Shuttle-Bus-Bike Accident Results in Serious Bodily Injury
An RTD shuttle bus driver has been ticketed for careless driving resulting in serious bodily injury. The rear tire of the bus ran over a bicyclist, a 72-year-old man, who was taken to the hospital with a severe injury to his leg. The accident happened on downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall.
Careless driving has become an epidemic in this country. Our law firm is handling more cases where the at-fault drivers were talking on their cell phones, texting or otherwise distracted.
Liability When a Shuttle Bus Hits a Bicycle
When a careless shuttle bus driver injures or kills a bicyclist, both the shuttle bus driver and his or her employer are liable. If the shuttle bus was owned by someone other than the employer, the owner of the shuttle bus is also liable.
The amount of money recoverable in a shuttle-bus-bicycle accident depends on several factors:
- The insurance policies of the liable parties
- The severity of the injuries and associated medical expenses (bicycle accident spinal cord injury (SCI); bicycle accident traumatic brain injury (TBI))
- The age and occupation of the bicyclist
- The degree of permanent disability
- The amount of pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- How the accident and resulting injuries has changed the quality of the person’s life
- In the case of a wrongful death, the deceased person’s family relationships and how the family members’ lives have been affected (and will continue to be affected) by the loss of their loved one
Pritzker Olsen attorneys have a national reputation and have been interviewed and quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Lawyers USA and others. Attorney Fred Pritzker is listed in the current edition of The Best Lawyers in America. To contact Pritzker Olsen law firm, call 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our online form for a free consultation.
Minnesota Injury Lawyer is Committed to Cycling and Bicycle Safety
MN Injury Attorney and Cyclist Fred Pritzker
Minnesota personal injury attorney Fred Pritzker is an avid cyclist, former racer and triathlete. He has won millions of dollars for people injured or killed while bicycling. He represents injured bicyclists in cases throughout Minnesota and the United States. He has appeared on the CBS Evening News, Fox’s “Geraldo Live,” KARE-TV, KSTP-TV and WCCO-TV to discuss product safety, serious injury litigation and wrongful death.
As part of Fred’s commitment to bicycling, his law firm, Pritzker Olsen, P.A., is a long-time sponsor of the Minnesota Junior Racing Club (www.mnjrc.com), one of the premier training and racing teams. The Club’s junior team (ages 12-18) and its U23 team (ages 19-23) competes in Minnesota and throughout the United States. Team coach, Dag Selander, is a retired professional rider and a former member of the Norwegian Olympic team.
The firm is proud to have its logo on the jerseys and jackets of this exceptional organization.
Fred with Bicycle Racing Team Sponsored by His Firm
Bicycle Arm Fracture Injury Case
The bike accident and injury lawyers at Pritzker Olsen law firm are representing a bicyclist who was injured in a car accident. The cyclist suffered a hairline fracture in her arm as a result of a car colliding with her bicycle. As the cyclist approached an intersection, the oncoming vehicle failed to yield and took a left-hand turn and hit the rear left side of the bike.
Cyclists and Motorists Sharing the Road
About 30 percent of bike-car accidents happen because of the motorist’s failure to yield, according to the City of Minneapolis. The city suggests motorists keep a few things in mind to reduce the risk of a cyclist-motorist collision:
- In a lane too narrow for a car and bike to travel side-by-side, cyclists must have the width of an entire lane.
- Motorists should use caution when making right or left turns, looking out for rear-approaching or oncoming cyclists.
- Drivers should give cyclists a 3-foot clearance area when passing.
- Do not speed. “A cyclist’s chances of survival in a crash are greatly improved when the vehicles involved are traveling at a slower speed.”
Other common bicycle-automobile crash scenarios
- Cyclist’s failure to yield
- Cyclists fail to wear lights and/or reflective gear at night
- Bicycle riders travel the wrong direction on the wrong side of the street
- Opening car doors
- Bikes hit from behind
Dahon and REI Novara Bicycle Recall – Handlepost Defect
Dahon California Inc. of Duarte California and Recreational Equipment Inc. (REI), of Kent, Washington, have recalled Novara folding bicycle because the hinge on the handlepost can crack, posing a fall hazard. There have been 25 reports of the handlepost hinge on these bicycles cracking, including one minor injury involving scrapes and bruises.
The Novara recall involves about 11,500 2008 model year Dahon and REI Novara Folding Bicycles, described as follows:
Dahon: Ciao P8, Curve D3, Curve SL, Glide P8, Jetstream P8, Mu P8,
Mu P24, MU SL, Mu XL Sport, Vitesse D7 HG, Speed D7,
Speed P8, Speed TR, Speed Pro TT, Mariner D7REI: Novara Buzz FlyBy and FlyBy Shuttle
The words “Dahon” or “Novara” and the model name are printed on the bicycle. Hinges with an “R” embossed on the face of the upper handlepost hinge and/or a “Radius Handlepost” sticker on the handlepost are not included in the recall.
The recalled bicycles were sold by authorized Dahon California dealers and REI stores nationwide from March 2008 through April 2009 for between $430 and $1,300. They were manufactured in Taiwan and China.
If no one has been injured on the bike, consumers should immediately stop riding these bicycles and contact any Dahon California dealer or REI store for a free inspection and repair. If someone has been injured on the bike, do not get it repaired and contact a lawyer at our law firm immediately: 1-888-377-8900 (toll free) or submit our free consultation form.