Boston Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Fighting for the recovery you deserve after a bike injury in Massachusetts
Bicycle accidents often lead to catastrophic injuries and substantial financial burdens. If your injuries were caused by another person’s negligence, you can seek compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering, as well as other losses.
Breakstone, White & Gluck, P.C. fights for bike accident victims in Boston and throughout Massachusetts. We have represented hundreds of cyclists in jury trials and settlement negotiations, fighting for the best possible outcome in their cases. With more than 100 years of combined experience behind us, and a long history of representing bike accident victims, our Boston injury lawyers handle everything – and we mean EVERYTHING – for our clients to ensure they get exceptional, one-on-one care tailored to their needs.
OVER $300 MILLION
won for our clients
$1,800,000
Bicyclist Hit in Crosswalk
Mild traumatic brain injury, post concussion syndrome.
$450,000
Bicycle Accident
Bicyclist suffers leg fractures
$300,000
Bicycle accident/dog attack
Bicyclist injured by dog
Ron was extremely knowledgeable about the ins and outs of bicycling accidents, insurance claims, and the entire process from start to finish.
~ Michael Busnach
Common questions from injury clients
- Our commitment to bike safety in Massachusetts
- What to do after a Boston bicycle accident
- Damages you can claim after a bike accident
- Who pays the bills after a Boston bicycle accident?
- How a Boston bicycle accident lawyer from Breakstone, White & Gluck can help
- Tackling the toughest cases of devastating bike injuries
- Where are the most bicycle accidents reported in Boston?
- Do you have a bicycle accident injury attorney near me?
Our commitment to bike safety in Massachusetts
In 2013, we launched our Project KidSafe campaign to help protect children on bikes from head injuries. Project KidSafe is in its 10th year, and we have donated over 36,000 bike helmets to children across Massachusetts, with help from over 50 partners, including Massachusetts Safe Routes to School, Boston Bikes, CYCLE Kids of Cambridge, the Dedham Police Department (shown in the photo) and the Somerville Kiwanis Club. Several bicycle committees and more than 10 police departments have participated, including the Boston Police Department, the Cambridge Police Department and Quincy Police Department.
Breakstone, White & Gluck, P.C. is committed to safety and advocacy for all cyclists in Massachusetts. We are a proud supporter of cycling and cycling safety programs in Massachusetts. We support the following organizations:
Bike safety resources
Ron Gluck's Articles on Biking and the Law
Articles written by Attorney Ron Gluck for the Charles River Wheelers' newsletter, WheelPeople.
Insurance Coverage for Cyclists
Massachusetts bicyclists can protect themselves in the event of a serious injury by having adequate uninsured/underinsured motorist protection in their car insurance policies.
Facts About Cycling in Massachusetts
Our attorneys answer some of the most common questions about the rights and responsibilities of Massachusetts cyclists under the law.
Tips for Safe Bike Commuting in Boston
Our attorneys provide an overview on cycling resources.
MassBike provides information about bicycling issues and advocacy in Massachusetts.
What to do after a Boston bicycle accident
After any bicycle accident, the first thing you should do is call 9-1-1. Bike crashes can cause severe injuries, so you want to seek immediate medical attention. Calling 9-1-1 also ensures that local law enforcement will come to the scene of the crash and file a report.
Once you have seen a doctor, you should contact a Boston bicycle accident lawyer at Breakstone, White & Gluck. There is evidence that must be preserved quickly that can help your case later. We also handle all communications with the insurance companies so you can focus on your recovery.
What are the damages you can claim after a bike accident?
If you sustained injuries in a bicycle accident, you could be entitled to compensation for your losses. These losses, called “damages,” can include:
- Medical bills
- Lost earnings
- Scarring and disability
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
When a cyclist is killed by someone else's negligence, our Massachusetts attorneys can pursue a wrongful death claim for your family. Punitive damages may be awarded.
Who pays the bills after a Boston bicycle accident?
When a motorist collides with a bike, Massachusetts law provides that there will be up to $8,000 in personal injury protection benefits (“no-fault” benefits) which can help pay for medical bills and lost wages. These benefits are available even if the driver was not negligent.
After a bicycle accident, a driver's negligence may be clear. You may be entitled to pursue a claim for financial compensation for your losses. Motor vehicle liability insurance from the responsible driver, as well as the insurance on a car owned by the bicyclist or a family member, are all sources of insurance to help pay for personal injury claims.
But the truth is insurance companies are often reluctant to pay cyclists full compensation on claims. Because of this, it is important to hire an experienced lawyer with a reputation for reaching full compensation for cyclists, including medical expenses, pain and suffering, and past and future earnings. You should also hire an attorney with whom you can work well and trust.
How a Boston bicycle accident lawyer from Breakstone, White & Gluck can help
You don’t have to talk to the insurance companies. You don’t have to agonize about the medical bills and lost wages. All you have to do is focus on healing, and Breakstone, White & Gluck will do the rest. We are committed to providing every bike injury client with worry-free representation.
The insurance company may try to offer you a low settlement or deny your claim altogether. Our attorneys don’t accept offers that are not fair and just for you. We do the work that needs to be done to secure the best possible results for our clients, no matter how long it takes. We analyze your medical and employment records, speak with witnesses, review the police report, and gather evidence to prove negligence. We prepare every case we take for a potential trial, so we are ready to file a lawsuit on your behalf if the insurance company refuses to play fair.
Tackling the toughest cases of devastating bike injuries
Our Massachusetts legal team has been representing bike crash victims for years. We take on the toughest cases because we know how to win them.
Not every bicycle accident involves a motor vehicle. We have represented cyclists who have been injured by dog attacks and defective bike parts. But more often than not, cyclists are injured by a driver's negligence. The driver may have failed to yield or keep a proper look-out. They may have misjudged the bike's speed and left the cyclist without enough room.
Drivers can cause bicycle accidents when they speed, attempt to pass, travel too closely, cross into bike lanes or use cell phones. Drivers who fail to yield to cyclists when turning can cause right hook bicycle accidents or left hook bicycle accidents. These accidents can be profoundly serious, resulting in bone fractures, head injury, scarring and even wrongful death.
Other types of bicycle accident claims we handle include:
- Truck accidents. Truck accidents have injured and killed numerous cyclists in Boston and Cambridge in recent years. After these tragedies, our firm has worked to protect our clients' rights, investigated crashes and when necessary, pursued negligence or wrongful death lawsuits against trucking companies.
- Dooring accidents. Dooring accidents – when drivers open car doors onto the path of cyclists – also cause many injuries, including 22% percent of all bicycle accidents in Boston, per the Boston EMS 2020 Cyclist & Pedestrian Report (“EMS Report”).
- Intersection accidents. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety (IIHS) reported that 32% of all fatal bike accidents in 2020 occurred at intersections. Right hook accidents occur when drivers, often large trucks, strike cyclists while turning right. Left hook bicycle accidents happen when drivers are turning left and collide with cyclists coming from another direction.
- Distracted driving claims. A driver's cell phone use, texting while driving and distracted driving cause many bicycle accidents in Massachusetts.
Bicycle accidents can lead to devastating injuries, and choosing the right injury attorney is a crucial part of your recovery plan. Because cyclists have less physical protection, the injuries they sustain are often catastrophic. A minor “fender bender” between two slow-moving vehicles can cause massive internal damage to a cyclist, depending on the vehicle’s size, weight, and speed. Our Boston bicycle accident lawyers represent cyclists who have sustained injuries such as:
- Head injuries. Bicycle accidents causing head injuries can lead to traumatic brain injury and permanent impairment. Even with a helmet, a cyclist can suffer disfiguring lacerations, vision loss, or other types of permanent trauma. Our attorneys have extensive experience representing cyclists who have suffered head injuries, recovering compensation to assist them with short- and long-term financial needs.
- Spinal cord injuries. SCI are among the most catastrophic injuries because they are permanent. While there are exciting advances in medical technology, people who sustain trauma to the spinal cord may be paralyzed to varying degrees for the rest of their lives.
- Internal injuries. Did you know that SUVs account for a quarter of all fatal bicycle crashes? It’s because in a collision with a sedan, the cyclist’s legs are most likely to be hit – but in a collision with an SUV, the point of impact is the chest and/or abdomen. Collisions with larger vehicles can cause organ damage, internal bleeding, and multiple compound, complex fractures.
- Burn injuries. Burns are not the most common type of injury (unless you count “road rash,” a cutesy name for a serious friction burn prone to infection and scarring) in a bike crash, but they can have a lifelong effect on a rider or passenger. Serious burns resulting from car fires or other incidents often require skin grafts to treat, along with other types of surgeries.
- Fatal injuries. Few experiences are more emotionally challenging than the sudden loss of a loved one. Our Boston wrongful death attorneys treat you and your family with the dignity and compassion you deserve. We know that no amount of compensation will make up for the loss of your loved one, but we fight to hold the negligent parties accountable so that justice is served.
Where are the most bicycle accidents reported in Boston?
According to the 2020 EMS Report, the following neighborhoods had the highest number of pedestrian and bicycle-related incidents in Boston:
The most common types of incidents in each neighborhood included:
For a more in depth look at the dangers Boston cyclists face you can check out the Vision Zero Safety Map. It covers the entire city of Boston proper and provides detailed explanations of the different safety concerns in the city.
Do you have a bicycle accident injury attorney near me?
Breakstone, White & Gluck’s Boston office is located at 2 Center Plaza #530, close to the John Adams Courthouse and Suffolk County Superior Court. There’s a bus stop near our building and a parking lot nearby. If you cannot travel because of your injuries, we can arrange a phone or video conference, or a hospital visit.
Put experience on your side after a bicycle accident in Boston
Because the statute of limitations applies to bicycle accident cases, victims have a limited time in which to file their cases. If you feel you have a bike accident case, it is vital that you act immediately to protect your rights. Please call the experienced Boston bicycle accident lawyers of Breakstone, White & Gluck or use our contact form. We will be happy to provide you with a free consultation.
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Reza Breakstone and Marc Breakstone were clear in their communications, expectation setting and helping me through the processes after my bike accident. In the end they were able to help get me the maximum possible settlement. Highly recommended! ~ Former Client