When a Bicycle Accident Turns Your Life Upside Down
When a motor vehicle driver causes a crash, the consequences for an unprotected cyclist are often devastating: traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, spinal damage, and mounting medical bills that arrive before you can even think about returning to work.
Attorney John J. Sheehan has spent more than 30 years fighting for injured cyclists throughout Massachusetts. If you were hurt in a Boston bicycle accident, you have the right to pursue fair compensation, and our legal team is here to help.
Types of Bicycle Accident Cases We Handle
Boston bike accidents happen in many different ways, and each presents its own legal complexities. Our bicycle accident attorneys have experience representing injured cyclists in a wide range of situations.
- Dooring accidents: Car door accidents, also called dooring accidents, occur when a driver or passenger opens a car door directly into the path of a passing cyclist. These accidents are extremely common along Boston's busy streets and can launch a rider over the handlebars at high speed.
- Intersection collisions: Motor vehicle drivers frequently fail to yield to cyclists at intersections, cut them off while turning, or blow through red lights, causing T-bone and head-on collisions that leave bike riders with severe injuries.
- Rear-end crashes: When drivers following too closely fail to stop in time, they can slam into cyclists from behind with devastating force. This is especially common in congested areas where dedicated bike lanes end abruptly.
- Sideswipe accidents: Some motor vehicle drivers pass cyclists without leaving adequate space, clipping the rider and sending them into barriers or traffic.
- Defective bicycles: When a mechanical failure, such as a faulty brake, a cracked frame, or a defective component, causes a crash, the manufacturer may be strictly liable for the resulting bicycle injuries.
- Road hazard crashes: Construction zones and missing signage can send cyclists tumbling. Property owners and construction contractors may bear responsibility.
- Hit-and-run bicycle accidents: When a driver flees the scene after striking a cyclist, our team works quickly to identify the responsible party and explore every available avenue for compensation.
These are the most common situations we see, but every bike accident case is unique. If you were hurt and believe someone else's negligence played a role, contact us for a free consultation.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Bicycle accident injuries are often far more serious than injuries in car accidents because cyclists have no protective structure around them. At the Law Office of John J. Sheehan, we have seen how these injuries upend every aspect of a person's life.
The most frequently reported bike-related injuries include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries: Head injuries, including concussions and traumatic brain injuries, are a leading cause of bicyclist deaths and hospitalizations in Massachusetts, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Even with protective gear and a helmet, brain injuries can occur in severe crashes.
- Broken bones: Fractures to the wrist, collarbone, arm, leg, and pelvis are among the most common bicycle injuries. Both cyclists and passengers in the striking vehicle may sustain fractures, but cyclists bear the brunt of the impact.
- Spinal cord injuries: High-impact crashes can damage the vertebrae, discs, or spinal cord itself, potentially causing partial or full paralysis.
- Road rash and soft tissue damage: When cyclists slide across pavement, the resulting abrasions can destroy layers of skin and require extensive wound care and reconstructive treatment.
- Internal organ damage: Blunt-force trauma to the torso can injure the liver, spleen, kidneys, and lungs. These injuries are not always obvious at the accident scene.
- Facial injuries: Without full face protection, cyclists often suffer fractures to the jaw, nose, and orbital bones, as well as dental injuries.
- Psychological trauma: PTSD, anxiety, and depression frequently follow serious bike accidents. These non-economic damages should be part of the full compensation calculation.
Injuries sustained in a cycling accident may not be immediately apparent. Symptoms of brain injuries, internal bleeding, and soft tissue damage can develop gradually in the days or weeks after a crash. Seeking medical treatment immediately after any bicycle accident is critical, both for your health and for your legal claim.
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Your Legal Rights After a Boston Bike Accident
Massachusetts law provides injured cyclists with meaningful protections. Understanding the legal framework can help you make informed decisions about your bicycle accident claim.
Massachusetts operates under a no-fault car insurance system, meaning personal injury protection (PIP) coverage pays initial medical expenses regardless of who caused the crash. In Massachusetts, a bicyclist who was hit by a car can file a PIP claim through the driver’s auto insurance policy. However, PIP benefits are limited. To pursue a claim directly against the at-fault driver, your medical bills must exceed $2,000, or you must have suffered a significant injury such as a bone fracture or permanent disfigurement.
Under M.G.L. Chapter 90, Section 34A, all motor vehicle operators must carry minimum liability insurance. If the at-fault driver's coverage falls short, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage may provide additional compensation.
Massachusetts follows a modified comparative negligence rule under M.G.L. Chapter 231, Section 85. This means you may recover damages as long as you are found to be 50% or less responsible for the accident. Your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. If a jury determines you are more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover damages.
Insurance companies often try to shift blame onto injured cyclists to reduce or eliminate payouts. Our bicycle accident lawyers build strong cases to demonstrate the other party's negligence and protect your right to full recovery.
Under M.G.L. Chapter 85, Section 11B, bicycles on public roadways have the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicles. This means cyclists riding in Boston must obey traffic signals, yield appropriately, and follow all rules of the road.
At the same time, motor vehicle drivers owe a duty of care to cyclists riding near them. Under M.G.L. Chapter 90, Section 14, drivers must slow down and maintain a safe passing distance when traveling near cyclists. Drivers who fail to meet this standard may be found negligent in the event of a collision.
Massachusetts law gives injured cyclists three years from the date of their accident to file a personal injury lawsuit under M.G.L. Chapter 260, Section 4. Missing this deadline typically results in losing the right to pursue compensation entirely.
However, evidence disappears quickly after bicycle accidents. Surveillance footage is overwritten, witnesses move on, and physical evidence is lost. We encourage you to contact a Boston bicycle accident lawyer as soon as possible after your crash to protect your case.
Who Is Responsible for Your Bicycle Accident
Determining liability in a bicycle accident case often requires careful investigation. Multiple parties may share responsibility for a single crash.
Negligent Motor Vehicle Drivers
The most common cause of serious bicycle accidents in Boston is negligent driving. Motor vehicle drivers who are distracted, speeding, impaired, or simply failing to watch for cyclists are responsible for the majority of serious cycling accident injuries. Common negligent behaviors include running red lights, failing to yield, opening car doors without checking for cyclists riding in the bike lane, and driving under the influence.
Equipment Manufacturers
When defective bicycles or defective components fail during normal use, such as a braking system that stops working, a handlebar that snaps, or a wheel that suddenly collapses, the manufacturer may be strictly liable under Massachusetts product liability law. You do not need to prove the manufacturer was careless, only that the equipment was defective when it left the factory.
Construction Companies and Contractors
Construction zones are particularly dangerous for cyclists. When contractors fail to properly mark hazards, maintain safe passage routes, or protect cyclists riding through active work zones, they may be held responsible for any resulting bicycle crash.
Compensation Available in Massachusetts Bicycle Accident Cases
Injured cyclists may be entitled to two categories of financial compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the calculable financial losses resulting from your bike accident case:
- Medical bills and future medical expenses: Emergency care, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, and ongoing treatment costs may all be recoverable. In Massachusetts, hospital stays average nearly $4,000 per day, and serious bicycle injuries often require weeks of care.
- Lost wages and lost income: Time away from work while recovering is compensable. If your injuries permanently reduce your ability to earn, vocational experts can help calculate your long-term lost earning capacity.
- Future medical costs: Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and other severe injuries often require years of follow-up treatment. Life care planners can project these future needs as part of your economic damages.
- Property damage: The cost to repair or replace your bicycle and any other damaged property is part of your claim.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate for the human cost of your injuries, the losses that cannot be expressed in a receipt or paycheck:
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain, discomfort, and the loss of enjoyment of activities you previously loved.
- Emotional distress: Anxiety, depression, PTSD, and the psychological impact of living with serious injuries.
- Loss of consortium: The impact of your injuries on your relationship with your spouse or family.
Massachusetts imposes no caps on economic or non-economic damages in personal injury cases. If your bicycle accident lawsuit is successful, compensation is limited only by the evidence of your actual losses.
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