"Contributory negligence" refers to the harsh legal doctrine in which the injured party is barred from recovery if he is found to be guilty of negligence, no matter how slight (as slight as 1% negligent). If the other party involved in your accident is 99% responsible and you are 1% responsible, legally, you cannot recover a single penny, regardless of how serious your injuries are, when the rule of contributory negligence applies.
Avoid Getting “Doored” - Ride Defensively
Getting “doored” occurs when a driver or passenger opens a car door without checking for oncoming traffic, resulting in the cyclist crashing into the car door. These crashes happen to urban cyclists all of the time, and can cause horrific injuries. Unfortunately, many normally careful drivers just don’t think to look before throwing open a driver’s side door, even when they’ve parked on a street with a designated bike lane.
The Top 3 Most Common Bicycle Accidents and How to Avoid Them
While there is an infinite combination of contributing circumstances in crashes involving cyclists and drivers, I have seen a pattern in my many years of investigating these incidents and representing injured cyclists. As a bicyclist, if you are aware of the most common problem areas on the road, and ride responsibly and defensively, many of these crashes can be avoided. Be aware of these potentially dangerous situations, and keep in mind my tips for avoiding these scenarios while riding.