicyclist is found to be even one percent at fault for causing the crash.
Contact Us
No bicycle accident victim should bear medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and other losses on his or her own. Instead, allow our experienced Indianapolis bicycle accident lawyers to protect your rights and aggressively pursue compensation for you.
So if you have been injured in any type of bicycle-related crash it is to your advantage to consult with a “Real Bicycle Lawyer & Real Cyclist©” – one who actively cycles, knows and understands bicycle injury law and is a known and avid advocate for cyclists not only in the Greater Indianapolis area but throughout Indiana as well.
If you have been hurt or lost a loved one in a bicycle-vehicle collision in Indianapolis or elsewhere in Indiana, we can get to work for you right away. Simply call our Indianapolis personal injury law firm or contact us online for a free consultation.
Call or text 317-636-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
