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The experts at Chicago Personal Injury Attorney at Law help cyclists who are injured in crashes throughout the city. Our Chicago bicycle accident lawyer knows the unique challenges bike riders face on busy streets. Always seek medical attention first. Then, contact our law firm to learn more about how we can file a personal injury claim against a negligent driver.
Many cyclists don't realize they have the same legal rights as car drivers on Chicago roads. Insurance companies often try to blame bike riders for crashes, claiming they didn't follow traffic rules or rode carelessly. Our bicycle accident attorney team knows how to counter these unfair tactics with evidence that shows what really happened.
Delays can hurt your case, as witnesses forget details, and evidence disappears over time. Quick action helps us gather crash scene photos, traffic camera footage, and witness statements while they're still fresh. We handle all talks with insurance adjusters, so you don't say anything that might damage your claim for fair compensation.
Milwaukee Avenue sees more bike crashes than any other street in Chicago, despite having marked bike lanes in many sections. This busy route through Wicker Park and Logan Square mixes heavy car traffic with hundreds of daily cyclists, creating frequent conflict points at intersections. Other high-risk roads include Halsted Street, Western Avenue, and Chicago Avenue, where narrow lanes force cyclists to ride close to fast-moving cars.
Door zone bike lanes put riders at constant risk when parked car doors open suddenly into their path. Many bike lanes also disappear at the most dangerous spots, like intersections or narrow bridges. Cook County data shows that most serious cycling injuries happen when bike infrastructure suddenly ends or forces cyclists to merge with car traffic.
Cyclists face unique dangers on city streets, from drivers who don't check for bikes to poorly designed roads that create conflict points. Understanding these common causes helps our team build stronger cases by showing exactly how driver negligence led to your injuries.
Drivers often claim they "didn't see" cyclists before causing crashes, especially at dawn, dusk, or night. Poor lighting on many streets makes cyclists hard to spot, even when they use proper bike lights and reflective gear. Bad weather, like rain or fog, makes visibility even worse, with drivers failing to adjust their behavior for these conditions.
Many drivers simply don't look for cyclists, checking only for other cars before turning or changing lanes. This failure to watch for bikes shows negligence that makes them liable for the crashes they cause.
Drivers looking at phones, adjusting GPS systems, or eating behind the wheel often miss seeing cyclists until it's too late. Phone distraction has become a leading cause of bike crashes, with drivers taking their eyes off the road for crucial seconds. Text messages, social media, and video calls create deadly risks for cyclists sharing the road with distracted drivers.
The small profile of a bicycle makes it easier to miss than a car when a driver glances up briefly from a distraction. Illinois law bans handheld phone use while driving, so this behavior provides strong evidence of negligence in bicycle accident claims.
Intoxicated drivers pose extreme dangers to cyclists due to impaired judgment, slowed reactions, and reduced awareness. Drunk drivers may drift into bike lanes, run red lights, or fail to yield at intersections where cyclists have the right of way. These crashes often happen at night and on weekends when more impaired drivers are on the road.
Alcohol-related bicycle crashes typically cause more severe injuries due to higher speeds and the driver's failure to brake before impact. Police reports showing driver intoxication create powerful evidence for both insurance claims and potential punitive damages in serious cases.
"Dooring" occurs when someone in a parked car opens their door directly into a passing cyclist's path without looking first. These sudden obstacles give cyclists no time to react, often throwing riders into traffic or causing severe injuries in direct impacts. Chicago law requires people in vehicles to check for approaching cyclists before opening doors, making doorings a clear case of negligence.
Many bike lanes run directly through the "door zone," where parked cars create this constant threat. Cyclists forced to ride here face impossible choices between dooring risks and moving into faster traffic lanes. A properly designed bike lane should provide space outside the door zone, but many Chicago streets lack this safety feature.
Most bicycle crashes happen at intersections where paths cross and turn movements create conflicts. Drivers making right turns often cut off cyclists going straight, a dangerous move called a "right hook" that violates the cyclist's right of way. Left-turning drivers cause similar "left hook" crashes when they fail to yield to oncoming cyclists traveling straight through intersections.
Drivers who run red lights or stop signs create especially dangerous situations for cyclists who can't match a car's protection in a crash. These intersection violations directly contradict traffic laws that both cars and bikes must follow, creating clear liability for drivers who cause crashes this way.
Drivers bear primary responsibility when they hit cyclists while breaking traffic laws or driving carelessly. Illinois recognizes that cyclists have the same rights as drivers on most roads, including the right to take a full lane when necessary for safety. When drivers fail to share the road properly or make dangerous maneuvers around cyclists, they become legally responsible for the crashes they cause.
Other liable parties may include government agencies responsible for dangerous road designs or poor maintenance that contributes to crashes. Vehicle manufacturers could share the blame for mechanical failures, while rideshare companies may be liable for crashes caused by their drivers. Our firm investigates every potential source of compensation, especially in serious injury cases where medical bills quickly exceed the at-fault driver's insurance limits.
Yes, you can still seek compensation even without a helmet, as Illinois has no mandatory helmet law for cyclists. While insurance companies may try to reduce your settlement, we can often counter this argument, especially for injuries not involving the head.
Drivers must check blind spots before turning or changing lanes, so this excuse rarely works as a defense. We use evidence like crash scene photos, witness statements, and sometimes accident reconstruction to show the driver should have seen you with proper lookout.
Bicycle crash settlements vary based on injury severity, medical costs, lost income, and how the injuries affect your life quality. Serious injuries with long-term impacts typically result in larger settlements, sometimes reaching hundreds of thousands or even millions in catastrophic injury cases.
A police report creates an official record of the crash and often determines fault, making it very valuable for your claim. However, we can still build strong cases without police reports by gathering other evidence like witness statements, photos, and medical records.
Illinois considers bicycles vehicles with the same basic rights and responsibilities as cars. Cyclists must follow traffic signals, ride with traffic flow, use lights at night, and signal turns, but can legally take a full lane when needed for safety, especially on narrow roads or near parked cars.
At Chicago Personal Injury Attorney at Law, our Chicago bicycle accident lawyer is ready to help you fight for the compensation you deserve. We handle all bicycle accident claims on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we win compensation for you. Call us today to schedule a free case consultation.
JD Jordan, a Chicago personal injury attorney, understands client needs firsthand. A serious car accident in his youth, where he witnessed aggressive defense and the value of a supportive attorney, inspired his career. He has since helped clients recover nearly $100 million, recognized for his steady, strategic approach and ability to connect with those facing difficult circumstances.