Man Hurt While Riding Citi Bike Files Personal Injury Lawsuit Against Company

A man has filed a personal injury lawsuit against bike-sharing company Citi Bike after running over a parking barrier while riding one of the program’s bicycles.

“This has turned my life inside out,” said Ronald Corwin, 73. Corwin flipped over a 6-ft wide by 6-inch high concrete parking barrier near where the Citi Bikes were parked, which he alleges he did not see because the concrete blended in with the road.

“Everything tastes like cardboard,” says Corwin’s lawyer, discussing Corwin’s brain injury. “It’s terrible. He’s lost the pleasure of tasting food and of literally smelling the roses.”

Because of the accident, Corwin suffers from traumatic nerve palsy, which has caused him to lose his ability to smell and taste.

The parking barrier existed to protect cyclists from traffic, but Corwin’s personal injurylawsuit alleges that the barrier was too close to the bikes, making it more likely for a cyclist to hit one, and there were no road cones or paint to indicate that the concrete barrier stood between the bike renter and traffic.

“There were no cones or colored warnings to alert a bicyclist of its existence. It constituted a trap for the unwary,” Corwin’s lawyer claims.

Although Corwin’s personal injury lawsuit is the first formal legal accusation that Citi Bike faces, his is not the first accident to occur at the location because of the concrete barrier. After Corwin flipped his bike in October 2013, another cyclist was injured in a similar manner at the same location.

“There was no marking, no signage and certainly no poles,” said Vince D, referring to the concrete barrier. “The guy just plain didn’t see it. You do not expect someone to put a concrete barrier 6 inches high on a bike path at a crowded intersection.”

South Carolina Bike Accident Personal Injury Attorney

Unfortunately, injuries from bike accidents are very common.  Negligent drivers send several hundred thousand cyclists to the hospital every year.  Some riders protect themselves by wearing a helmet and obeying traffic laws, but sometimes that is not enough to prevent serious personal injury from a bike accident.

Bike accidents most often lead to:

• Broken bones
• Spinal cord injuries
• Head trauma, including traumatic brain injury
• Road rash
• And sometimes death

Whether were hit in a crosswalk, intersection, or on the road by a car following too closely, distracted driving, aggressive driving or failure to yield the right of way, the South Carolina personal injury accident lawyers at the Strom Law Firm, LLC will fight to secure fair compensation for your injuries.

The Strom Law Firm Can Help with Personal Injury Cases

If you are unsure of your rights, as a driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, and you or a loved one have been injured in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills or lost wages. The experienced lawyers at Strom Law, LLC, can help. Please contact us for a free consultation regarding your personal injury case.803.252.4800.