Bicycling should be simple. You hop on your bike, head out for a ride, and expect to return home without issue. However, when drivers, road conditions, or even city layouts don’t cooperate, things become complicated quickly.
If you’ve ever felt vulnerable pedaling next to distracted traffic, you’re not imagining the risk. Some of the most common bicycle accidents don’t happen in the way you’d expect – and that’s part of the problem.
Accidents often occur in routine situations, at low speeds, or even when cyclists think they’re visible and safe. The following scenarios highlight where the danger comes from – and how a Nashua bicycle accident lawyer will build a claim that’s based on what happened, not just what’s assumed.
Sudden Door Openings
A person parks their car on the street, steps out, and swings the door wide open – right into the path of a rider. There’s little time to react. One second, the road is clear. Next, you’re airborne.
It’s called “dooring,” and it’s one of the most avoidable but persistent threats cyclists face in urban areas. Drivers or passengers forget that a bike lane isn’t just paint on the asphalt – it’s a space people use. A bike accident attorney will highlight this failure to check mirrors or surroundings when they construct your claim. They’ll also dig into city ordinances that require vehicle occupants to look before opening their doors.
Often, these cases hinge on who had the right to be where and whether the driver behaved reasonably. Your bicycle accident attorney will pursue evidence like street cam footage, police reports, and witness statements to make that distinction obvious.
Right Hook Collisions
You’re pedaling straight through an intersection. A vehicle to your left, signaling a right turn, speeds up, cuts across your path, and suddenly, you’re on the pavement. Right-hook accidents happen far too often. Drivers assume they can “beat” a cyclist or don’t register that the person beside them has a legal right to continue through the intersection.
These crashes aren’t just painful – they’re often preventable. When a car fails to yield while turning, that’s more than a poor decision. It’s a legal violation. A bicycle accident lawyer will demonstrate how the motorist’s decision to turn prematurely or without signaling placed you in direct harm’s way.
Witnesses may misremember, and insurance companies will likely minimize the severity of your injuries. That’s where your attorney will step in. They’ll bring clarity to the chaos by pointing to traffic laws that favor the cyclist’s right of way in these situations.
Left Cross Crashes
You’re biking straight through an intersection. A car across the way makes a left turn, right into you. These are called left cross collisions, and they’re often caused by drivers who miscalculate how fast you’re traveling. Because bikes appear smaller and slower than they are, motorists assume they have time to make the turn.
They don’t.
Left cross crashes frequently cause serious injuries. They often happen at intersections without dedicated left-turn signals, especially when the driver is racing to catch a gap in traffic. A bicycle accident attorney will build a timeline of events to show how quickly things unfolded – and how a moment of impatience led to a life-changing event.
When you hire a bicycle accident lawyer, they’ll use traffic laws, vehicle speed data, and cyclist positioning to show exactly why the driver’s decision was reckless. Timing and visibility are everything in these cases, and they’ll fight to prove it.
Side-Swipe Strikes
Not every vehicle tries to hit a cyclist. But “not trying” isn’t the same as driving safely. Some of the most serious bicycle crashes happen when drivers try to pass but don’t leave enough room. A side-swipe can throw a rider off balance or push them into traffic. Even a minor contact at low speed can cause broken bones or worse.
There’s a common myth that cyclists don’t belong on roads meant for cars. That attitude shows up in side-swipe cases, especially when drivers claim you were too far into the lane. A bicycle accident attorney will challenge that idea aggressively. Road-sharing laws exist for a reason, and they’ll emphasize that motorists must leave a safe buffer – usually three feet or more – when passing a cyclist.
If the driver failed to give that space, they’ll be held accountable for the consequences. Your bicycle accident lawyer will use that violation to establish negligence.
Backover Incidents
You’re riding past a driveway. A car backs out fast, with no glance in the mirror and no pause to look around. These crashes don’t always make headlines, but they’re more common than most realize, especially in residential areas or parking lots.
Backover incidents are particularly dangerous because they often occur without warning. You can’t plan for what you don’t see, and often, you’ll have no way to get out of the vehicle’s path. A bicycle accident attorney will investigate whether the driver checked for pedestrians or cyclists and whether anything obstructed their view.
They’ll also thoroughly examine surveillance camera footage if it’s available. In many cases, what the driver should have seen becomes the crux of the case.
Why These Patterns Matter More Than You Think
There’s a reason these types of accidents keep happening. Most roads weren’t designed with cyclists in mind. Road infrastructure tends to favor cars, which means even law-abiding riders face threats in everyday situations.
What your bicycle accident attorney will do is flip that narrative. They’ll show that you weren’t the one taking risks – you were adapting to a system that wasn’t built for you. That shift in focus matters. Insurance adjusters want to imply that cycling is inherently dangerous. Your lawyer will demonstrate that the danger comes from drivers, not from the bike.
Let a Bicycle Accident Attorney Help You Pursue Justice
These crashes aren’t flukes. They’re symptoms of deeper problems: distracted driving, poor road design, and driver bias against cyclists. You deserve to ride without fearing the unexpected. If you’ve been hit, a bicycle accident lawyer will help you pursue compensation for medical bills, time off work, and the emotional cost of what you went through.
Getting someone to truly understand what happened means telling the full story – not just of the crash, but of the moments leading up to it. A personal injury attorney will do that, not by retelling clichés but by focusing on the human side of things. Schedule a free case evaluation with a lawyer as soon as possible to get the money you deserve.