Bicycle & Pedestrian Accidents
The Texas Department of Transportation annual report states that almost 400 fatalities occurred in Texas involving pedestrians and bicyclists. Aside from the deaths that occur from these accidents, anyone can certainly understand and appreciate that such accidents have a tendency to cause very serious injuries compared to a typical two-car collision. For these reasons, there are very specific rules governing how pedestrians and bicycle operators are to conduct themselves on the roadways.
One should note that, contrary to popular belief, the motorist is very commonly exonerated and found not to be at fault in accidents involving pedestrians and bike riders. That is because the average juror tends to identify more with the vehicle operator. Therefore, the Texas personal injury lawyer must appreciate that they are faced with the unique challenge of making sure that the events surrounding the accident show more negatively against the vehicle operator than the pedestrian or bicyclist. This can be accomplished by showing that the pedestrian or bicyclist was in full compliance with all the rules of the road, or that the motorist was distracted or otherwise committing a moving violation.
