Can someone be sued for a causing a bike crash without hitting the cyclist? This question is on the minds of many New York cyclists who are injured every year through no-contact accidents. If you don’t know about no-contact accidents, or if you don’t know the answer to the question, read on to learn more!
No-Contact Accidents
No-contact accidents are scenarios where a vehicle never makes contact with a bicycle, yet a cyclist is injured as a direct result of a motorist’s movements. To help visualize one of these scenarios, let’s assume that a cyclist is riding through an intersection. If an inattentive driver cuts off a cyclist in an attempt to make a turn, causing the cyclist to lose control of the bike and crash, then the motorist is guilty of causing a no-contact bike accident.
Common Causes of No-Contact Bike Accidents Include
- Motorists suddenly changing lanes
- Motorists turning across traffic
- Motorists failing to look for or see a cyclist
- Motorists swerving into the bike lane
Financial Recovery for No-Contact Accidents
Many cyclists are under the impression that they cannot financially recover for a no-contact accident; however, we have recently (once again) proven that it is possible! Earlier this month, we recovered $225,000.00 for a cyclist who was cut off by a motorist. The motorist made an improper left-hand turn that forced our client to hit his brakes, causing him to flip over his handlebars and sustain serious injury.
The defense attempted to negate the motorist’s negligence by arguing that the driver could not be held responsible for a no-contact accident. However, we explained that a driver must correctly follow traffic laws and that the defendant’s left-hand turn was a dangerous maneuver that resulted in our client sustaining injury. Ultimately, the defense came to the conclusion that the case should be settled out of court, resulting in our client’s recovery total of $225,000.
This is our 4th case (including a trial verdict where a judge ruled in our favor) in the past two years where we successfully secured recovery for a New York cyclist injured in a no-contact accident.
As you can see, those who suffer from a no-contact bike accident can recover with the right representation. If you or a loved one are injured in a bike accident as a result of someone’s negligence, contact us now to talk about your options!
Call (888) 290-5994 for a free consultation concerning your bicycle accident!