Ann-Doerth Hass Jensen, a Copenhagen social worker, was riding her bicycle to work, as bicycling is often the fastest way to travel in Copenhagen, when a school bus traveling to a kindergarten ran a red light and crashed into her, knocking her off her bicycle, trapping her underneath, and crushing her left foot.
Hass Jensen was then rushed to the hospital in excruciating pain with every bone in her left foot shattered. She was hospitalized for six weeks following the accident, had part of her left foot amputated, required her salvageable bones to be wired back into place, and had skin grafts from her thigh in order to replace the torn and missing flesh. It took her a year to be able to walk again and the missing part of her foot is a crucial stepping point, so her balance is significantly affected.
People in Copenhagen own 5.2 bicycles for every car, as over a third of residents bicycle to work, school, or college. Fortunately for Hass Jensen, the city of Copenhagen has helped her get a special three wheeled bicycle that has allowed her to regain her independent mobility. While many cities across the world are examining the potential benefits of cycling as opposed to driving, there are many potential risks involved with choosing this method of transportation. Cyclists are exposed to significant risks of personal injury or death by choosing to cycling as their main method of transportation.
Some cities, such as Paris, have attempted to mitigate these risks by adding new bicycle lanes in order to make cycling safer for commuters. Paris bicycle lanes require cars to park facing cyclists so that passenger side doors open to bike traffic, rather than drivers’ side doors, which decreases the risk of bikers crashing into car doors. The city has also designated some roads for bicycles and buses, which lowers vehicle traffic in such lanes. While the health benefits associated with bicycling have a positive economic impact and fatal accidents are reported as small “population level costs” in population health studies, fatal bicycle accidents have catastrophic costs for individuals affected in such accidents, as well as their loved ones.
Bicycle accidents can result in serious and life-long personal injuries and even death. While some cities are encouraging the use of bicycling as a method of transportation, there are serious risks involved with this method of transportation, especially in densely populated areas. You might be entitled to relief if a distracted or otherwise negligent motorist caused your accident. If you would like to find out whether you have a viable legal claim for personal injury damages or wrongful death damages, please call 617-787-3700 or email info@gilhoylaw.com, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to speak with an expert Massachusetts bike accident attorney, Boston, MA accident injury attorney or Massachusetts wrongful death attorney.
Speak with an attorney who has successfully tried hundreds of Massachusetts personal injury cases, call 617-787-3700 for a free, confidential consultation with one of our highly skilled Boston, MA bicycle accident lawyer, Boston personal injury lawyers or Boston, MA wrongful death lawyers.
Please contact our expert Boston, MA law firm at 617-787-3700 or email at info@gilhoylaw.com.
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