Tour De France Blog

You need a bicycle accident attorney to understand your rights. If you are unfortunate to be in a bicycle accident, you need a bicycle lawyer to guide you through the particular legal issues regarding bicycle law. Bicycle lawyers such as Nadrich and Cohen are experts in bicycle law. We advocate for our cyclists rights throughout our legal representation. We are experts on cyclists rights, including their rights to the road and all cyclists rights and duties. Our bicycle law firm knows exactly what to do to protect the bicyclist concerning insurance. We have tremendous experience in recovering bicycle accident settlements on behalf of our cyclists from auto and home owners insurance.

The Various States Bicyclist Liability Laws

Most states have general tort liability, which means that the person who causes the accident has to pay the fault free or not at fault party. There are certain no fault states that have an insurance system based on no fault. These states are: Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, New York, and Utah. There are hybrid states such as Arkansas, Maryland, South Carolina, Texas, Delaware, Oregon, South Dakota and Virginia. There are states with hybrid or no fault options, and they are Kentucky, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and District of Colombia. The nine states that have no fault means that you will be compensated for your own injuries and property damage by your own insurance policy without regard for who was at fault.

Compensation is limited to your economic damages such as medical expenses and lost income. None of the non economic damages such as pain and suffering damages will be available to you. Nine states have adopted a hybrid system in which the first party benefits; that is, your own insurance. Traditional tort liability states have no restrictions on law suits. The three remaining states offer a choice between no fault and tort liability, in which consumers decide whether they want a threshold limit on lawsuits or a policy with no restrictions. These states are New Jersey, Pennsylvania and District of Columbia.

Nadrich & Cohen, As Your Lawyers- What We Do

Insurance policies always come into play when a cyclist is hit by a motorist. The cyclist will make a claim on the motorists insurance. We specialize in presenting the cyclists claim and working with the adjuster for the insurance company. We provide documentation to support the claim to the adjuster and argue extensively on our clients behalf. Remember, the adjusters job is to make sure the insurance company pays you the smallest amount of money it possibly can to resolve your claim. The adjuster is not your friend, but your adversary.

Home owners insurance coverage has been obtained for cyclists. For example, if a can of soda is thrown from a passing car and hurts the cyclist, certain courts have found that the home owners insurance is liable, and some have found that the automobile insurance coverage applies. If it?s a passenger, then the passengers home insurance can come into play.

California Cyclist Law

Remember, in California, every bicyclist should know that the California Vehicle Code applies to all bicyclists riding on all roadways. There is a California Vehicle Code section that requires that a cyclist rides with and not against traffic.

There is also a Code that requires bicyclists to ride as close to the right hand curb as possible. Lastly, there is a California Vehicle Code section that requires a bicyclist not to ride in a cross walk if it is in a business district.

Jeff Nadrich
http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-injury-articles/why-you-need-a-bicycle-lawyer-for-a-bicycle-accident-686829.html

Getting the best price on your car bicycle rack will take some time and comparisons. You will like knowing that you received the best deal possible for your car bicycle rack.

A car bicycle rack that is discounted or on sale can be a great treasure to find. New bikers may think that a car bicycle rack is not needed, but they will quickly find that this one piece of equipment can be as important as the bicycle itself. If you cannot get your bike to different locations to ride, then you may find that you will not bike as often. By purchasing a car bicycle rack, you will be able to ride anywhere you choose.

Boredom is the most common reason that people give up a particular type of exercise. If you are riding the same path every day, then you may find that this routine becomes humdrum and boring. By purchasing a car bicycle carrier, you will have the option of riding any number of bike paths in your area and in surrounding areas to help decrease the boredom quotient.

The great thing is that this equipment doesn’t have to be very expensive. By checking the sales ads in local papers and on the Internet, you may be able to find a car bicycle rack that easily fits your budget. All you need to do is bide your time until you find one that will work for you and your billfold.

When you are starting a new sport, buying equipment can sometimes be very costly. By watching sales and ads in the paper, you will find that you can find a very good price on equipment. You only have to be willing to wait until you can find equipment that you need.

Finding a car bicycle rack on sale may take a few weeks, especially if you want one that is high quality. A high quality car bicycle rack will save you money in the long run, however, because it will be more durable than an inferior one that may cost a few dollars less.

It is quite irritating when you buy an item and they see it on sale or discounted at another store the next day. You can return it to the first store, if you haven’t put it on your automobile yet, but if you had simply looked around before making your purchase, then you could have save yourself time, money, and irritation. That is why it is so important to do your research first before shelling out any money.

The internet is a great resource for finding prices for car bicycle racks. It can be done anytime of the night or day and you do not have to leave your house to price check. Make sure that you also read the ads in the newspaper, both personal and sales ads and see if your neighborhood bike shop has a mailing list. All of these are ways to find the right price for your car bicycle rack.

If you do your research, you can save yourself money on your car bicycle rack. Then you can use that money for other equipment or for a bicycle tour. Doesn’t that sound like a plan?

Alastair Hamilton
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/a-car-bicycle-rack-on-a-budget-139489.html

Getting the best price on your car bicycle rack will take some time and comparisons. You will like knowing that you received the best deal possible for your car bicycle rack.

A car bicycle rack that is discounted or on sale can be a great treasure to find. New bikers may think that a car bicycle rack is not needed, but they will quickly find that this one piece of equipment can be as important as the bicycle itself. If you cannot get your bike to different locations to ride, then you may find that you will not bike as often. By purchasing a car bicycle rack, you will be able to ride anywhere you choose.

Boredom is the most common reason that people give up a particular type of exercise. If you are riding the same path every day, then you may find that this routine becomes humdrum and boring. By purchasing a car bicycle carrier, you will have the option of riding any number of bike paths in your area and in surrounding areas to help decrease the boredom quotient.

The great thing is that this equipment doesn’t have to be very expensive. By checking the sales ads in local papers and on the Internet, you may be able to find a car bicycle rack that easily fits your budget. All you need to do is bide your time until you find one that will work for you and your billfold.

When you are starting a new sport, buying equipment can sometimes be very costly. By watching sales and ads in the paper, you will find that you can find a very good price on equipment. You only have to be willing to wait until you can find equipment that you need.

Finding a car bicycle rack on sale may take a few weeks, especially if you want one that is high quality. A high quality car bicycle rack will save you money in the long run, however, because it will be more durable than an inferior one that may cost a few dollars less.

It is quite irritating when you buy an item and they see it on sale or discounted at another store the next day. You can return it to the first store, if you haven’t put it on your automobile yet, but if you had simply looked around before making your purchase, then you could have save yourself time, money, and irritation. That is why it is so important to do your research first before shelling out any money.

The internet is a great resource for finding prices for car bicycle racks. It can be done anytime of the night or day and you do not have to leave your house to price check. Make sure that you also read the ads in the newspaper, both personal and sales ads and see if your neighborhood bike shop has a mailing list. All of these are ways to find the right price for your car bicycle rack.

If you do your research, you can save yourself money on your car bicycle rack. Then you can use that money for other equipment or for a bicycle tour. Doesn’t that sound like a plan?

Alastair Hamilton
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/a-car-bicycle-rack-on-a-budget-139489.html

Today’s modern bicycles are a far cry from our earliest attempts at pedal power. In fact, what many regard as the birth of the bicycle had no pedals at all. It was more of a wooden hobby horse on wheels that the rider would straddle and push the machine along with his legs. While it had no pedals, it did at least have steering. It was known as the ‘running machine’. Compared with today’s range of bikes, it doesn’t sound much fun really!

Later, another wooden beast would hit the fashionable cobblestone streets of Europe – the Boneshaker. The appropriately named Boneshaker had pedals, and was entirely made of wood, apart from the hard, metal wheels. Thankfully, for the well-to-do riding public of Europe, the Boneshaker would soon be superseded during the 1870s by the far more comfortable, but far more dangerous, Penny Farthing.

The Penny Farthing was easily distinguishable from all bicycles that came before it by its huge front wheel and small rear wheel. It also, for the first time, offered the relative comfort of hard rubber tires. The size of the front wheel was so large because the larger the wheel, the more efficient the pedalling. While this allowed the well-heeled to hurtle recklessly at speed about the streets, it was also the cause of many serious injuries. All that was needed was for a stick to jam in the front wheel or a dog to run across the bicycle’s path and the hapless rider would be propelled over the handlebars and onto the hard ground below, usually on his head. Helmets were not a necessary accessory in those days!

For the ladies of the day, riding a Penny Farthing would just not do, so an adult version of the tricycle was invented in order for proper ladies to enjoy the pleasures of riding through the parks and gardens without compromising their good reputations.

Later, the Safety Bicycle was introduced. This was a redesigned version of the Penny Farthing that placed the huge front wheel at the back of the bike and the small rear wheel in the front. This new design considerably reduced the risk of being flung over the handlebars like a rag doll and ending up with a severe concussion or permanent brain damage.

By the 1880s, the bicycle was going through further changes. The pneumatic tire, the use of ball bearings and the spring seat made riding a much more comfortable affair. It was during this time also that more practical designs incorporating two wheels of equal size were introduced, making riding a far safer and enjoyable experience. The bicycle was fast evolving into the modern machines we enjoy today.

It was during the later part of the 20th century however that the bicycle really started to develop. In 1963 for example, Schwinn introduced a radical new bike called the Sting-Ray. The Sting-Ray borrowed much of its design features from the easyrider motorcycles and included high-rise handlebars, a comfy banana seat and a stick-shift. The Schwinn Sting-Ray allowed its young riders to become far more adventurous in their riding and it wasn’t long before wheelies, jumps and other tricks were being performed. The Schwinn Sting-Ray would soon lead to the development of the BMX and the rest, as they say, is history!

James Sanford
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/from-boneshaker-to-bmx-the-history-of-the-bicycle-111042.html

As revealed by a recent survey, approximately 90 million adult Americans ride a bicycle once every year, about 30 million regularly bike for recreation and an estimated of 20 million or more commute via their bicycle.

When you are riding your bicycle at least 10 kilometers or more a day, you should invest in bicycle clothing as regular clothes can be uncomfortable and painful.

Reasons you must wear bicycle clothes:

1. For comfort. Wearing bicycle clothes will give you comfort as you are riding. Bicycle clothes have undergone through thorough research into the complicated details of bicycle clothing, taking into account where not and where to put the seams and the materials used are those that draw sweat further away from the body.

2. For health. Bicycle clothing helps watch over your health, as the appropriate materials helps prevent dehydration as well as prevent saddle sores on your crotch.

3. For safety. Bicycle clothing means you are wearing the appropriate reflective gear plus other safety qualities.

Great fitting bicycle clothing is just as significant as riding a great fitting bike. Today’s bicycle clothes not just help you execute comfortably and better, but they also to allow you to move more freely.

Here are bicycle clothing necessities and tips on choosing the right kind for you:

1. Helmet. Never ride your bicycle without one. Not only they protect your head from bumps, but also supply warmth during winter and cover during the summer.

Helmet models come with 18 vents as well as special features that channels air into the helmet then around the head and finally out your back for extreme heat control.

Choose a helmet that aside from its features, has a good fit. Look for web molded foam that prevents your helmet from falling apart on impact.

2. Jersey shirts. These are shirts made of lycra and other synthetic materials, that efficiently carry sweat away from your skin.

While an ordinary or cotton shirt would quickly be soaked, it takes much effort in order to get your jersey shirt sweaty. And this is an advantage since a soaking wet cotton shirt will feel colder compared to a jersey shirt.

Note however that transport of sweat is less efficient for overly thick jerseys; so choose a jersey shirt with just the right thickness.

Look for jerseys with:
– Neck zippers for proper ventilation should your temperature increase
– “Stand-up” collar in order to seal your body heat in, during cool weather
– Convenient location of pockets
– Wider cut shoulders for “arms-forward” comfort
– Longer cut at the back
– “Form-fitting” cut to lessen flapping
– Bike Shorts. Regular shorts constrict the thighs as it expands when you are riding, resulting to thigh irritation as they chafe against your saddle.

3. Bicycle shorts actually are padded and seamless therefore very flexible.

Look for bicycle shorts with:
– Multi-panel assembly for comfort
– Lower-cut in front
– Soft, smooth saddle pad so as to reduce cushion bumps and friction
– Longer leg cut to avoid saddle chafing

4. Biking gloves. A great pair of breathable wicking gloves during cold weather is necessary.

During summer, gloves having “short-cut” fingers are a very popular choice among most bikers.

Make sure you choose biking gloves that have synthetic leather or padded palm as well as “moisture-absorbing” terry cloth intended to wipe sweat.

5. Biking socks. When biking heavily, your feet produce much perspiration and can result to cold feet during winter. During summer, feet perspiration results to blisters. To avoid these, wear polypropylene or polyester socks which efficiently draw perspiration away.

6. Biking shoes. Purchase biking shoes that are tighter fitting than your normal fit, is compatible with your bike’s pedal system as well as have a molded and thick sole.

However, do make certain that they fit not too tightly because your feet will feel numb after riding a few kilometers.

Avoid excessive shoe padding also, because they can be difficult to dry should they get wet. Velcro straps are great since can be opened and close easily and close.

Your first pedal towards attaining fitness or riding your way to any destination starts without doubt with purchasing the right bicycle clothing as this brings you more comfort so that you can have fun at the same time.

Lee Dobbins
http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/choosing-your-bicycle-clothing-50004.html

As a direct consequence of cyclists having to share major and minor roadways from extremely busy major city roadways to the less busy, even less dangerous miniscule minor rural small towns of our ultra high mobile society, the resulting mix of large and small fast moving vehicles can be a traumatic and at times deadly combination of conflicts for the experienced and uninitiated adult and vulnerable child bicyclist – the unprotected bicyclist is especially vulnerable and most likely to fair the worst in any vehicle and bicyclist collision.

The essential life protecting bicycle riding skills and techniques essential for the safekeeping of the bicyclist while riding on the highway, especially in extremely highly populated and densely mobile business and residential areas, can be very complex even for the fit, alert and agile bicyclist, Though spare a thought for the less fit, less alert and agile bicyclist, especially considering the near impossible task of attempting to turn from and into a very busy highway at an intersection, when forcibly confronting and assessing high speed vehicles from all directions on a very busy crossroads. The next and deadliest combination is of navigating a very busy street will crossing very fast moving vehicles in the darkest and wet winters night, and what is more apparent – and possibly more deadly, is when the bicyclist is a child or adult and suffers from a physically or mentally challenged condition, especially physically challenged by just at legal eyesight criteria and or deafness, this debilitating disability allows the bicyclist very little opportunity of safely crossing the flow of busy traffic, at even the simplest highway intersection crossing without a high possibility of being involved in an accident involving serious personal injury or even massive fatal trauma.

Walking, riding a bicycle, or in control of a horse drawn carriage was the essential mode of travelling options a hundred years ago in the USA. Even very large cities had fairly stable transportation needs over many decades, and when changes did occur, extensive planning was not a required requisite and usually not even considered. Nowadays, many medium and large cities have large transportation departments and offices, with professionals skilled in transportation planning, civil and environmental engineering, politics and law (Levinson, 1996). A change in transportation options no longer just happens.

City planning departments have been redesigning European cities since medieval times, but the tradition of town planning is very much recent and modern in the United States (Heidenheimer , Heclo, and Adams, 1983, page 241). According to Fegan (1995), US traffic engineers have received less “training in design of facilities to accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians.” In the United States, the automobile reigns supreme with no equals in supremacy. Politicians bankroll their campaigns with automobile related, and not bicycle related contributions. In contrast, in some European countries, bicycling is seen as a viable and important transportation option, championed by politicians and transportation planners alike.

The 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) rewrote the rules for transportation planning in the United States (Ochia, 1993). According to one commentator describing ISTEA “its time for the transportation community to rethink its attitudes and actions regarding bicycling and walking. These transportation modes can play an increasingly significant role in a balanced intermodal transportation system” (Federal Highway Administration, 1992a). However despite the new federal rules, it takes a while for the state administrators to be convinced of its legal obligations towards the most vulnerable road users – bicyclist and pedestrians.

Despite miniscule signs of change, transportation politics and planning in Boston, for example, are still symbolic of the larger car culture in the United States (Williams and Larson, 1996), where cars are sometimes regarding as highly as family pets (Grava, 1993). Despite ISTEA, Bicycle facilities have been taking a back seat to automobiles and highways, with the poor vulnerable bicyclist and pedestrian forced to fend for their selves.

Estimates are that 190.000 vehicles are using the extremely congested highway system each day. Experts expect the new system of improved highway systems to comfortably manage at least 250.000 vehicles each day (Central Artery/Tunnel Project 1998). However, it is reasonable to expect that more roads and fewer tie ups will attract more drivers (Jacobs, 1991), therefore, dangerously increase the risks of serious injury to bicyclist as a consequence of using the unprotected bicycle in an ever increasing extremely dangerous motor vehicle dominated environment.

Despite the relatively small increase in bicycle ownership and use, many serious bicycle related injuries do occur in the United States. Bicycle related head injury is regarded as a serious and costly problem and bicycle helmets are seen as an essential safety aid through the every day usage of bicycles (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1995). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends, “bicycle helmets should be worn by all persons (i.e., bicycle operators and passengers) at any age when bicycling. Bicyclists must accept that Road Safety is the responsibility of all road users regardless of size of all road vehicles, motorised or non motorised including pedestrians.

. Regardless of your age and level of your riding skills, or travelling on short or long journey, its imperative that you must consider absolute safety first and foremost, force yourself to be prepared for all road traffic conditions, react correctly to all real and perceived threats and potential and real hazards, and be correctly equipped with the up to date correct safety gear and up to date safety advices. If you suffer an accident replace your bicycle helmet with a new safety helmet and any torn safety clothing, that meets the relevant Safety Regulations. Always understand and follow the rules of the road.

These are the safety guidelines which will assist in your protection in the event of a bicycle accident:

1). Wear a safety helmet and ensure the safety helmet is secured correctly – an unfastened bicycle safety helmet offers no protection in an accident.

2). Another important safety aid entails wearing elbow, hips and knees pad protectors, which ensure protection to the rider when falling from the bicycle on the hard road surface – ensure the protective pads are secure, select, purchase and wear the correct bicycling protective clothing which can reduce injuries especially abrasions and scrapes.

3). Purchase and install a bell or horn on the bicycle, and use the device only to inform other road users of your presence and your intentions. For night time riding on the bicycle its imperative to have securely installed and working at all times, and effective and compliant headlight, tail light and suitably positioned reflectors. Before mounting the bicycle check the bicycles lighting system is in full working order.

4). Avoid driving faster than you think, or faster than other road users’ can react to you. Installed reflectors, lighted headlights and reflective stickers will not avoid an accident if the other road user don’t or refuse to react to your presence. Remember road safety is your responsibility and must be incorporated into your plan of action. Purchase, read, understand and practice the safe riding techniques and road safety procedures in The Highway Code Manual, and The Roadcraft Manual. Safety is the responsibility of all road users and bicyclists are no exception.

The comprehensive bicycling safety tips can assist in continuing to benefit from bicycling, and avoid being an accident statistic; prevention of accidents is far better than convalescing and cure.

If as a bicyclist you were involved in a traumatic and debilitating accident, or know of a family member, a loved one, or a valued friend, who received injuries, harm either physical or psychological – through a bicycle related accident, then find a local personal injury attorney free, local personal injury lawyer free. Complete Attorney Index website is a regularly updated local personal injury attorney directory, where you choose and freely contact, your local personal injury attorney, local personal injury lawyer, without your right of Freedom to Choose being abused. Complete Attorney Index website is not a law firm introducer or pre-selection to a law firm directory for local personal injury attorney or local personal injury lawyer, neither receives financial backing, payments from any nation wide, state wide or local injury attorneys, local injury lawyers. Your Freedom of Choice is your protected right – Complete Attorney Index website is intensely independent and intensely unbiased. You search and contact with no introductions whatsoever – exercise your freedom to choose. Search Now! Find local personal injury attorney free. Find local personal injury lawyer free.

Desmo Boss
http://www.articlesbase.com/personal-injury-articles/find-a-local-personal-injury-attorney-free-bicycle-accidents-explained-699850.html