Experienced Cyclist to Handle Your Bicycle Accident Case

Attorney Tom Curcio, A Long-time Cyclist, is Experienced in Representing Seriously Injured Cyclists

Curcio Law founder Tom Curcio has been a cyclist for almost as long as he has been practicing law. His first-hand knowledge of cycling has helped him to best represent those injured while riding bicycles, as he is intimately familiar with the traffic laws as they relate to bicycles as well as understanding the design of bicycles and their many component parts.

Unfortunately, given the forces involved in many types of bicycle crashes, the injuries suffered by cyclists are often serious, involving broken bones or head and brain injuries, or injuries leading to death. Generally speaking, the two categories of bicycling-related accidents and injuries we have handled involve cyclists struck by a motor vehicle or those involving a component of the bicycle failing.

In the former class of cases, the injured cyclist bears the burden of proving that the motorist drove carelessly and that his/her negligence was the cause of the crash. In the latter types of cases, the cyclist bears the burden of proving that a part on the bicycle failed due to either a design defect (i.e. poor design) or a manufacturing defect (component not manufactured as designed).

Proving that the motorist was negligent is very often a challenging task, which usually involves inspecting the crash scene, the bicycle, and the vehicle, and interviewing witnesses, such as the investigating police officer and all eyewitnesses, and monitoring the traffic hearing if the driver was charged with a traffic violation. In cases involving a failure of a component of the bicycle leading to the injury, most often experts in bicycle design and manufacture, and part design and manufacture are needed to evaluate and prove the case.

As is true in all negligence cases in Virginia, the lawyer handling the case must anticipate and prepare for the defense of contributory negligence. In product liability cases, the lawyer must anticipate and prepare for the defense of misuse of the product. Another class of bicycle-related cases we have handled involve injuries caused by cyclists who were riding carelessly and have struck other cyclists or pedestrians.

At all times, cyclists have a duty to obey the rules of the road, i.e. yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk and maintain a proper lookout, and are financially responsible to those they injure if the cyclist was negligent.

Below is a listing of some of the bicycle cases the attorneys at Curcio Law have handled over the years:

• Motor vehicle negligence – cyclist stuck when a motorist failed to yield when turning left, multiple fractures requiring surgery.
• Motor vehicle negligence – amateur tri-athlete stuck when a motorist failed to yield when turning left, broken pelvis.
• Motor vehicle negligence – cyclist stuck from behind when a motorist with impaired vision drifted onto shoulder, broken leg.
• Negligence case – driver opened a door in the path of passing cyclist, resulting in a broken collar-bone.
• Negligence case – dog owner on one side of bicycle path holding the leash while the dog was on other side of the bicycle path, causing the cyclist to lose control when taunt leash was struck, resulting in a broken collar bone.
• Product liability case – front fork failed, causing the cyclist to be thrown over handlebars, resulting in teeth, facial, and head injuries.
• Product liability case – bottom bracket of bicycle failed, causing the pedal to snap, throwing the cyclist from the bike, resulting in a broken hip.
• Negligent cyclist – cyclist on a multi-use path was not watching where he was going, struck a pedestrian, resulting in the pedestrian suffering a shoulder injury.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a bike accident, you should consult an attorney experienced in handling such cases, such as the attorneys here at Curcio Law. To schedule a free consultation, call us at 703-836-3366 or contact our Alexandria office online.