Traffic accidents are an all too common occurrence here in Calgary and throughout Alberta, and are a leading cause of serious injuries and fatalities. Such injuries and wrongful deaths not only have an immediate impact on the health and wellbeing of those injured, but also cause significant disruptions to careers, families, and the Calgary community at large.
The majority of people in Alberta who are seriously injured or killed in traffic accidents are passengers or drivers in cars and trucks, due to the simple fact that there are few people on the roads who aren’t in one of these vehicles. The substantially lower yet still significant number of motorcycle accidents that result in serious injuries and/or fatalities, for example, doesn’t mean that motorcycles are safer, it simply means there are fewer motorcyclists and thus fewer opportunities for accidents to happen.
When accidents involving motorcycles do happen, the unprotected motorcyclist is far more likely to experience a severe injury.
The same is true for accidents involving bicycles and cyclists, as a recent incident here in Calgary shows. Though the statistics show us that bicycle accidents are relatively rare, those statistics don’t mean much when you or a family member become the victim of bicycle accident related injuries.
One Calgary Bicycle Accident Shows How Personal Each Injury Case Is
According to the most recent traffic accident report from Alberta’s government, there were 450 traffic accidents involving bicycles that resulted in serious injuries in 2014, and only one fatality throughout the entire province. That’s compared to 11,874 accidents involving cars or trucks only that resulted in serious injuries, and 202 fatalities
In addition to the lower number of cyclists in Calgary and Alberta relative to the number of drivers and passengers in cars and trucks, the fact that our weather isn’t hospitable to cycling for much of the year no doubt contributes to the small numbers of serious injuries and fatalities from bicycle related accidents. But statistics don’t tell the whole story.
As reported in the Calgary Herald a boy of 12 riding his bicycle across a marked Calgary crosswalk was recently struck by a van, suffering injuries that were initially life-threatening (the boy’s condition has thankfully improved to “stable,” according to reports). For this boy and his family, the fact that such accidents are not common occurrences in Calgary likely isn’t of any solace.
With the full extent of his injuries unknown, it is impossible to say how long this bicycle accident victim’s recovery will take, what specialized medical attention he may require, if and how this will affect his long-term opportunities and capabilities, and how it might impact his parents’ career and financial state as they spend their time ensuring he gets proper care and treatment. Such accidents might be rare, but their consequences are no less devastating.
Working With a Calgary Personal Injury Lawyer to Protect Your Rights
If you or a family member has been seriously injured in any sort of traffic accident, you are entitled to speak to an experienced Calgary personal injury lawyer to help with your case. For more information or to schedule a free initial consultation, please contact our office today.