In a classic example of “no good deed goes unpunished,” an Illinois man is currently nursing his injuries after being struck by a pickup truck. The accident occurred in Alabama while the victim was involved in a cross-country bicycle ride for charity. According to sources, a Ford F-150 struck him as he was on his way to the charity ride’s next stop. The driver of the truck did stop after the accident occurred.
As is typically seen in auto-pedestrian accidents, the victim in this bike vs. truck accident suffered a range of injuries. According to an organizer of the charity ride, he suffered a “minor” broken back, spine lacerations and a facial fracture in the accident. The day after the accident, the victim endured a six-hour surgery on his injured back.He is reportedly doing well and has even stood and taken several steps.
The charity event is “Biking for Baseball,” for which the victim had hoped to raise $160,000 for children while traveling approximately 11,500 miles. The event began in 2012 and this was the victim’s third time participating. In a statement, the injured man expressed his devastation about having his part in the event cut short. He also remarked about how amazing his adventure was until the accident occurred. The incident is still under investigation at this time.
Auto-bicycle accidents can be just as devastating as auto-pedestrian accidents. If it is found that the driver of the pickup truck caused the accident through negligence, the victim will have legal options to seek satisfaction. A consultation with a personal injury attorney is always a wise choice when incidents like this occur.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “Orland Park man struck by truck while bicycling for charity,” Frank Vaisvilas, June 18, 2017