Utah Law Talk

A bicyclist is fortunate to have escaped with minor injuries after being hit by an SUV in Cottonwood Heights, on Friday, July 31st.

The 43-year-old driver of a Nissan Pathfinder was heading eastbound on 7200 South when he attempted to turn north on Highland drive. Police believe that sunlight may have blinded the driver from seeing the bicyclist crossing the road in front of him. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the driver of the SUV hit the Utah bicyclist, knocking him to the pavement. He was taken to nearby, Intermountain Medical Center to treat his injuries which are described as minor.

In Utah, as in other states, motorists have the obligation to make sure they safely share the road with bicyclists. Utah is a very bike-friendly state, especially during the summer. Motorists need to we aware and on the lookout for bicyclists, as well as pedestrians. If sunlight is in a motorist’s face, they should not proceed forward until they are confident they can do so safely. Sun in my eyes will never be a good excuse when the motorist hits someone.

I was glad to hear that the bicyclist’s injuries are minor. Sometimes, however, injuries that were first thought as minor have a way of worsening. If they do, I would recommend that the bike rider contact an experienced Utah bicycle accident lawyer for options that he has against the motorists. At a minimum, he is entitled to medical bill reimbursement of $3,000, some lost wage coverage and household service benefits under the at-fault driver’s “PIP” or Personal Injury Protection policy.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, August 5th, 2009 at 1:22 pm and is filed under Utah Bicycle Accident. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.