Bicycles have long been a way for families to enjoy a fun excursion but cycling has increased in popularity as more people become concerned with expanding waistlines and cardiovascular health issues. Tragically, urban planners have not kept up with the increased presence of bicycles, often placing cyclists at risk of being hit by careless or inattentive motorists. Bicyclists enjoy the same rights to share roadways as cars, trucks and SUVs, but some motorists consider slower moving bicycles to be unreasonable obstructions and fail to treat cyclists with the same courtesy that they would extend to drivers of passenger vehicles. When drivers of motor vehicles do not take reasonable care to obey traffic safety rules and pay adequate attention to their driving, the result can be devastating life-altering injuries. We receive many inquiries from Mississippi cyclists that are involved in bicycle collisions that have questions about their legal right to seek financial compensation so we have provided some basic answers in this Mississippi bicycle FAQ.
What are the most common causes of Mississippi bicycle accidents?
While the vast majority of Mississippi bicycle accidents are caused by driving errors made by cyclists, bicycle accidents in Mississippi may also be caused by defective bicycle parts, such as chains that jam and brakes that malfunction or roads that are not properly maintained. When riding a bicycle, a pothole or other road imperfection that may be unnoticeable to the driver of a motor vehicle can cause cyclists to lose control of their bike. The most common causes of Mississippi bicycle accidents include the following:
- Drunken drivers
- Driver that fail to pay attention
- Failure to check vehicle blind spots
- Illegal left turns into cyclists
- Potholes and other pavement defects
- Vehicles that do not allow cyclists enough room
- Speeding motorists
- Unsafe lane changes
- Red light runners
- Bicycle product defects
How does the new bicycle passing law work?
The new law (SB 3014) requires drivers of motor vehicles to allow sufficient room when passing bicycles with the minimum distance being three (3) feet.
What special accident risks are posed to cyclists?
A bicycle is more likely to be involved in a collision with a motor vehicle because they are small and harder to see than other vehicles, and they are unstable because of their two wheel design. Because bicycles offer no structural protection or other safety features, cyclists are particularly vulnerable to severe injury when struck by a motor vehicle in a Mississippi bicycle accident.
What is the legal impact of a bicycle helmet in Mississippi?
While some states have mandatory bicycle helmet laws for children, Mississippi has no mandatory bicycle helmet law. However, bicycle helmets can provide vital protection to a cyclist head that may prevent traumatic brain injury. Bicycle helmet use may also impact damages in a Mississippi bicycle accident claim because the insurance company for the driver may argue that a cyclist’s failure to wear a helmet was a form of comparative negligence. This may be a factor in reducing a bicycle accident victim’s damages by the percentage of fault assigned to the cyclist. The failure to wear a helmet would not be relevant if the victim’s injuries are not head injuries.
What types of compensation may a Mississippi bicycle accident victim seek for one’s injuries?
If you are injured in a bicycle accident you may seek both tangible economic losses as well as less tangible losses like pain and suffering. Some of the damages you may have a right to seek if you are injured in a bicycle accident in Mississippi include medical expenses, lost past and future income, pain and suffering, impaired quality of life and marital relations and other damages.
While this article may answer some of your questions about Mississippi bicycle accidents, the best way to get more detailed information is to speak to an experienced Mississippi bicycle accident lawyer at Barrett Law. The experienced Mississippi bicycle accident attorneys at Barrett Law have been providing aggressive representation to Mississippi bicycle accident victims for over 75 years. We provide diligent legal representation and impassioned advocacy so we invite you to call us today at 662-834-2376 to learn how we can help.
