Bike Accident Lawyers Blog
Electric assist bikes have become increasingly popular, as many riders use them for the intended purpose of helping novice riders and commuters push their way up hills or gain some speed on their way to work. Some even see them as a democratizing force on city streets. And of course, the more people on bikes in the city, the more visibility we gain and the safer all cyclists are.
However, there has been some recent controversy in Boston over the fact that some people are essentially using them as motorcycles in bicycle lanes or even on paths strictly designated for bicyclists and pedestrians.
“Electric assist bikes are still bikes, but they are capable of traveling 20-miles-per-hour,” said Boston bike attorney Andrew Fischer. “When they are in bike lanes, they become a big hazard because they are proceeding as a motorized vehicle in a lane where motorized vehicles are not allowed.” Continue reading
This is not to say the driver who causes an accident is not at-fault, and thus the proper defendant in a Boston bike crash lawsuit, but having better bike safety infrastructure should still be pursued since anything that reduces the number of bike riders injured each year should certainly be pursued. 
An unknown activist or group of activists created a bike lane complete with while lane divider line and bike lane logo using a can of white spray paint. As one might expect, this was makeshift bike lane was quickly photographed and tweeted as well as being posted on bike rider advocacy websites. There were a lot of jokes about the lines not being straight, but also thousands of comments about how the city needs to put in an official bike lane to prevent the many preventable bike rider injuries and fatalities that occur when such precautions are not taken. 
According to a recent news article from the 
When a Boston bike crash victim does accept the offer to be checked out by EMTs or paramedics or to go to the hospital, there may be a variety of reasons. One possibility is the individual does not realize the full extent of their injuries immediately following the accident. They may be in a state in a shock or they may be in too much pain from seemingly superficial injuries like cuts and scrapes from the pavement to realize that is the least of their problems. In other cases, they may too embarrassed to admit they need help. 
As established in 
The couple was riding their bicycles when the bike crash victim collided with a motor vehicle that was traveling in the same direction. The driver of the vehicle immediately came to a complete stop and waited for first responders to arrive. 
At this point, a woman driving a minivan at around 50 miles per hour when she veered into the breakdown lane where plaintiffs were riding. She hit the rear bicycle rider from behind and the rider flipped up onto the roof of the minivan. He was then thrown over the back of the minivan and ended up hitting the ground nearly 2oo feet away. 
One of these claims by the surviving spouse is known as loss of consortium. This law, which has been applied in various other states, was addressed in a landmark case in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts entitled