bicycle accidents

Ride of Silence Puts Focus on Vulnerable Road Users in SWFL

June 2, 2023 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

This month’s Annual Ride of Silence put the focus on keeping cyclists and other vulnerable road users safe on the streets of Southwest Florida.

The North Fort Myers Neighbor reports the 21st annual event was hosted by the Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club. The Silent Ride on May 17 departed from Bell Tower Shops. Our Fort Myers injury lawyers frequently report the increased risk to bicyclists and pedestrians throughout SWFL. In the first three months of this year, 81 bicycle accidents in Lee County were reported, resulting in two deaths. Last year, 319 crashes resulted in nine fatalities.

“The reality is motor vehicle drivers, cyclists and pedestrians all have responsibility for safe mobility,” Norm Nesbitt of Caloosa Riders Bicycle Club, told the publication.

Florida Nation’s Deadliest State for Bicycle Accidents

September 8, 2019 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Florida has once again ranked as the deadliest state in the nation for bicycle riders.

And it’s getting deadlier. A total of 125 bicyclists were killed on Florida roads in 2017, compared to 148 deaths last year. That’s a year-over-year increase of about 20 percent, which is particularly alarming because Florida was already the nation’s deadliest state for cyclists.

Our bicycle injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral want to remind motorists that Florida law requires drivers provide riders with at least three feet of clearance when passing. Florida Statute 316.083 governs overtaking and passing a vehicle. F.S. 316.156 requires drivers pass on the left at a safe distance (of at least 3 feet) and not drive back to the right until safely clear of the overtaken vehicle.

NHTSA: Bicycle Accident Deaths on the Rise

March 29, 2017 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The number of bicycle accident deaths is on the rise. Florida not only had the highest number of such fatalities, it reported the second-highest rate of deaths, when factoring in both population and percentage of total traffic deaths.

This troubling news means once again, Florida is the most dangerous place for bicyclists in the country. It’s an issue about which our leaders – and drivers – must take more proactive measures if we hope to change course.

The report, released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), reveals there were 818 bicyclists killed in the U.S. in 2015 (the latest year for which final statistics are available). This accounted for 2.3 percent of the total number of traffic deaths that year and marked a stunning 12.2 percent hike as compared to the final death toll tallied in 2014, when 729 bicyclists lost their lives. Continue reading ›

City to Pay $4.85M to Man Injured in Bicycle Accident Caused by Damaged Sidewalk

March 23, 2017 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

The City of San Diego has agreed to pay almost $5 million to a man injured in a bicycle accident that resulted in severe injuries when his bike was thrown nearly 30 feet after striking a sidewalk that was damaged by a tree.

The bike accident occurred three years ago, and resulted in the cyclist suffering torn spinal cord ligaments, numerous lost teeth and a possible stroke after he landed on his head.

Plaintiff filed his personal injury lawsuit in 2015. The settlement agreement is for a much higher sum than what the city normally pays for bicycle injury lawsuits or injuries resulting from damaged sidewalks. Three recent settlements in the past ranged for between $75,000 and $235,000. However, the settlement agreement is still lower than the $7.6 million that was awarded to another cyclist at trial five years ago, after a man was paralyzed when a queen palm tree fell on him during a 2010 storm. Plaintiff in that matter argued the city was negligent because it responded to the Great Recession by, in part, slashing funds for the tree maintenance and inspection program. Continue reading ›