Tennessee Bicycle Accident Lawyer

Bicycling is a good way to get exercise, and some people use bicycles as their primary mode of transportation. Motorists should be on the lookout for cyclists and be willing to share the road; unfortunately, many cyclists suffer injuries due to inattentive and aggressive drivers.

If you’ve suffered an injury while bicycling because of someone else’s carelessness or negligence, contact our Tennessee bicycle injury lawyers. For more than 20 years, we’ve been helping people in the Tennessee Valley get the compensation they deserve in personal injury cases.

Request your free, no-obligation consultation by calling 1-931-962-1044.

Recent Bicycle Accidents

The 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway, which connects Tupelo, Miss., to Nashville, is a designated bicycle route – motorists are supposed to share the road, and signs along the roadway remind drivers to give cyclists space. But in 2017, two bicyclists were struck in separate accidents on the Natchez Trace Parkway. One of those cyclists died; the driver in that crash stopped at the scene and cooperated with police. The cyclist injured in the other crash was treated at a hospital and released, and the driver who hit him was charged with felony reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to immediately notify of an accident, and failure to render aid.

That non-fatal accident was captured on film – two men were riding together, and the rearmost rider had a GoPro camera on his helmet. The footage shows a black car attempting to pass the cyclists, cutting back into the right lane and side-swiping the forward bicyclist, ejecting him from his bike. (Tennessee law requires drivers to allow at least three feet of space when passing cyclists.) Initially, that driver told police he didn’t know he struck the cyclist, yet after driving home, he removed stickers from the back of his car to make it harder to identify.

In July 2017, a Tullahoma cyclist riding with a group suffered several fractures and a punctured lung when a truck turned in front of his group at a Manchester intersection. Many intersection crashes that injure cyclists involve a driver turning right on a red light – the driver is preoccupied with looking left for oncoming traffic and turns right without making sure the intersection is clear.

Bicycle Malfunctions

Traffic accidents aren’t the only hazards for cyclists. Another common cause of injury is equipment malfunction. A bicycle has numerous moving parts, and if those parts are defective, or if a bike is not well maintained, the risk of a crash increases.

On the mountain bike trail at Tims Ford State Park, in Winchester, or on the trails at Arnold Engineering Development Center, in Tullahoma, riders depend on their bike to handle challenging terrain. Should a crash occur, it’s important to investigate the reasons, because faulty components could be to blame.

Bicycle and parts manufacturers in recent years have issued recalls for faulty brake parts, wheels, handlebars, frame components, and seat posts, mostly because of flaws that could cause parts to break while the bicycle is in motion. In 2015, Trek recalled 900,000 bikes in the United States because a quick-release lever on the front wheel hub could get stuck in the front disc brake, abruptly stopping the bike or causing the wheel to separate. That defect caused three bicyclists to crash – one suffered a fractured wrist, one had facial injuries, and one rider suffered permanent paralysis of all four limbs (tetraplegia).

Help for Injured Cyclists in Tennessee

A bicycle accident can cause severe injuries, including fractures, brain injuries, and paralysis. And many cyclists who are struck by vehicles experience psychological trauma that interferes with their enjoyment of life.

Cyclists deserve to be compensated for their pain and suffering when another party’s carelessness or negligence caused their injuries.

For more than 20 years, Tennessee bicycle accident attorney John R. Colvin has been helping personal injury victims and their families get the compensation they need to move on with their lives in the best way possible. As the owner of his own law firm, he offers a personalized experience for clients that’s hard to find at large corporate law firms. If you’ve suffered an injury in a bicycle accident in Tennessee, contact our office today for a free, no-obligation case consultation – online, or at 1-931-962-1044.

Licensed to Practice in Tennessee & Alabama