As an Atlanta personal injury and wrongful death lawyer, I unfortunately am often called upon to make claims and file lawsuits on behalf of individuals and their families who are seriously injured or killed while riding bicycles on Atlanta and north Georgia Roads. Because of this, although I really enjoy riding and have 2 road bikes, I have a really hard time finding the nerve to actually get out and ride my bikes. I spin in classes and run and swim, but have not been able to bring myself to ride in sometime. I used to get up very early on Sundays, but I don't even do that any more. The next thing I was going to try to do is group rides. I figured the more cyclists on the road together, the better the chance that a motorist would see us and not run us over.
Unfortunately, I just read an article in the AJC online about 5 cyclists in Augusta who were run down from behind by an SUV while on a group ride. One of the riders, a military orthopedic surgeon who served in Iraq in 2009, was the most injured and he remains in critical condition fighting for his life at the medical college of Georgia. He had head trauma and has been unconscious since the accident. He is married and has a 7 month old daughter.
What is amazing is that the driver of the SUV told investigators that he just wasn't paying attention. The officer being interviewed for the article did not know what distracted the driver; he was just told that he was distracted. It is my guess the driver was on the phone, texting, eating, looking at papers or doing any number of things that could have distracted him. When will folks learn that a motor vehicle is more dangerous than a loaded gun. Far more people are killed by motor vehicles than by guns in the United States.
The conflict between the bicycle and the automobile or truck is always won by the motor vehicle, and the consequences are often catastrophic and deadly. Because of my practice representing injured cyclists and the families of those killed, I understand this all too well and it has kept me off my bike. I know that many of you don't find staying off your bike an option you can live with. If you continue to ride, I envy you and hope you are furtunate enough to avoid a collision with a distracted motor vehicle driver. If you are in an accident, please do not hesitate to call me to discuss your rights. These matters have a special meaning to me.
