Eight years ago today, Rachael Maney became the Director of Bike Law and helped co‑found the Bike Law Foundation, our non-profit arm. Today, we celebrate her success in transforming Bike Law from a national network of bicycle crash lawyers into a leading voice in bicycle advocacy and safety. When Rachael joined, Bike Law’s focus was…
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Rachael: 8 Years At Bike Law!
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Paul, My Brother, Rest in Peace.
If there’s one thing we know at Bike Law, it’s that behind every cycling fatality there’s grief and a longing for justice. And sometimes justice is just understanding what happened. Paul Rucker’s story reminds us of the importance of putting aside assumptions and finding the truth. Paul wasn’t perfect. None of us are. But his family…
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Denver Biking on the Move
Denver is called the Mile High City because it has an average elevation of 5,280 feet above sea level. Despite that elevation, people ride all over the city. Denver really wants to be a great city for bicycles, and is getting better all the time. Groups like Bike Denver, Bicycle Colorado, and Team Evergreen are working with the Mayor’s office…
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Rolling Coal in Kansas
It rained 25 days in May in Metro Kansas City, so a bunch of us were itching for a ride on Tuesday June 2, 2015. We have a 20 mile course, mixed residential and pastural hilly (yes, hills in Kansas) country roads that begins and ends at the Prairirefire development in Overland Park, KS, which boasts a…
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Detroit Bike City
A few years ago, I read a blog about bicycle laws written by a Detroit personal injury lawyer. It was clear the writer was a good attorney who understood the law, but not a person who spent much time on a bicycle. In the blog, the lawyer stated that Detroit was not a place where…
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In Alabama, some police officers don’t know bike law
A few years ago, a bicyclist was pulled over in Shelby County by a sheriff’s deputy. He was threatened with a ticket for “obstructing traffic.” Apparently, the sheriff had not passed the cyclist as he cycled up a hill and, not surprisingly, no one had passed the sheriff, so a few cars were, in fact,…
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Underinsured Driver Costs Cyclist His Leg: Let’s Help!
Back in the 80’s, one of the guys I used to race against was Steve Remy, now Team Director for Monster Media Racing Team. Our paths crossed again last year, this time with us wearing the same kit on Team Guinness. So when Steve asked me to speak in front of the Monster Media Racing Team as…
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Security Cameras Prove Case
I will never forget the day that I was told that my unconscious client should have called 911. Bob Mionske recently authored an article about cyclists using on-board cameras for Velo News. This is the article that I direct folks to when they ask me about riding with a camera mounted. CNN recently published a piece about…
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Memory Loss After A Bicyclist Is Struck By A Car
A common story we hear when a bicyclist is struck by a car goes like this: The last thing I remember I was riding my bike down the street, then I woke up in the hospital with my family around me. When a bicyclist is struck by a car and they hit their head, it…
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We’re Number 48! A Reflection on the LAB Rankings.
We’re Number One! We’re Number One! I would scream if I lived in Washington State. But I don’t. I represent cyclists in Kansas and Missouri. As part of Bicycle Month, the League of American Cyclists just published its annual ranking of “bike friendly” states. As a resident of Overland Park, Kansas, I don’t think I’ll be throwing a…
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Bicyclists & Hit and Run Drivers
At any given time about 20% of the cases we handle involve a hit and run driver. My unofficial research and experience suggests that a driver is more likely to flee the scene of an accident involving a bicyclist, and even more likely than that to flee the scene of an accident involving a pedestrian.…
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Hostile Encounters: Deep Breaths and Making a Record
“How about I get out and f*** you up in front of your kid?,” says the person driving the car next to me. And a Happy Mother’s Day to you as well… Here’s what happened and here’s how I fought back. As someone who both drives a car and rides a bike, I consistently urge…
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Bike Law Timmy’s Five Boro Bike Tour
On Sixth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan pedestrians fill crosswalks like liquid aluminum in an anthill. At intersections every inch between waiting cars is a channel for people moving with and without purpose through the city. I was in one of those cars as I made my way from Bike Expo NYC to my hotel. In the…
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Rogue Riders on Group Rides
Cycling Coach Robert Wilhite recently blogged about the dangers that rogue riders present in group rides. He gave several examples of a small band of riders who took it upon themselves to ignore basic rules of the road regarding right of way at intersections and barrel through stops, endangering not just themselves but also the many other…
