Understanding Kansas Bicycle Laws and How They Impact Accident Claims

If you have a Kansas driver’s license, you should know what occurs after getting into a car accident: You will share contact and insurance information with the other driver and then file an insurance claim with the company representing that driver. While the process is often complicated, it’s relatively easy to understand how to get it started. However, if you or the other person is riding a bicycle, it is essential to know how the process changes in such a situation. Understanding Kansas bicycle laws and how they impact accident claims is integral to establishing a legal claim in the state.

Kansas Bicycle Laws

Typically, car drivers aren’t that familiar with Kansas bicycle laws and how they impact accident claims, simply because they don’t ride bikes on public roads and don’t often interact with bicycles while driving. Unfortunately, what that means is that when many drivers do interact with bike riders, they don’t know who has the right of way, which is more than likely to cause a Kansas bike laws you should be familiar with.

Traffic Laws That Apply to All Vehicles

Unless the state’s bicycle laws provide for explicit exceptions, general traffic laws apply to anyone riding a bike on Kansas’s public streets. Therefore, if you are riding a bicycle, you are required to obey all traffic signals and signs. You must yield the right of way to other vehicles and pedestrians in the same manner that car drivers are required to. Furthermore, you must obey all speed limits. Typically, it’s unlikely that you will be unable to surpass a speed limit, but some situations may allow you to build enough speed to violate posted limits. In those rare situations, you will need to constrain your speed. Finally, you must signal before making any turns, using the same signals that car drivers are instructed to use if their turn signals aren’t functioning.

Unless a bicycle law makes an explicit exception, you should follow all traffic laws when riding a bike.

Bicycles on Sidewalks

While you can legally ride your bicycle on a sidewalk, you must give the right of way to any pedestrian walking near you.

The “Keep Right” Rule

As bicycles move significantly slower than motor vehicles, if you are riding one on a public road, you are required to stay as far to the right side of the road as you can unless absolutely necessary for safety. Besides that, Kansas state law allows only three exceptions for breaking this rule. First, if you are passing another bicycle or vehicle traveling in the same direction, you can go as far left in the lane as necessary to perform that pass safely. Second, if you are preparing to make a left turn, you should move toward the left side of the lane. Last, if you are traveling on a multi-lane, one-direction highway, you may stay on the left side of the roadway so long as you remain as far left as possible when doing so. All of these rules are designed to allow cars to pass your bicycle safely when you are traveling at a slower speed than the rest of the traffic.

Were you seriously injured in a bicycle accident in Kansas? Contact Palmer Law Group to discuss your legal options with an experienced lawyer.

The Red Light Exception

One of the most significant exceptions that applies to bicycles involves red lights. Some areas have traffic lights that detect the presence of vehicles, and if one of these does not detect a vehicle, it may stay red indefinitely. Unfortunately, bicycles often aren’t detected by these lights. If you have been waiting at a red light for long enough to determine that it is either malfunctioning or not detecting your bike, you may treat it like a stop sign and proceed ahead once it is safe to do so.

How Kansas Bicycle Laws Impact Accident Claims

If you are riding a bicycle and are involved in an accident, you have the same right to file an insurance claim that you would if you were involved in a car accident. That means you should share your contact information with the other driver and gather their insurance information. Even though you weren’t driving a car, if the other driver was responsible for the accident, you can get coverage from their insurance.

However, if you were responsible for the accident, you may not know what to do, since you aren’t required to have insurance while riding a bicycle. There are a few scenarios that could arise. First, if you also own a car and have car insurance, that policy might cover you while riding your bike. You’ll want to check with your insurer to determine exactly what your policy covers and whether it applies while riding a bicycle. Alternatively, if you have medical insurance, that should cover your medical bills after an accident. Unfortunately, it won’t cover the other driver, nor will it cover your lost wages if your injuries prevent you from working.

Thankfully, determining who was responsible for an accident involving a bicycle and a car is effectively the same as it is in any other vehicle accident. If either of you were violating traffic laws, then the offending party is likely responsible. If both of you are violating traffic laws, then responsibility may be split between you. Furthermore, when both individuals are partially accountable, comparative negligence rules will apply. These regulations state that you can receive only partial compensation when you are partially responsible. The amount of compensation you receive will be proportionate to how responsible you were for your injuries.

Contact Palmer Law Group After a Bike Accident in Kansas

Palmer Law Group has been helping clients get fair compensation in Kansas since its founding in January 1980. If you have been injured in a bike accident, know that you can rely on the experienced lawyers at our firm to help you through the legal process.

Want to know more about Kansas bike laws or your rights after a bicycle accident? Contact Palmer Law Group today.