1st allow me to say what probably a lot of car driver’s feel and believe.
Many car drivers do not much like individuals riding on their bicycles using the public roadways.
Don’t you honestly feel that way?
Why?
Because it is very hard to see bicycle riders in places like downtown Pittsburgh. There are people walking in the middle of the road and jaywalking on a regular basis in downtown Pittsburgh anyway.
Then often times what drivers have to deal with is someone on a bicycle darting between cars right in front of the car driver.
I’ve heard many many people say how annoying and frustrating bicycle riders are to them in busy areas like Pittsburgh.
Now let me relate to you a personal experience.
Pittsburgh wrongful death, medical malpractice, slip and fall, car accident and criminal defense attorney Bernie Tully was walking from his parking garage to his office in the Lawyers Building.
As I passed the back of the Courthouse on Ross Street, I saw a car, an SUV, and a injured bicycle rider laying in the middle the road.
Let me emphasize Pittsburgh wrongful death, medical malpractice, car accident and criminal defense attorney Bernie Tully did not see how the accident occurred.
I had no basis for offering an opinion as to whose fault it was.
But seeing a full-size SUV right next to the bicycle that was smashed and a bicycle rider on the ground injured was enough in itself to tell me something.
The SUV was going to be liable for this accident.
It’s very possible that the bicycle rider pulled in front of the SUV at the last second.
It’s very possible that the bicycle rider was riding recklessly.
However just physically looking at the scene with the unequal size of the SUV and the bicycle rider, it was readily apparent to me that the insurance company for both of these individuals was going to find the SUV driver at fault.
The SUV driver would likely be responsible for the bicycle rider’s serious injuries .
That’s when I realized that whether us car drivers like it or not, we have to accept that bike riders are entitled to ride their bikes on our streets the same way that car drivers are.
In most cases where a car has an accident with one of these bicycle riders, the insurance company is going to determine that it’s in fact the car drivers fault
So my question to you as the owner and driver of a car is a rather simple one.
Are you willing to have your insurance rates go up significantly because you were determined to be at fault in hitting a bicycle rider?
Some things in life are not fair and are very very annoying. This is one of them.
Please think about this blog the next time you get behind an annoying bicycle rider who is cutting and out of lanes in front of you.
It will save you an awful lot of money.
Thanks for reading
Bernie the attorney