Maine Bicycle Accidents: Bicycle Accident Injuries

Bicycle accidents can lead to severe injuries, ranging from road rash and lacerations to traumatic brain injury and even paralysis. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than half a million Americans seek emergency room treatment for injuries related to bicycle accidents each year. Unfortunately, sometimes bicycle accidents result in fatalities and often stem from driver negligence. Whatever the cause, it is important for you to take appropriate action and hold those accountable for causing you harm. With this in mind, if you were injured in a bicycle accident in Maine, it is important to realize that you may be entitled to significant compensation. Contact Peter Thompson & Associates now at 1 800.804.2004 to learn more about your legal rights and options. Don’t let those that caused you harm to get away with their actions. Call us today for the help and legal representation you need.

The story of Rockland, Maine native Anna Wind illustrates the potentially devastating injuries that can occur in a bicycle accident: twenty three year old Anna Wind was weeks away from embarking on a trip to Europe, with plans to bike from Barcelona to Lisbon. Wind’s future looked bright and she was excited for the months to come—until she was seriously injured in a bicycle accident. Anna Wind was pedaling on Old County Road in Rockland when she saw a car approaching in her rearview mirror. The car came very close to her. Wind looked to the right, intending to move over, and saw a large pothole. The next thing she knew, the car’s side view mirror hit her shoulder, and all went black. Wind regained consciousness on the stretcher, spitting gravel from her mouth.

Anna Wind broke a vertebrae, her nose, and two other facial bones in the accident. She had road rash all over her face and serious oral lacerations. Her medical bills quickly amounted to over $30,000 and an extended recovery period was expected.

The tragic tale of Anna Wind is representative of that faced by hundreds of thousands of bicycle accident victims each year. Some of the most common injuries stemming from bike accidents include:

• Head injury—sadly, head injuries are one of the most common bicycle accident injuries, and often among the most serious. Many bicycle accidents involve the bicyclist being thrown over the handle bars, which leaves them with little control over how they land. The head is often the point of impact. Head injuries can include: bumps, scrapes, gashes, and fractures of the skull, which have the probability of leading to brain injury. Bicycle riders can mitigate potential head injuries by wearing a bicycle helmet.


• Brain injury—the impact of the bicyclists’ skull with the motor vehicle, pavement, or any other object can lead to the movement of the skull within the brain, often causing a brain injury. Brain injuries can range from the mild concussion to the very serious traumatic brain injury. Traumatic brain injuries may equate to devastating results, such as the loss of memory, decreased bodily function, and even permanent disability. Brain damage is more likely to occur when the victim is not wearing a helmet.


• Spinal cord injury—spinal cord injuries can arise when the bicycle accident victim lands on his or her back, head, or neck, with any amount of force. Serious complications such as vertebrae fractures and even paralysis can accompany a spinal cord injury.


• Facial injury—facial injuries are extremely common among bicycle accident victims because bicyclists lack any facial protection. Some facial injuries include: broken jaw, nose, chipped teeth, damaged or loss of an eye, broken facial bones, such as check or forehead bones, and extreme scarring that can last a lifetime depending upon the severity.


• Broken or fractured bones—bike accidents commonly lead to broken legs, arms, hip, neck, back, shoulder, and nearly any other bone in the body. Multiple bone breaks are not uncommon in serious bike accidents. Broken bones can necessitate extensive treatment, rehabilitation, and recovery.


• Death—over 700 individuals each year are killed in bicycle accidents. With no barrier of protection between you and the motorist, or other object such as a tree or building, the chances of suffering a fatal injury are severe.

At Peter Thompson & Associates, we take great pride in assisting injured bicycle victims in their time of need. Our zealous attorney staff will seek to ensure you receive the compensation to which you are entitled to for your: past medical bills, emergency transportation bills, future medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment, and psychiatric injuries. Call us today at 1 800.804.2004 to schedule an initial consultation with one of our experienced and compassionate Maine bike accident attorneys.