Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
A 22-year-old Tampa bicyclist was rushed to the hospital Wednesday night after sustaining critical injuries in a collision with a car.
The man was riding his bike around 11:15 p.m. when he apparently rode into the path of a Honda driven by a 23-year-old Tampa woman.
The Honda hit the bicycle head-on. The driver was uninjured in the crash.
The man remained in critical condition at St. Joseph’s Hospital Thursday morning.
When cars collide with a bicyclist or pedestrian, the results can be tragic. When walking or traveling on a bicycle, you do not have the same structural protection that cars offer, so you are more likely to suffer severe injuries should an accident happen. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 51,000 bicyclists were injured across the United States in 2009 and another 630 were killed.
Unfortunately, most motorists in Florida fail to recognize that bicyclists have the same rights and responsibilities as other motor vehicles on the roadway. That is why drivers must pay attention to their surroundings and respect the rights of cyclists before executing driving errors that can place bikers and pedestrians at an increased risk for injury or death.
A bike vs. car accident can be a terrifying experience to endure and the injuries involved may be exceptionally painful. There are numerous injuries that a cyclist may suffer due to an accident with a car, including:
• Concussions
• Traumatic Brain Injuries
• Broken or Fractured bones
• Spinal Cord Injuries
• Neck and Back Injuries
• Paralysis
• Wrongful Death
Every six hours in the United States a cyclist is fatally injured. Head injuries account for 75 percent of all bicycle collision injuries and deaths. Sadly, reckless or negligent drivers are usually responsible for most bicycle accidents. Cars and trucks are no competition for bicycles, and drivers must be held accountable for the injuries that they cause.
If you or a loved one has been hit by a car while riding a bike in Tampa or throughout the state of Florida, contact the Florida Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton online or call our Hillsborough County office at 813-221-3200 or reach us statewide and toll-free at 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).