Bicycle helmet saves Michigan Auto Law receptionist’s eye

Last week, one of our long-time receptionists, Lisa,  was in a terrible bike accident. Lisa was riding her bicycle over a bridge on Commerce Trail in Commerce Township, when her back tire slipped on some water.

She fell head-first onto the pavement, fracturing the orbital bone below her left eye. Our photo shows how bad Lisa’s bike injury was.

I’m glad to report that after emergency surgery, Lisa is healing well and already back to work.  What’s really remarkable about this bike accident is that Lisa’s bicycle helmet literally saved her eye — and quite likely prevented a serious brain injury.

Doctors told Lisa that if she was not wearing her bike helmet, she would have broken more bones in her face and that, in turn, would have displaced her eye.

The bike helmet also protected Lisa’s skull. If she didn’t have one, she certainly would have suffered a  concussion, and even a life-threatening traumatic brain injury (TBI) or closed-head injury from the trauma to her skull and brain.

I want to thank Lisa for allowing me to share this personal story.  Lisa said it would be a good thing for people to know how important a bicycle helmet is, and even offered to have her picture taken for this blog, so that it might serve as a warning for other bicyclists.

The irony is as an injury lawyer, I’ve been helping bicyclists hit by cars around Michigan for almost 20 years. My partner, Bobby Raitt, started the Michigan Association for Justice (MAJ) bike helmet giveaway to youth in under-served communities to help prevent pediatric traumatic brain injuries, when he served as  president of the MAJ. I’ve seen so many tragic bicycle accidents like Lisa’s, normally where people are hit by cars that simply don’t see them, or clipped as cars are driving by.  Many of these people suffer brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. And the bike accident injuries can be catastrophic when the rider is not wearing a helmet.

All of this is why I wanted to share with  my readers about Lisa’s bike accident. So please, always wear your bike safety helmets!

Consider the facts, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

•    The most serious injuries among the majority of people killed in bicycle accidents are to the head.

•    Helmet use has been estimated to reduce traumatic brain injury and head injury risk by 85 percent.

•    91 percent of bicyclists killed in 2009 (the latest statistic available) weren’t wearing helmets.

Many people think it can’t happen to them. But bike accidents are very common, especially in Michigan where almost all of our cities do not have bike lanes.   Maybe Detroit will take a page from Mayor Bloomberg’s NYC, where the number of bike paths in the city has multiplied to make the city greener and safer for bicyclists.

Below are some safety tips to help  our bicyclists stay safe.

1. Obey traffic lights, stop signs, one-way streets and other basic traffic laws. A bicyclist has the same rights and duties on the road as drivers of other vehicles, and additional responsibilities.

2. Ride as far “as practicable” to the right (or to the outside lanes on a one-way street), particularly when traffic is moving faster than you are.

3. Be prepared to yield at all times.

4. Use hand signals when turning or moving from a lane.

5. Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians. Give audible warning when passing a pedestrian.

6. Keep at least one hand on your handlebars. Keep control of your bicycle at all times.

7. Saddlebags, racks, baskets, and backpacks are all good ways to carry packages, as they free your hands for safe riding.

8. Use a headlight with a white light visible from ahead, and a red reflector/light visible from behind, when riding from sunset to sunrise or whenever visibility is poor. Wear reflective clothing as well.

9. Keep brakes adjusted so that, when braked, your bicycle skids on clean, dry pavement.

10. Ride astride a fixed seat. Riding “double” is discouraged.

11. Ride no more than two abreast.

- Steven M. Gursten is an accident lawyer and partner of Michigan Auto Law. He handles bike accidents, and received the top verdict for a car or truck accident in the state for 2008, 2009 and 2010, according to Michigan Lawyers Weekly.

- Safety tips provided by Northville Township Police

Related information to protect yourself:

The truth about delayed and missed traumatic brain injury diagnosis

Michigan bike accident lawyer on anti-bike bias by police

Symptoms of traumatic brain injury

Michigan Auto Law is the largest law firm exclusively handling car accident, truck accident and motorcycle accident cases throughout the entire state. We have offices in Farmington Hills, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights to better serve you. Call (800) 777-0028 for a free consultation with one of our Michigan bike accident lawyers.

Michigan Auto Lawyers

Local blogger highlights the dangers of Chicago bicycle accidents on the lakefront trail

In light of the Department of Transportation Commissioner’s pronouncement in the Chicago Journal that he wants to make the city one of the most bike-friendly in the nation, a local blogger has requested he take a hard look at what he calls one of the most dangerous places for bicycle accidents in the city – the lakefront trail.

The Urban Cyclist, as he is known on his blog of the same name, said he was shocked to learn that the city’s $45 million Navy Pier Flyover plan would actually constrict the bike path at certain points, even though it is in desperate need of expansion. As a daily bicycle commuter, he has escaped serious injury in accidents with cars, cabs, and other cyclists, but an inattentive jogger on the lakefront trail left him with permanent scars on his hands.

He says the trail is basically an overcrowded highway for non-engine vehicles. Cyclists and bladers are intermingled with dog-walkers, their unpredictable pets, grandparents mindlessly walking grandkids, and various other outdoor enthusiasts who have no other option but to crowd together on the congested path.

The blogger measured the trail at 6 feet for each lane, with the new plan calling for 5 foot lanes in each direction with a 3 foot shoulder on both sides. While this is technically more space, he says the unpaved shoulder is unusable for cyclists and joggers rarely use them. He predicts the traffic and dangers will actually increase.

While he admittedly has no statistics to back up his claims, as Chicago does not keep statistics on bike-bike or bike-pedestrian accidents, he invites everyone to take a ride with him down the trail and tell him otherwise. He worries that with the Mayor and the head of CDOT aiming to make Chicago one of the bike-friendliest cities in the nation (read the story as reported by CBS news here), the increased traffic may make biking in the city even more dangerous than it currently is.

While Illinois bike crash lawyers at our office agree that the lakefront trail presents its share of hazards, inattentive drivers are still the greatest danger to cyclists in this city. Injuries to bicyclists when involved in collisions with motor vehicles often result in catastrophic injuries, and sometimes death.

The Chicago Tribune reports that drivers frequently veer into designated lanes, turn in front of cyclists, and open their doors in the path of bikers, also known as “dooring.” According to an NHTSA study, 630 cyclists were killed in traffic accidents and another 51,000 were injured nationwide in 2009, with 70% of the fatalities occurring in urban areas like Chicago. 20 of those fatalities occurred in Illinois alone. The study cites a number of things drivers can do to avoid injuring cyclists, including:

• Allowing at least 3 feet of clearance when passing a biker on the road
• Look for cyclists before opening your car door or pulling out of a parking spot
• Yield to cyclists at intersections and as directed by signs and markers
• Be especially careful to look for cyclists before making turns
• Pay attention

Cyclists have the same rights as motorists when traveling on public roads, and drivers need to make an effort to learn the rules of the road and how to properly implement cyclist awareness into their ever day driving habits.

If you have been injured in an Illinois cycling accident due to a negligent driver, please contact a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer for a free consultation. Call (866) 99-ABELS now.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Bicyclist critically injured in Seattle hit-and-run bicycle accident

Home Posted On: April 12, 2011 by The Farber Law Group

A male bicyclist in his 30s was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a critical head injury after being hit by a red van that then fled the scene of the bicycle accident.

The Seattle Bike Blog said the accident occurred about 7pm on Monday as the bicyclist was riding northbound in the outside lane in the 2200 block of 1st Avenue and Blanchard Streets in Belltown.

Witnesses described the vehicle that hit the cyclist as a 1990s red minivan. The van was also traveling northbound. Hopefully police will locate the van's driver who could face charges of felony hit-and-run, Washington Vehicle Code RCW 46.52.020.

Approximately two percent of motor vehicle accident deaths are bicyclists. In 2009, there were 630 fatal bicycle accidents and 549 of those were male and 81 were female. In 91% of fatal accidents, the cyclist was not wearing a helmet despite the fact that they reduce head injury risk by 85%. In Washington state there were 7.4 bicycle accident deaths per 100,000 people in 2009.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in bicycle accidents and the family of those killed. With the help of a skilled personal injury attorney, you may be able to obtain compensation for your damages.

Source:
Seattle Bike Blog
Cyclist in Belltown hit and run taken to hospital in critical condition

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Charlotte, North Carolina Driver Charged in Monroe Bicycle Accident that Killed Rider

Next » Posted On: January 28, 2011 by Michael A. DeMayo

A Charlotte man is charged in the deadly hit-and-run Monroe bicycle accident that killed Roy Dean Mittelsteadt last night. A passing motorist saw the 46-year-old cyclist on the side of Rocky River Road and notified police.

An alert was put out in the area and a Wingate officer later spotted a Honda Element with

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Group wants 'Dooring" tracked as cause of Chicago bicycle accidents

Next » Posted On: March 21, 2011 by Dave Abels

Chicago bike accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have worked on several "Dooring" cases over the past few years.

Advocates are now pushing for officials to include "dooring" statistics when tracking the number of serious and fatal bicycle accidents in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois, according to a report in The Tribune.

Our Chicago bicycle accident lawyers remind motorists that a new Illinois law permits criminal penalties for motorists who cause an accident by not allowing three-foot of clearance between a vehicle and a rider. The Journal Standard reports that the law also created the "Share the Road" license plate.


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Mark Chamberlin, Seattle stage actor, dies of bicycle accident injuries

Next » Posted On: March 23, 2011 by The Farber Law Group

The Seattle Bike Blog reports Mark Chamberlin, a prominent Seattle actor who was known for roles with Seattle Rep, Taproot, ACT Theater along with roles on Broadway, film and TV, has died of injuries he sustained in a bicycle accident over the weekend.

Details of Chamberlin's bicycle accident have not yet been detailed but the Seattle theater-loving public mourns his loss.

This information is provided by Seattle Car Accident Lawyer blog, a service of The Farber Law Group. We represent people who have been seriously injured in bicycle accidents and the family of those killed.

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