Orlando Area Bicyclist Dies in Hit-and-Run Incident

By Orlando Personal Injury Attorney on August 6, 2018

A 72-year-old male was killed in a hit-and-run incident while riding his bike in Orange City, Florida. According to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), the accident happened early Wednesday morning. They bicyclist was attempting to cross Volusia Avenue via a marked crosswalk. As he was heading east to west, a female driving a gold or tan Suburban northbound on Enterprise Road struck the right side of the bicycle. The impact threw the elderly man off the bike and onto the road.

According to witnesses, the driver did initially stop, got out of the vehicle and looked at the victim before getting back in and driving off.

The bicyclist was taken to Florida Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

This case shows just how dangerous a car versus bike accident can be. Even if the driver of the car wasn’t driving fast, a collision between a moving vehicle and a cyclist often leaves the biker severely injured – if not dead. This is because a bicyclist has little to protect themselves against the impact from a heavy vehicle.

When car versus bicycle accidents do happen, the injured cyclist does have the right to seek compensation for his or her injuries. In the case at hand, because the cyclist was killed, his right to compensation will pass to any surviving family members who were dependent on him for financial and/or emotion support (such as a spouse or children). In such cases where the victim is killed, the surviving family members can seek compensation for their loss by filing what is called a Florida wrongful death suit.

Whether you are seeking compensation via a wrongful death action or a personal injury lawsuit, you must show that the driver of the car was at fault. To do so, the driver must have acted negligently and this negligence must have been the cause of the accident and your resulting injuries. In the case at hand, the cyclist was crossing at a marked crosswalk and the driver failed to slow down or stop. Failure to do so would be considered a negligent act and thus the victim (or in this case his family) would have the right to take legal action.

If you or a loved one have been the victim of an Orlando bicycle accident, you have the right to be compensated for your loss. To learn more, contact the Law Offices of James O. Cunningham today.

James O. Cunningham

Since 1977, personal injury lawyer James Cunningham has provided effective legal advocacy to people who are injured through the negligent actions of another person or entity throughout the Central Florida area. He fights to obtain recoveries for his clients’ physical and emotional pain and suffering and pursues his clients’ personal injury cases with a commitment to excellence and impeccable preparation.