A male bicyclist sustained a serious injury to his leg when he was involved in a Framingham, MA traffic crash with a car. Police said that after the vehicle struck the rider he was thrown onto the car’s hood and windshield before falling to the ground. The driver of the car was reportedly driving at only 15 mph but was unable to stop in time to prevent striking the bicycle because there was loose sand and ice on the road. The pedalcycist says he may have been distracted.
According to an article published in the Boston Globe last year, the number of bike accidents in the state has gone up now that there are more cyclists on the road. Greater Boston area bicycle crash death figures have risen by three times over. From 2010 to 2012, reports the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, close to 70% of the bicycle accidents that occurred resulted in injuries. Crash data examined by The Globe revealed that in 66% of bicycle accidents a vehicle was involved.
The state has been encouraging more people to ride their bikes and its towns and cities have added bike lanes. Unfortunately, many drivers remain unaware that bicyclists’ have rights.
While some Massachusetts bicycle accidents are caused by the negligence of the riders, in many instances, another party, such as a negligent motorist or government entity responsible for improperly constructing a street or failing to clear road may have been responsible.
To give you an example of how serious injuries from a bicycle accident can be-even when a motor vehicle isn’t involved-U2 frontman Bono says he may never be able to play the guitar again because of injuries he sustained in a bicycle accident in Central Park last November. Bono, 54, now has a titanium elbow. He also sustained eye socket fractures, as well as elbow and shoulder blade fractures, shattering bone in multiple places in an upper arm, among other injuries. To recover from his injuries the musician had to undergo hours of surgery. He is also in progressive therapy.
Bicyclist injured in crash with car in Framingham, MetroWest Daily News, January 8, 2015
Bono: I may never play guitar again after crash, The Boston Globe, January 2, 2015
Massachusetts Department of Transportation, MassDOT
More Blog Posts:
Massachusetts Suspends ET-Plus Guardrail Use Because of Traffic Injury Risks, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, October 21, 2014 More Than A Dozen Hospitalized After Plymouth, MA Bus Accident, Boston Car Accident Lawyer Blog, January 9, 2015
Liberty Research Institute Names Overexertion, Falls Accidents As Leading Causes of Work Injuries in 2012, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, January 15, 2015