Florida Injury Lawyer Blawg
A bicyclist was killed after being hit by a car Tuesday morning in Miami.
The crash, which allegedly left the bicyclist with a severe head injury, happened around 5:30 a.m. near Southwest 27th Avenue and 22nd Street, according to reporting from local news outlets.
The bicyclist, a man in his 50s, was riding his bike in the opposite direction of oncoming traffic, police told reporters. He was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition and later died from his injuries.
The man has not been named and additional details abut the investigation were not immediately available Wednesday morning.
Leesfield & Partners, a law firm with offices throughout Florida in places like Key West, Miami and Orlando, has considerable experience when it comes to representing the victims of incidents on the road. Crashes and their subsequent injuries make up the bulk of all cases that come across the desks of personal injury lawyers across the country. These crashes can occur due to distracted or impaired driving or because of faulty vehicle equipment. No matter the cause, Leesfield & Partners attorneys have built a nearly five-decade-long reputation of vigorously advocating on behalf of their injured clients and their families.
In Miami-Dade County, where the crash took place, there have been nearly 800 bicycle crashes in 2024 with 13 fatalities and 742 injuries. In 2023, there were 969 bicycle crashes with 21 fatalities and nearly 900 injuries. Before that, in 2022, there were over 900 total crashes that killed 17 people and caused nearly 900 injuries.
Historical data from Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles shows that the majority of these crashes are during the spring and early summer months every year. In 2024, there has been a steady increase in crashes from February until about May, a month that officials reported over 100 bicyclist-involved crashes. As of Wednesday morning, about six bicycle crashes occurred in November alone.
What to Know About Biking in Florida Roads
In Florida, bicyclists on the road have the same rights and responsibilities as drivers. This means they must obey traffic laws, stop at signals and yield to pedestrians. When riding at night, bicyclists must display lights and reflectors to make them more visible on the dark roads while also staying as far to the right as possible for safety. Bicyclists must use the bike lane if it is safe to do. While helmets are highly encouraged, they are not required by state law for bicyclists over 16 years old.
Even if a bicyclist involved in a crash did not comply with all of these conditions, they may still have the right to compensation for injuries incurred in the crash. Leesfield & Partners has represented the families of clients who have lost their lives due to distracted and impaired drivers and clients who have incurred life-altering injuries due to a driver’s negligence on Florida roads.
In that time, the firm represented a mother and son injured in a bicycle crash with a car. The firm secured $3 million for the family.
For a bicyclist stopped on the shoulder of the Overseas Highway the firm secured over $5.3 million after she was hit by a distracted driver. In an investigation from the firm, attorneys found that the driver had been fiddling with the car’s GPS at the time of the crash.
In another case in which a bicyclist was hit by a car by a negligent driver, Leesfield & Partners attorneys secured a $420,000 award amount for the injured client.
For a case out of Palm Beach County, Florida, that resulted in the death of our client’s family member in a bicyclist crash, Leesfield & Partners secured $1.86 million.
Safety Tips
- Always wear a helmet. Minors under the age of 16 are required by state law to wear a helmet at all times when riding a bicycle.
- Use lights and reflectors when riding at night.
- Stay hydrated and wear sunscreen or sun-protective clothing.
- Avoid sudden movements when cycling on the road as it can be difficult for drivers to predict a biker’s movements. This means avoid weaving between cars and ride in a straight line in the bike lane.
- Watch out for road hazards.
- Be mindful of the weather.
- Obey all traffic signals and signs.
- Keep a safe distance from vehicles, and always signal turns.
- If riding in a group, stay in a single or double line, but be mindful of traffic flow.
