Burnaby Bicycle Accident Lawyers
When negligent drivers strike innocent, unsuspecting cyclists with their motor vehicles, the results can be devastating and life-changing. Unfortunately, injury-causing collisions involving cyclists have only continued to rise throughout the province.
According to a recent report, in British Columbia, the number of cyclists who have been hospitalized after a collision has recently jumped by nearly 25%. This data points to an alarming local trend of negligent motor vehicle operation that endangers the lives of countless road-users.
In accordance with the provincial Motor Vehicle Act, drivers have an obligation to exercise a reasonable degree of caution while operating their vehicles. They have a legal obligation to fulfill a duty of care to all other road-users, including cyclists. If a driver fails to consider how their wrongful actions behind the wheel might adversely impact another community member’s life and engages in wrongful conduct on the road, they could cause a collision in which a cyclist is severely injured.
A motor vehicle operator’s negligence can have profound, life-changing consequences for the people injured as a result of their misconduct behind the wheel. However, when assessing the ICBC claims of cyclists injured by negligent drivers, the Crown corporation responsible for providing basic auto insurance to drivers across the province will no longer take fault into account before granting accident benefits.
In May 2021, ICBC implemented an “enhanced care” model of insurance coverage. This new model provides no-fault accident benefits to anyone injured as the result of a motor vehicle collision, regardless of their culpability for the collision. However, in doing so, they also took away the right of injured cyclists to pursue legal action against the negligent driver responsible for their injury-causing crash. In addition, the company has limited the ways in which injured bicycle accident survivors can appeal an unfairly low settlement or a denied claim for accident benefits.
The shift to this no-fault model from the province’s sole provider of basic auto insurance may save drivers some money on their monthly premiums, but it is the most vulnerable road-users who end up paying the price. Cyclists run the risk of being permanently injured in collisions caused by negligent drivers, and yet their rights to pursue fair compensation through legal means have been robbed. Injured parties with no previous connection to ICBC may find themselves in a lifelong conflict with the provincially-owned organization, and all because of a random driver’s misconduct. To express your outrage over how these sweeping changes will impact the lives of thousands of injured bicycle riders each year, contact your MLA.
If the bicycle accident in which you were injured occurred before May 1, 2021, consider contacting Preszler Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation. By working with our Burnaby bicycle accident lawyers, members of the local community who were injured before May 1, 2021 might be able to recover the compensation they rightfully deserve. To learn more about options that might be available to you, call 1-800-JUSTICE and receive a free initial consultation on your case.
Call 1-800-JUSTICE Today
Even if your collision occurred after May 1, 2021, do not hesitate to take advantage of a free initial consultation with our bicycle accident lawyers serving Burnaby. By doing so, you will have the opportunity to ask important questions and learn about options for financial recovery that might be available to you.
To speak with our Burnaby bicycle accident lawyers today, call 1-800-JUSTICE.
