Wichita-Hutchinson, KS Plus Bicycle Accident Lawyer

The Wichita and Hutchinson regions are popular with bicyclists but experience a growing number of accidents

According to Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, in 2012, 726 lost their lives in bicycle/motor vehicle crashes nationally, just under two people every day of the year in the U.S. The death rate from bicycle crashes is high due to the relative lack of protection bicyclists have in an impact with a motor vehicle.

Bicycling Laws in Kansas

Kansas traffic-safety laws are designed to allow bicyclists to share the road safely with motor vehicles in an increasingly crowded space.

According to the State of Kansas Department of Transportation:

  • No bicycle shall be used to carry more persons at one time than the number for which it is designed and equipped.
  • No person riding upon any bicycle, coaster, roller skates, sled or toy vehicle shall attach the same, himself or herself to any vehicle upon a roadway.
  • Any person operating a bicycle or a moped upon a one-way highway with two or more marked traffic lanes may ride as near to the left side of the roadway as practicable.
  • Wherever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such path and shall not use the roadway.
  • Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a lamp on the front which shall emit a white light visible from a distance of at least five hundred (500) feet to the front and with a red reflector on the rear of a type approved by the secretary of transportation which shall be visible from all distances from one hundred (100) feet to six hundred (600) feet to the rear when directly in front of lawful lower beams of head lamps on a motor vehicle.

Get information on bicycle crashes from the police departments in the Wichita and Hutchinson regions

The Wichita Police Department offers information on accidents, and also provides information on obtaining a police report

The Hutchinson Police Department can provide information about bike crashes in that region.

These departments are a good resource to get information after a bicycle crash.

Wichita and Hutchinson bicycle crashes have common causes and deadly outcomes

While helmets and proper reflective gear make bicycling safer, riding a bicycle is riskier than driving a car. Maintaining control is more difficult on two wheels, and when collisions happen, bicyclists are at greater risk of serious injury or death because they don't have an enclosed vehicle for protection.

Common causes of bicycle crashes include:

  • Motorist turning across path of cyclist;
  • Cyclist riding into the path of a motor vehicle;
  • Cyclist turning right from a major road and from a minor road;
  • Child cyclist playing or riding too fast.

When someone is injured in a Wichita or Hutchinson bicycle accident, what needs to happen next?

In an injury bike crash, it is crucial to get appropriate medical treatment, regardless of the financial cost. The major hospitals in the area include:

As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy.

When a collision is serious or fatal, it is important to find a Wichita - Hutchinson bike accident attorney

When a bicycle accident, caused by the negligence of a motorist, results in serious injury or death, the next step is to find an experienced Wichita and Hutchinson bicycle accident attorney to start the financial recovery process by launching an insurance claim. Major injury or wrongful death claims are complicated and can be hard to manage without legal help. Having a personal injury lawyer on board is a great relief to injured bicyclists, or to the family left behind when an accident proves fatal.

Since personal injury lawyers offer a free initial consultation and work on a contingency basis, meaning that there are no up-front costs and all fees are paid when the claim is settled, there is no downside to speaking with an injury attorney right away.

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Bicycle Accident Reports and News from the Wichita-Hutchinson, KS Plus Area