Bicycle accidents may occur due to several reasons. However, when road defects lead to these accidents the consequences tend to be extremely serious. That’s because when someone wrecks a bicycle due to a road defect, oncoming vehicles often don’t see them thus they end up getting hit. Such hits frequently result in the death of bicyclists and those who are lucky enough to survive, incur debilitating injuries. Read on to know more about bike crash injuries taking place due to road defects.
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Common Road Defects Resulting in Bike Crash Injuries
When we think of road defects leading to accidents, we tend to think primarily about large cracks on road surfaces or potholes. Indeed, they are the common and dangerous defects we come across when traveling. However, avoiding them is much easier for most bike riders. There are some other inadequacies riders must be wary of; these include:
- Missing signs or lights
- Inadequate lighting
- Uneven pavement
- Overgrown vegetation
- Broken or missing barriers and guardrails
- Debris on the road (these may include gravel, rocks, broken branches, etc.)
There may be a bike crash due to any of the defects mentioned above. These crashes can not only injure you i.e. the rider but may also injure others around you. The other injured person may be a pedestrian, a motorist, or another bike rider.
How Defective Roads Result in Bicycle Injuries
One of the main causes of bike accidents on defective roads is the loss of vehicle control. Poor lighting, potholes, soft shoulders, cracks on the road often makes it difficult for the rider to have complete control of his bike. This can lead to all kinds of accidents from minor falls to fatal crashes.
Bike crashes also take place when motorists commit errors due to missing signals or road signs. Such errors cause them to lose control and as a result, they often end up hitting bicyclists in front of them.
When riding at night, bicyclists often assume that they can ride at a high speed as it’s unlikely that there will be someone on the road. The problem arises when they ride on roads filled with debris, potholes, and cracks. The excessively high speed of the bicycle doesn’t allow them to stop even if they manage to notice the blockages on the road. The results are usually ominous; the bicyclists end up incurring serious injuries that take a lot of time to heal.
Whatever might be the cause of the bike accident, you must look for Ventura bike crash lawyers who can assist you to win maximum compensation. Only an experienced lawyer will be able to tell you who you should hold liable after a bike crash resulting from road defects.
Types of Injuries Resulting from Bike Crashes
Bike crashes mostly result in strains, lacerations, and abrasions (road rash). None of these injuries are serious. However, if you don’t treat them at the right time, you may develop infections. If the road rash turns severe, you may also need to undergo skin grafting.
Irrespective of the fact whether you have incurred a major injury or are experiencing minor pains and aches, you must visit a doctor for a thorough checkup. Serious injuries caused by bike crashes include:
- Concussions
- Skull fractures
- Brain contusions
- Intracranial hemorrhage
- Facial fractures
- Dental fractures
- Eye injury
- Rib fractures
- Traumatic hernia
- Lung injuries and more
Final Words
If you incur injuries from a bike accident occurring due to road defects, you should first visit a doctor and get the required treatments done. Next, you must contact a lawyer and take the next steps according to their suggestions.
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