Biking offers a number of benefits, including good exercise and the opportunity for recreation as well as an eco-friendly way of getting around. Bicycle accidents in Homestead and other Florida communities, however, are a major cause for concern. Many parents, especially worry about these crashes causing child injuries in Homestead or their communities.
There is no doubt that bicycle accidents can be very serious. Each year, bicyclists suffer brain injuries in Homestead and their communities as well as other serious injuries. However, new data shows that accidents are not the only cause of concern. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, recently published a study showing that children sustain ten times as many injuries in the groin and kidneys when biking as adult bikers.
The study was based on emergency room data spanning the years 2002 to 2012 and excluded injuries caused by car collisions. During each year studied, about 4000 patients were admitted with bicycle-related injuries to the genitals or kidneys. Men and boys represented about 61 percent of these injuries. In about 70 percent of these injuries, the injuries resulted from contact with the bike. About half of these injuries occurred due to contact with the top tube of the bicycle, which runs from the handlebars to the seat. Close to 30 percent of all the injuries studies were caused by falls from the bike or other incidents. Researchers stated that they didn’t make any safety recommendations based on the data, saying that more research was needed first.
Other safety experts and studies have also concluded that bicycle collisions are not the only causes of bicycle-related injury in Hollywood and Florida. Other causes of bicycle injury can include:
•Skin irritation or lacerations caused by defective bicycle parts of equipment
•Clothing getting caught in bicycle chains
•Injuries caused by excessive time on the bicycle
•Injuries caused by uneven ground
•Falls from a bicycle
Injuries from these types of incidents may not be as dramatic as the injuries caused by a collision with a car, but they can still be serious. Injuries from these types of situations can cause lacerations, fractures, and other potentially serious injuries. They have also led some to recommend everything from airbags on handlebars to differently designed top tubes to athletic cups for riders. So far, most experts agree that the most important things to keep in mind when preventing bicycle injuries is to wear a helmet, improve bicycle skills, and to follow the rules of the road. Injuries can also be prevented by:
•Wearing clothing that will not get caught in the chains
•Choosing a bicycle that is a good fit for the rider
•Keeping a bicycle in good shape
•Taking the bike trails or paths that are appropriate for the biker’s skill level
•Staying visible on the road and using a light to illuminate paths or the road when riding at night
Flaxman Law Group is a full-service law firm with offices in Homestead, Hollywood, and Miami. We speak English, Spanish, and Creole and our attorneys have more than 60 years of combined experience working on cases similar to yours. If you would like to find out what legal remedies are available in your situation, do not hesitate to contact Charles Flaxman and the rest of the attorneys of Flaxman Law Group for a free case evaluation.