More Road Collision Types
In addition to the most common accident claims, there are less common types of accidents for which you could file a claim. Less common accident types that can cause severe accident injuries include:
Bicycle Accidents
Bicycling, as an alternative mode of transit, has become increasingly popular. It doesn’t produce pollution and is a healthy exercise method. However, traveling by bicycle on roads shared with motor vehicles can be quite hazardous.
A National Safety Council analysis shows a 16% increase in fatal bicycle accidents in 2020. Also, 325,173 non-fatal bicycle accidents caused severe injuries to cyclists.
Most serious bicycle accidents involve a cyclist encountering a negligent or reckless motor vehicle driver. In these accidents, the cyclist suffers all the damage and can be severely injured or killed.
Rideshare Accidents
Ridesharing has also become increasingly popular. Freelance jobs like Uber and Lyft operators allow people to use their vehicles to give others rides.
It is difficult to find exact statistics on how often rideshare vehicles are involved in accidents. Uber claims their internal data indicate its rideshare drivers rarely get into accidents. Still, some researchers claim that ridesharing has increased the number of traffic deaths.
During rideshare, the driver uses their vehicle, so you might think the driver’s insurance would cover the damage. However, most car insurance policies exclude coverage if the car is used for business purposes.
Fortunately, Uber and Lyft have insurance policies covering damages incurred if one of their drivers causes an accident. In addition, if you are injured in a rideshare accident caused by someone else, that person’s insurance will cover your damages. Our rideshare accident attorneys can help you negotiate with a rideshare company’s insurance company or an individual’s.
E-Scooter Accidents
In 2018 and 2019, dockless electric scooters from companies like Bird, Lime, JUMP, and Gotcha were widely deployed on city streets and sidewalks across Alabama.
The rollout of these electric scooter-share services was immediately met with excitement by those looking for a convenient and inexpensive transportation option in busy urban areas.
However, these convenient and inexpensive scoots also met with a rash of accidents and injuries.
Scooter riders are responsible for sharing the road with other vehicles, not riding on sidewalks meant for pedestrians, and riding the vehicles responsibly.
However, this is often an issue since many riders lack proper training, practice, and experience riding these vehicles. In addition, because of the placement of these scooters, riders are often intoxicated or forced to share the road during high traffic. There are numerous causes of scooter crashes, and multiple parties could be at fault, including:
- The rider
- Other motorists
- The scooter companies
- Third-party maintenance companies
- The manufacturer
Aviation Accidents
Compared to other modes of transportation, airplanes are extremely safe; however, unlike car crashes, most airplane accidents result in fatalities. Fatalities are more common due to the extreme heights and pressure airplane passengers experience.
Commercial pilots and airlines are legally required to carry liability insurance in the case of an accident, but private airlines and pilots are not.
As a result, cases in which people are injured through no fault of their own by a privately owned and piloted airplane are legally complex and require an experienced aviation accident attorney to navigate.