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.

Despite safety improvements, bicycle accidents are common in Green Bay and Appleton

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles:

Bicyclists should:

• Ride at least three feet from the curb or parked vehicles or debris in curb area and in a straight line. Don't swerve in and out around parked vehicles.
• Always ride in the same direction as traffic.
• Sidewalk riding for bicyclists past the learning stage and being closely supervised by adults can be more dangerous than on the road, obeying traffic laws. It is also illegal unless the community has passed an ordinance specifically permitting sidewalk riding. This can be age-restricted, location-restricted or based on the type of property abutting the sidewalk.
• Obey all traffic laws.
• Be predictable! Let other users know where you intend to go and maintain an understood course.

Get information on car crashes from the police departments in the region

The Green Bay Police Department offers information on accidents. Go here to get access to Green Bay crash reports. The Appleton Police Department can be contacted to get information on accidents as well. The Wisconsin Department of Motor Vehicles provides information on traffic and safety laws.

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

Green Bay and Appleton 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 Green Bay or Appleton 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:

• St. Vincent Hospital - Green Bay;
• St. Mary's Hospital - Green Bay;
• Aurora BayCare Medical Center - Green Bay;
• Appleton Medical Center - Appleton;
• St. Elizabeth Hospital - Appleton.

As soon as possible, an injured person should contact their insurance company to find out how medical treatment is covered under their insurance policy. Since insurance policies often have unique provisions to deal with bicycle-accident injuries, it is important to review the policy and speak with the insurance adjuster to get clarification on coverage.

If you've been injured in an accident, click the links below to get help from an attorney who specializes in your type of accident or injury:

• Green Bay and Appleton car accident attorney;
• Green Bay and Appleton pedestrian accident attorney;
• Green Bay and Appleton motorcycle accident lawyer;
• Green Bay and Appleton truck accident lawyer;
• Green Bay and Appleton bicycle accident attorney;
• Green Bay and Appleton truck blind spot accident attorney;
• Green Bay and Appleton drunk driving accident lawyer;
• Green Bay and Appleton distracted driving accident attorney;
• Green Bay and Appleton rear-end accident law office;
• Green Bay and Appleton jackknife truck accident lawyer;
• Green Bay and Appleton overloaded truck accident attorney;
• Green Bay and Appleton wide turn truck accident lawyer;
• Green Bay and Appleton hit-and-run accident lawyer;
• Green Bay and Appleton uninsured driver accident attorney;
• Green Bay and Appleton reckless driving accident lawyer;
• Green Bay and Appleton wrongful death claim lawyer;
• Green Bay and Appleton spinal cord injury attorney;
• Green Bay and Appleton whiplash injury law firm;
• Green Bay and Appleton brain injury attorney.

When a bicycle collision is serious or fatal, it is important to find a Green Bay - Appleton 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 Green Bay and Appleton bike accident lawyer 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 a Green Bay - Appleton injury lawyer right away, to get help for an injured bicyclist.