A common factor in many bicycle accidents is the lack of respect and courtesy shown by drivers of motor vehicles like cars, trucks and SUVs.  For many motorists, a bicycle is really nothing more than an annoying obstruction to the flow of traffic.  Although bicyclists have the same rights to share Mississippi roadways equally with motor vehicles, they frequently are not treated that way by drivers.  Many drivers even presume that it is careless conduct by cyclists that causes the majority of bicycle accidents.

Insurance companies routinely defend Mississippi bicycle accidents by trying to shift blame to the cyclists for not stopping at red lights or stop signs, failing to wear visible bright clothing, wearing ear buds, or not using lights at night and other similar factors.  Despite this common tactic by insurance companies and assumption by many drivers, studies reveal that in most cases adult bicyclists are not responsible for their own injuries.  A study conducted in England found that while these factors do play a role in a small number of bicycle accident, they are very minor factors.  The study indicates the following frequency for such factors in bicycle collisions with motor vehicles:

Lack of visible clothing:                                                      2.5 %

Cyclist violations of stop signs and red lights:              2.0%

Failure to use lights:                                                            2.0%

The study revealed that some form of driver negligence was involved in bicycle accidents  between 60-75 percent of the time when the cyclist was an adult rider.  The study makes clear the importance of carefully supervising children when riding bikes.  The rate at which children commit an error and get injured in a bicycle accident is far greater than for adults.  When a child bicyclists is involved in a collision their riding behavior may be a significant contributing factor to a bicycle crash almost 75 percent of the time.

Whether you are a child or an adult that is involved in a bicycle accident, the insurance company for the driver will usually point to actions that the you took or failed to take that a reasonably prudent person would have to protect oneself.  This legal concept is referred to a comparative negligence.  It is important to keep in mind that even if the police report indicates that you were the primary or secondary cause of a bicycle accident this does not necessarily preclude you from recovering compensation for your bicycle accident injuries.  Under Mississippi personal injury law, a bicyclist may recover damages for injuries and loss even if the cyclist is 99% responsible for the bike accident and the driver is 1% responsible.  However, the cyclist measure of compensation will be reduced in proportion to the cyclist degree of fault.

If you or a loved one is injured or a family member dies in a Mississippi bicycle accident, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries regardless of whether you partially the cause of the accident.  Drivers of passenger vehicles are the cause of most injuries to cyclists, particularly adult riders.  At Barrett Law, our experienced Mississippi personal injury lawyers represent injury victims throughout Mississippi.  Our law firm has roots that reach back 75 years so contact us today for your free initial consultation at (662) 834-2376 to see how we can help.