New Mom Killed in Seattle Bike Accident

By Hardwick & Pendergast, P.S. on September 10, 2014

A 31-year-old female bicyclist suffered fatal injuries in a Seattle car accident while riding in the bike lane. According to a news report in The Seattle Times, the fatal bicycle accident occurred along Second Avenue in downtown Seattle. Officials say she was traveling to work in the bike lane when a truck made a left turn and struck her. She died at the scene of the crash. Officials are investigating the cause of this collision.

This particular accident took place on a one-way street where the bike lane is on the left side. According to The Seattle Times, the city already has scheduled plans to make major bicycle safety improvements to the route. Under Washington Statute 46.61.770, bicyclists are not required to use bike lanes or to ride on the shoulder. They can ride with traffic and are afforded the same right of way privileges as motorists. This means that bicyclists must obey traffic laws and that drivers must yield to riders just as they would to other motorists.

Whenever a Seattle bicycle accident occurs, it must be determined if the rider or the driver failed to obey the law and if either was behaving negligently at the time of the crash. It is particularly important in cases involving serious or fatal injuries to determine if the driver was speeding, impaired, distracted or otherwise careless. Drivers who cause fatal bicycle accidents through an act of negligence can be held accountable for their actions.

The experienced bicycle accident wrongful death lawyers at Hardwick & Pendergast understand the complexity of these types of cases. We help families of deceased bicycle accident victims obtain justice and fair compensation for their damages and losses. Please contact us at (888) 228-3860 to obtain more information about pursuing your legal rights.