As recounted in a recent local news article, a senior Pima County official has sued the County after suffering serious injuries in a bicycle accident while riding over a County-maintained roadway bridge last summer. At the time of the accident, the official was said to be participating in an organized cycling event.
The cyclist, chief deputy county administrator, was thrown to the ground after the front wheel of his bike became lodged in a narrow drainage channel alongside the designated bike pathway over the Dodge Avenue Bridge at the Rillito River. The channel is part of the design of the bridge, and is intended to allow rainwater to drain from the sides of the roadway.
Although he was wearing a helmet and other protective gear, the unfortunate administrator suffered multiple broken bones in his back, which required nine surgeries during the six-month period following his bicycle collision triggered by the drainage gap.
County insiders know best
The administrator’s preliminary claim is for $6 million, of which $5 million is requested for his own injuries, and the remaining $1 million is being sought on behalf of his wife because of her own suffering after his accident.
It may be presumed that the administrator has adequate primary insurance to cover his initial hospitalization and injuries. Yet, this case highlights the reality faced by cyclists in Tucson and elsewhere in Pima County – Bicycle accidents are alarmingly frequent here, and insurance doesn’t entirely cover their long-term consequences.
Standing up for your rights helps protect all riders from bicycle accidents
Although some observers may gripe and snipe about highly-paid executives who make millionaire personal injury claims, another perspective is that anyone injured in a bicycle accident in Tucson or Pima County due to the negligence or bad actions of others should seek the relief to which he or she is entitled.
After all, if a rider suffers a bicycle crash because of treacherous roadway conditions or the actions of a careless motor-vehicle driver, the quickest way to compel the responsible organization to correct dangerous conditions, or force the errant driver to change his or her habits, is to seek legal relief.
A lawsuit gets attention quickly. If a Tucson-area roadway presents a hazard to one bicyclist, then it’s likely to be dangerous for all. If a bicycle collision caused by a drunk driver injures one rider this month, next month that same dangerous motorist may affect even more lives.
There’s no shame in standing up for your rights and holding responsible those organizations or people who continue to create hazards for cyclists.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a bicycle collision in Tucson or anywhere in Pima Country, you should contact Bob Barber, Tucson’s leading bicycle accident attorney.
Bob Barber can help clarify the causes of your cycling accident, protect your rights, hold the appropriate parties responsible for their actions, and fight to win the financial compensation you deserve. To begin the recovery process, call 520-293-4440 or e-mail today.