Legal Rights of Austin Cyclists

The city of Austin is well-known for its fitness community, and miles of outdoor trails in close proximity to the hill country make it an ideal place for cyclists. The Travel Channel lists Austin as one of the top 13 cycling cities in the United States, and the city gains more and more cyclists as their population continues to grow. However, cycling is always dangerous when you are sharing the road with motorists, and in the unfortunate event of a collision, victims are often unaware of the legal rights of Austin Cyclists.

As a cyclist, it’s important to know your rights, especially if you’ve been injured in an accident involving a vehicle. It’s also important you contact Carabin Shaw’s team of Austin bike accident lawyers to assist you in developing a personal injury claim, as well as to ensure you are fairly represented and on the track to receiving the compensation you deserve.

Sharing the road with motorists while on a bicycle can be extremely dangerous, and collisions often result in serious injuries or fatalities. Even when a cyclist protects themselves with a helmet and other safety gear, it poses no match for the mass and speed of a vehicle when contact is made. Some of the most common forms of accidents involving cyclists happen when vehicles do the following:

• Right hook: A driver fails to see a cyclist when making a right turn.
• Rear end: A driver strikes a cyclist from behind.
• Left cross: A driver traveling in the opposite direction makes a left turn in front of a cyclist, causing the cyclist to hit head-on.

Although these are the most common causes of cycle accidents, there are countless other ways that you can be hurt by a driver while cycling. If you have been injured in any encounter with a motor vehicle while cycling. you should contact an experienced attorney right away to protect your legal rights.

Understanding the legal rights of Austin cyclists is important, but at the time of an accident you may not have done your homework. Luckily, the attorneys of Carabin Shaw have, and employing their experience can help you figure out how those rights apply to your circumstance and what you could be entitled to when it comes to compensation.

For the most part, a person riding a bicycle is entitled to the same rights and duties that are applicable to a driver operating a vehicle in Texas. This fact alone gives a cyclist rights that drivers may not understand they have. Oftentimes, drivers assume that bicyclists have the onus to make way, or worse, that bicyclists don’t have the right to be on the road at all. It is a driver’s responsibility to understand how to navigate their vehicle accordingly when bicyclists are sharing their road.

Although most people assume that cycling accidents stem from the mistakes of a negligent driver, that is not always the case. Weather and dangerous road conditions can also cause serious personal injury accidents to cyclists on the road when brakes lose their stopping power and visibility is low. No matter the cause of your cycling accident, an experienced attorney can evaluate your case to see how compensation can be leveraged for your circumstance.

At Carabin Shaw, we understand the cycling community and how vulnerable cyclists are to negligent drivers, road conditions, and weather. Our attorneys will work around the clock to advocate for you and explore every option possible to ensure you receive fair compensation for medical bills, lost wages, property damages, and anything else lost as a result of your accident.

Carabin Shaw boasts years of experience representing clients with a passion for cycling, and we know you are eager to get back out on the road. If you or someone you know has been injured while cycling, contact an Austin bicycle accident attorney from Carabin Shaw as soon as possible.

Our attorneys provide free consultations and work on a contingency basis, so we don’t get paid unless you do. Contact Carabin Shaw today, toll-free, at 800-862-1260 or locally at 512-832-1101.