Biking is a popular activity in Minneapolis. Whether it’s for transportation, exercise, or leisure, many citizens choose to bike through our city. In fact, Minneapolis is ranked as one of the best cities to bicycle through in America. We’ve taken many safety measures for the bicyclists of our city to feel as safe as possible, so when an accident happens between a motorist and a bicyclist, it can feel extra devastating.
Our Minneapolis bicycle accident lawyer can help you sort through your anguish and injuries and decide the best course of legal action moving forward. With our legal support, you can feel confident that your claim will be strong and that we won’t allow you to settle for less than you deserve. We will use our experience to fight for you and protect your rights.
Biking in Minneapolis
As one of the best cities to ride a bicycle, Minneapolis has 16 miles of bikeways that are protected on the street. This enables bicyclists to safely navigate the city and helps get more people to feel comfortable choosing to ride their bike rather than driving a car or taking the bus. Biking is a clean and efficient way to travel through the city and reduces the amount of traffic and emissions.
On top of the miles of protected bike lanes on the streets, there are many more miles of bike lanes through the city as well. Minneapolis has 98 miles of bike lanes and 101 miles of off-street bikeways and trails for citizens to ride on. Off-street bikeways are the safest option for bicyclists to ensure that they don’t interact with motor vehicles.
While on-street bike lanes are safe to a degree, they still require bicyclists and motorists to exist in the same spaces. If both are vigilant and moving carefully, then they can both make it safely to their destinations. However, if one isn’t paying attention, it can cause a deadly collision.
If you’ve been biking around the city and were hit by a negligent driver, then you could use the help of our Minneapolis bicycle accident lawyer. We’ll help prove that the driver was distracted, drunk, driving recklessly, or engaging in other negligent behavior when they collided with you. Once that’s proven, we’ll be able to determine what you’re owed in damages.
For a legal consultation with a bicycle accident lawyer serving Minneapolis, call 612-349-2729
City Bike Laws and Ordinances
If you’ve been in an accident on your bicycle in our city, you might be wondering if there was anything that you did that broke the law that led to your collision. That’s why it’s important to know the city’s bike laws and ordinances. That way, you know what you’re doing is legal and that you are following the protocols to keep yourself safe.
In Minneapolis, bicyclists have the same responsibilities as motorists and must follow all the rules of the road and all traffic signs and signals. They also must move with the flow of traffic and yield to pedestrians who have the right of way. Here are some of the traffic laws that are specific to bicyclists:
- Must ride on the right of the road except when they are turning left, passing another cyclist or motorist, avoiding hazards, or riding in a bicycle lane.
- Must signal turns and lane changes with one arm, unless both hands are needed on the handlebars.
- Should ride single file but can ride side by side if there is enough room on the side of the road and the cyclists don’t impede traffic.
- Cannot ride on a sidewalk in the business districts.
- Where they can ride on sidewalks, cyclists must yield to pedestrians and approach intersections slowly and carefully.
- When stopped at a red light that is changed by the weight of a car, a bicyclist can proceed through the red light if it’s red for an unreasonable amount of time, they believe it’s malfunctioning, and there isn’t any cross traffic.
There are also regulations for the bicycle equipment that you need in order to be following the rules and as safely as possible. Here’s what you need on your bike to ride in Minneapolis:
- A front and rear light, or rear reflector, at night.
- Only one person per seat on the bicycle.
- A rear brake that stops the tire on a dry, level surface.
- Though you are not required to wear a helmet, you still should wear one for safety.
Even if you followed all of these laws and regulations, you still might have fallen victim to an accident. Motorists aren’t always vigilant and careful around cyclists, and when they cause a collision with you, you shouldn’t have to suffer from the costs. Our Minneapolis bicycle accident attorney at Madia Law will help you recover what you deserve and hold the negligent motorist accountable for their actions.
Minneapolis Bicycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 612-349-2729
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Cars are much larger and heavier than bicycles. They also provide more protection for their occupants than bicycles do for cyclists. That’s why accidents between vehicles and bikes can cause catastrophic injuries—a bicyclist is much more vulnerable and exposed when they are crashed into. Here are some of the injuries that bikers can sustain when they’re in a wreck:
- Bruises
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Road rash
- Soft tissue injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Amputation
Injuries range from minor to severe when you’re hurt in a bicycle accident. The catastrophic injuries that you could incur from one of these collisions could affect the rest of your life. If severe enough, they could even lead to the victim’s untimely death.
If you’ve been hurt in a crash while on your bike, you could use the help of a bicycle accident lawyer. Our lawyers are based in Minneapolis and can help you recover compensation for your damages and ensure that you get justice.
Click to contact our Minneapolis Personal Injury Trial Lawyers today
Madia Is Here to Represent You
The trauma from a bicycle crash can make you feel vulnerable and you might be intimidated to file a claim against the motorist who hurt you. With the help of our Minneapolis bicycle accident attorney, you can feel confident in your case and know that you have the support and representation of an experienced lawyer.
We’ll fully investigate what happened and use your documentation to calculate exactly how much you’re owed for your injuries and other damages. We won’t let you settle for less than you deserve from your insurance or another party. Reach out to our office today so we can get started with your potential case.
Call 612-349-2729 or complete a Case Evaluation form
