Bicyclists in Illinois and Chicago have the legal right to share the road with motor vehicles on the roadways. Additionally, bicyclists have the legal responsibly to follow that same traffic laws that motor vehicles do. The bicycle injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. often use violations these statutes to prove negligence when litigating bike injury cases.
Illinois State Laws Protecting Bicyclists
Written and reviewed by Peter Zneimer, Zneimer & Zneimer P.C.
According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, bicycling grew more in Chicago than any other large American city in the last five years. According to this study, biking is up 119% between the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2023. Other studies have that neighborhood trips have increased substantially during this time period. The bicycle accident lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. have also noted a large increase of clients who were injured while biking.
Though the city has been investing millions of dollars on protected bike lanes and painted bike lanes, riding a bike in Chicago remains treacherous. Though drivers in Chicago have grown more accustomed to the presence of bikers on the roadways, drivers need to always be vigilant at all times. On the north side of Chicago in Lincoln Square, for example, the City has recently created painted bike lanes along Lincoln Ave., along Damen Ave. and along Lawrence Ave. These bike lanes that are just painted on may be beneficial to some degree since they make drivers more aware of the potential presence of bikers, in reality, they offer little protection. From a drivers perspective, one has to be super careful making a turn into or coming out of any parking lot that cuts across a bike lane. We are accustomed to only look for cars but now as drivers, we must watch for bikes which are as visible as cars. That is why it is so important for bikers to have lights on their bikes and to wear bright clothing. Another particularly dangerous situation is when a driver is approaching an intersection with the intention of making a right turn. The driver needs to look back into their mirrors and try to turn their heads to see if any bike are coming in the bike lane before crossing the bike lane. The potential for collision with a bike is high because of the large blind spot on that side of the car. Night time is an extremely hazardous time for bicyclists. Without lights and bright, reflective clothing, bikers can be barely visible in the dark. On many occasions I personally have driven up upon bikers dressed in all black with no lights on their bikes and not seeing them until I was very close.
The Chicago Department of Transportation recently announced that a record 11 million trips were taken on shared ride scooters and bikes in 2024. That compares to 8.7 million rides that were taken in 2023 and represents the fourth straight year that use of ride share services have increased. The personal injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. note that the city of Chicago has made a concerted effort to expand its Divvy bike and scooter docking stations. The city has stated it has a goal of adding 400 more docking stations in the near future which will most likely increase usage of ride-share services even more. Part of the plan is put more Divvy stations at key transportation hubs like CTA and Metra stations.
Though Divvy bike docks are open year-round, riding Divvy bikes and any other bikes in the winter in Chicago is especially challenging. The special challenges are as follows:
Written and reviewed by Peter Zneimer
Anyone who commutes down Western Ave. in Chicago has noticed all the construction being done along the sidewalks to add curb bump-outs and other pedestrian friendly additions. Curb bump-outs are curbs that are extended into the street, creating more space on the sidewalk at the corner. The philosophy behind curb bump-outs according to the Chicago Department of Transportation website is that the bump-outs make the streets safer and reduce pedestrian injuries that result from pedestrians being hit by a car:
Written by Peter Zneimer
Chicago has had only 0ne bicyclist fatality in 2024 as of September 16, 2024. Though any bike death is a tragedy, that number is a vast improvement from previous years. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, Chicago reported seven bicyclist deaths in 2023, 10 deaths in 2022, and 11 in 2021. The question that Chicago city officials and bike safety advocates is contemplating is whether the decrease is a fluke or whether the decrease can be attributed to actions taken by the city to improve bike safety.
The bike injury lawyers of Zneimer and Zneimer P.C. note that the city of Chicago has been committed to broad program to improve bike safety in the city. Chicago, in recent years, has instituted 50 miles of bike safety upgrades and 27 miles protected bike lanes that have been completed by the Chicago Department of Transportation. Though improvements have been made, Chicago has a ways to reach its vision zero goals of zero traffic deaths since there have been 22 pedestrian deaths and 41 traffic deaths in Chicago through July of 2024 according to the Chicago Department of Transportation.
Written and Reviewed by Peter Zneimer
Wandering around Chicago, one will witness firsthand the micromobility revolution. In high traffic areas, everywhere you look in Chicago you will see people riding e-scooters, e-bikes and pedal bikes. The surge in micromobility is fueled by corresponding surge of on-demand bicycle and e-scooter networks such as Divvy, Lime and Spin flooding the city. Such services, hypothetically, offer young, solo riders an easy, cheap, and eco-friendly way to take way to take short trips. Over 4 million e- scooter trips have been recorded in Chicago since 2022.
Along with the benefits come with many safety risks. The rise of micromobility vehicles has been accompanied by emergency room visits by users of these vehicles. The e-scooter injury attorneys of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. have experienced first hand the rise of e-scooter accidents with injuries by the number of call we are getting. Anyone driving a car or walking around Chicago has most likely had a close call with a Divvy bike or a Lime, Spin, Divvy E-scooter. One of the major problems with micromobility is the limited number of protected bike lanes in Chicago. Most of the so called bike-ways are at best, a painted bike lane that runs parallel to the parked car lane. At worst, the bike-way is simply a street with a bike painted on it. This state of affairs leads to micromobility commuters being exposed to getting hit by a motor vehicle. Damen Ave. and Lincoln Ave. are examples of bike-ways with painted on bike lanes that offer minimal protections. Damen Ave. in particular goes from wider bike lanes, to narrower bike lanes to bike lanes so narrow they barely afford room for a bike and car to fit on the road.
When biking in Chicago, at times it feels as if one is risking life and limb just to commute from one place to another. The statistics seem to bear out that riding a bike not only feels dangerous but actually is dangerous. From June 2023 to August 2023 there were 819 bike crashes with 75 of these leading to serious injuries according to CDOT. Everyone who bikes on a regular basis in Chicago has stories of being involved in crashes with motorists or close calls. The bicycle injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. have had many clients that have been injured in bicycle accidents where the motorists are simply not keeping a look-out for bicyclists, either when making a right turn, when opening a car door or when making a left turn in an intersection.
Chicago has made a concerted effort in recent years to improve the infrastructure for bicyclists in recent years, adding 400 miles of bike-ways between 2018 and 2022. Though that sounds like a lot, the reality is the vast majority of new bike-way lanes are simply painted on the roadway and offer little protection to bicyclists who are essentially still out in the traffic.
In Chicago, several intersections are notoriously dangerous for bicyclists due to a combination of heavy traffic, poor infrastructure, and the presence of multiple road users. Here are some of the most hazardous intersections and the reasons why they are considered risky:
Written and reviewed by Peter Zneimer, Zneimer & Zneimer P.C.
The bike lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. observe that there are more bicyclists on the road than ever and with that more bicycle injuries than ever. Chicago, like other major USA cities has made a major push to encourage people to ride bicycles and have added hundreds of miles of bike lanes to Chicago streets. The push is bearing fruit. A study by the Chicago Department of Transportation has shown that biking is up 119% in Chicago between the fall of 2019 and the spring of 2023. The comprehensive survey also showed that bicycle trips are up 117% for shopping, 93% for eating out and 8% for commuting to work.
Though other major US cities may have invested more in bike infrastructure in the past, Chicago maybe catching up. According to CDOT, last year the city of Chicago completed 27 miles of new and protected bike lanes and 18 miles of greenways with more bike lanes planned. Bicycle advocates argue that the data shows that improvements in bike infrastructure lead to large increases of bike use and that if the city keeps improving the infrastructure, bike usage will continue to grow in the future.
Bicycling in Chicago is becoming safer but accidents continue to happen. Knowing what to do immediately after a bicycle accident can make a significant difference in your health recovery and legal outcome as to who will be responsible for the medical expenses and your damages. Zneimer & Zneimer PC have legal expertise in handling bicycle accidents and this checklist provides steps what to do in case of an accident:
Bicycle riding, while offering a host of benefits such as improved physical health, reduced environmental impact, and an economical mode of transportation, also comes with its risks, particularly in urban environments like Chicago. Cyclists often share the road with larger, faster-moving vehicles, increasing the potential for accidents and injuries. Among the most distressing types of these incidents are hit-and-run accidents, where the responsible party leaves the scene, often leaving the cyclist with injuries and no immediate means to claim compensation. Understanding the intricacies of bicycle injuries, the importance of immediate medical care, and how insurance can play a critical role in such situations is crucial for every cyclist. The Chicago personal injury law firm of Zneimer & Zneimer PC has encountered people with serious injuries as a result of bike vs. automobile accidents.
Bicycle injuries can range from minor scrapes and bruises to more severe injuries such as head traumas, broken bones, internal bleeding, or even spinal injuries. The severity of injuries can often be compounded by the lack of physical protection that bicycles offer compared to motor vehicles. This vulnerability underscores the importance of seeking immediate medical attention following an accident, even if the injuries appear minor initially. Some injuries, especially internal ones, may not manifest symptoms immediately but could have serious, long-lasting effects.
Immediate medical care not only facilitates a quicker recovery but also plays a pivotal role in legal claims related to the accident. Medical records serve as vital evidence in documenting the injuries sustained and their impact on the victim’s life, which is essential for pursuing compensation.
One of the complexities arising from hit-and-run accidents is the challenge of identifying and claiming compensation from the fleeing party. However, cyclists may have options through their own insurance policies or those of a family member. Many are unaware that certain types of insurance coverage, such as uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) policies, can offer protection in these scenarios. Continue reading
Chicago Accident Lawyer Blog