Cyclists are at a lot of risk when they share the roads with motor vehicles. Even those who are very safety conscious could cross paths with distracted or drunk drivers who could cause a crash. Although cyclists are frequently not at fault for the collisions they experience, they often suffer far worse consequences than the parties who actually cause those collisions. A bicycle provides very little or no protection from impact, and even the best protective gear can’t prevent someone from suffering broken bones or worse when a car strikes a cyclist. Therefore, cyclists need to be aware of their surroundings and other risk factors. Knowledge of which areas are most dangerous can help cyclists to make more informed decisions about their safety.  Where are bicyclists most at risk? When looking at crash risk for motor vehicles, roads with higher speed limits like interstates are often the most dangerous. However, surface streets where cyclists have the most risk. At intersections, there is always a possibility that drivers might not fully stop or may fail to check their surroundings. According to an in-depth analysis of crashes affecting cyclists performed by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR), there are certain locations that have seen far more fatal crashes than others. Hennepin Avenue is one of the more dangerous roads, as it appears twice on the list of five intersections. Where Hennepin Avenue intersects with Lyndale and Groveland Avenue saw six crashes during the years reviewed by MPR. Hennepin Avenue’s intersection with 1st and 2nd Streets saw seven crashes. Lyndale Avenue is another high-risk road. In addition to the intersection with Hennepin Avenue, the Lyndale Avenue intersection with Franklin Avenue is also higher-risk with eight reported bicycle collisions. Additionally, the intersection of Lyndale Avenue and Lake Street saw 11 crashes. The most dangerous intersection is where Franklin Avenue crosses Cedar and Minnehaha Avenues, where 21 bicycle collisions occurred. Depending on how frequently people bike and their reasons for doing so, they may not always be able to avoid these dangerous intersections. If someone must travel through the intersections notorious for experiencing higher numbers of bicycle collisions, they may need to be extra cautious. Knowing when one’s safety is at risk is crucial for cyclists who could easily suffer life-altering or fatal injuries in the event of a crash caused by another traveler.

Pedestrian crashes are responsible for a disproportionate number of deaths and severe injuries. While it’s true that far more collisions occur between motor vehicles than between a vehicle and a pedestrian, without the vehicle to protect someone from the force of impact, the possibility of a poor outcome of a collision involving a pedestrian is substantially higher. Those who live in the Twin Cities metropolitan area may regularly walk places for exercise or convenience. Every time someone travels on foot near motor vehicles, they are at risk of a pedestrian crash. Three factors, in particular, significantly contribute to a greater likelihood of a pedestrian collision occurring. Distraction Distracted drivers cause a significant portion of collisions. Their inability to focus on the road in front of them might mean that they might overlook a pedestrian in traffic. Distraction can be equally dangerous for pedestrians. Someone engaged in conversation or looking down at their phone might step out into traffic at the wrong time, with tragic results. Pedestrians need to focus on their surroundings to reduce their risk of a collision with a vehicle. Intoxication Driving while drunk or under the influence of drugs is both dangerous and illegal. It may seem like a smarter choice to walk home from a party or a bar and to drive home. Unfortunately, a substantial portion of the pedestrians killed in pedestrian crashes were under the influence of alcohol at the time of the collision. Sometimes, the driver is also under the influence. Being sober enough to monitor one’s surroundings is crucial for pedestrian safety. Visibility concerns Drivers who strike pedestrians often claim afterward that they didn’t see the person walking. Many of the worst pedestrian collisions reported take place after the sun sets or during transitional times of the day. Pedestrians can improve their chances of traveling safely by wearing visibility gear, traveling in illuminated areas and limiting how frequently they walk when it is dark outside. If pedestrians do get struck by vehicles, they may have grounds for an insurance claim or possibly a personal injury lawsuit. Learning more about what contributes to pedestrian risk and one’s rights after a crash may help people who regularly walk in the Twin Cities area to better safeguard their interests.

Seeking lost wages after a Minnesota car crash helps you replace your lost income and receive financial relief. If your injury is the result of the accident and prevents you from working, you have the right to file a claim for compensation. Filing a claim for lost wages First, check to see if your car insurance policy includes coverage for lost wages. Your policy might include Personal Injury Protection (PIP), which often provides compensation for lost wages and other accident-related expenses. PIP is available in no-fault states, such as Florida and Michigan. No-fault means auto insurance provides coverage for motor vehicle accidents, no matter who is responsible for the accident. What should you do if your auto coverage doesn’t include PIP? If the other driver is at fault for the accident, you can contact that driver’s insurance company. You might also consider skipping the insurance company and filing a lawsuit against the other driver. If you include the insurance company, give your employer permission to provide the insurer with your employment information. The insurance company will also likely require you to get a medical examination and provide your medical records. Proving lost wages You’ll need to provide proof that you lost wages following the car accident. Also, you must show that your car accident injury is the direct cause of your lost wages. An official note from your doctor showing how much time you need off from work is important. The note must contain details about your injury and specifically state the injury was sustained during the accident. Paystubs and additional wage documents are required, as well. Your paystubs before and after the accident can show a reduction in income. It’s possible that you won’t have paystubs if you haven’t worked since the accident. In that case, you can use previous W-2s or tax returns. There are other ways to show lost wages. For example, a self-employed person likely won’t have paystubs to show. In addition to W-2s and tax returns, a self-employed person can show invoices, receipts, bank statements and other relevant documents showing an income decrease, You might also need a wage verification letter from your employer. The letter verifies the details of your employment, pay, weekly hours and how many days you’ve missed since the accident. If you’re self-employed, write your own employment verification letter and attach relevant financial documents. These documents can include BANK statements or tax returns. You might also want to get the letter notarized. Seeking lost wages requires you to provide details about your income and the injury. Without sufficient information, the insurance company will likely deny your claim.

As warmer weather hits in most of the country, it’s a good time to remind people about bicycle safety. Although Minnesota ranks low for cyclist fatalities, and the St. Paul/Twin Cities area is considered one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country, there is still some work to be done to reach the state’s road safety goals. One problem that continues to impact cyclists is dooring accidents. Dooring accidents explained Dooring is an often unforeseeable type of bicycle accident that happens more often than people think. However, it’s rarely mentioned in discussions on road safety. Simply put, a dooring incident describes what happens when a cyclist and an opening car door collide. It’s particularly perilous in busy urban areas where roadside parallel parking spaces and cyclists must learn to safely coexist. Nearly one-fifth of all bicycle accidents are due to such collisions. For this reason, discussions about road safety should include preventative measures to avoid dooring accidents. Bicycle safety in Minnesota On average, one cyclist is killed in Minnesota every six weeks. In response to these deadly statistics, the state of Minnesota has created a bicycle safety campaign called Toward Zero Deaths. Part of this program involves raising awareness about potential safety issues when pedestrians, cyclists, and cars routinely share the road. Part of the problem is that motorists are rarely on the lookout for cyclist when they’re parked. New vehicle safety features like censors that warn of people and vehicles within impact range could help prevent this type of accident. Another possible solution is driver and cyclist education warning of the danger. Creating dedicated bicycle lanes could also help to prevent such incidents. New solutions to prevent dooring accidents For more solutions, road safety engineers, vehicle manufacturers, driver education instructors and other stakeholders could look to Europe. Many European countries have high bicycle ridership, especially in cities, and they’ve had an equally high number of bicycle accidents as a result. However, countries like Netherlands, where bicycles outnumber people by nearly 2:1, are coming up with unique ideas. One idea is to change how drivers and passengers open car doors when exiting vehicles. This method, know as a “Dutch Reach”, forces the person exiting the car to turn their head in the process. The process involves opening the car door with the opposite hand, and it has worked pretty well in studies.

Many Minnesotans opt to drive larger vehicles like SUVs. This isn’t surprising given the extra room and safety features available. Unfortunately, the prevalence of SUVs on the streets increases the risk of danger to pedestrians. Study shows increased risk to pedestrians The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has researched why SUVs, pickup trucks and other larger vehicles are so dangerous for pedestrians. Although these vehicles are a regular fixture on roads everywhere, their size and weight significantly raise the risk of catastrophic injuries and even death. The IIHS studied crashes that occurred between 2009 and 2020 and found that fatal pedestrian accidents increased by 59% during that time. This amounted to 6,500 deaths in 2020 with 54,700 pedestrians left seriously injured. The data shows a remarkable increase in accidents due to more drivers choosing large, bulky, heavy SUVs and other oversized vehicles. By contrast, pedestrians hit by smaller cars were less likely to be killed. Understanding why this happens SUVs, pickups and minivans have much higher bumpers than smaller cars, which means they hit pedestrians much higher up. While a small vehicle might hit an adult’s leg, causing a broken femur or dislocated knee, an SUV could hit them in the chest or abdomen and cause broken ribs and internal organ damage. This makes for a much deadlier accident. The IIHS study also revealed that drivers of SUVs and other large vehicles were less likely to see pedestrians while making turns. The vehicles have a special A-pillar design that creates blind spots on either side, making it harder to see pedestrians. Over the years, this design has changed for the worse as far as pedestrians are concerned, as they have become bigger and wider. The IIHS is aware of these dangers and is working on new crash tests to prevent such tragedies. It aims to enhance safety measures like automatic emergency braking in three potential pedestrian crossing situations. The IIHS considers all scenarios, including distracted and nighttime driving, to keep pedestrians safer. Many pedestrian accidents are avoidable. However, you can’t control what drivers do; being extra alert may help protect you as a pedestrian.

Safety advocates and political leaders frequently encourage bike riders in St. Paul to wear a helmet. And it’s true that bike helmets frequently prevent injuries from getting hit by a car from being much worse. But a bike helmet cannot prevent all injuries from getting hit by a car. Unfortunately, you cannot 100 percent guarantee that you won’t sustain a traumatic brain injury. Bike helmets are supposed to meet a minimum impact performance standard. However, not every helmet sold in Minnesota meets this standard, which typically simulates a collision at 22 kilometers per hour (about 13.7 mph). And, of course, it is not unusual for cars to be traveling faster than that before hitting a bicycle on the street. Also, the shape of the helmet can affect how effective it is in a real-world bike crash. Comparative fault and bike wrecks In theory, a driver sued for causing a bike accident could claim that the plaintiff contributed to their own injuries by not wearing a helmet. This should not scare you off from pursuing a claim. Minnesota employs the modified comparative fault method for personal injury claims. As long as your negligence does not exceed 50 percent, you can recover damages. Usually, the focus on bicycle accident claims should not be on what the rider was wearing on their head at the time. It should be on what the driver did to put the rider in harm’s way. Were they speeding? Were they looking at their cellphone? Were they driving drunk? These and other negligent actions are what should matter most after a devastating bike accident has left you disabled or without the love and support of a family member.