How Do You Know If You Have a Negligent Bicycle Accident Claim?

Most personal injury claims made by cyclists are negligence claims. In Arizona, the statute of limitations for most personal injury claims, including bicycle accidents, is 2 years.

If you were in a bike accident, it is important to obtain an attorney so they can evaluate your case and help prove the vehicle driver is at fault. A bicycle accident lawyer will also navigate you through the complex process of filing a personal injury claim.

For a successful bike accident negligence claim, you must prove:

• The driver failed to drive with a reasonable degree of care. This can be done, for example, by proving that the driver failed to yield or was distracted at the moment of the accident.
• You were injured and suffered damages as a result of the driver’s disregard. This will be proved by showing if it wasn’t for the driver’s actions, the accident wouldn’t have occurred and you wouldn’t have been injured.

Types of Bicycle Accidents

Right Cross – When a motor vehicle pulls out of a side street, alley, driveway, or parking lot exit to the cyclist’s right. The car strikes the cyclist after the bike has passed the front of the vehicle, or the car makes it impossible for the cyclist to avoid a collision with the side of the vehicle by pulling out far enough at the last second to block the biker’s right of way.

Right Hook – When a motor vehicle operator either doesn’t see the biker or they pass the biker and forget about them or assume they have passed them with sufficient space, and then quickly makes a right turn causing the cyclist to slam into the side of the car.

Left Cross – When a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction collides when making a left turn in front of the cyclist. The driver either strikes the left side of the biker or cuts the biker off, forcing them to hit the right side of the vehicle.

Door Prize – When the driver of a parked vehicle opens the door directly in front of the bicyclist and blocks them without enough time to allow the biker to stop or swerve out of the way.

Rear End – When the driver strikes the cyclist from behind, usually because they were not maintaining a safe distance away from the bike and were not paying close enough attention to the cyclist’s movement.

Arizona Bicycle Laws

When it comes to protecting your rights as a cyclist, it is crucial to be aware of and follow Arizona’s bicycle-specific laws. If you are involved in an accident with a motor vehicle, it will be much easier to prove the driver is at fault if you are already following the rules in place. 

Here is what is expected of you as a cyclist on the road:

• Stop for traffic lights and stop signs
• Always use a white headlight and a red rear reflector when you cycle after sunset or before sunrise
• Yield to pedestrians at crosswalks and on sidewalks
• Before you turn or change lanes, look behind you and yield to any traffic already there, and give the appropriate signal
• If riding slower than the normal speed of traffic, you must ride as close as possible to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway
• If there are more than 5 vehicles behind you on a two-lane road, you must pull off and let the vehicles pass as soon as it’s safe to do so
• Every person riding a bicycle must have a regular seat to sit on
• Every bicycle must have at least one brake that will make the wheel skid when applied
• You may ride no more than two side-by-side, except on exclusive bike paths
• You must have at least one hand on the handlebars at all times
• You may not attach your bicycle to, or hold onto, another vehicle on the road