What is Stop-as-Yield and Why Does it Matter?
“Stop as Yield,” also known as the “Idaho Stop” is a controversial law that allows cyclists to treat stop signs as yield signs and a red light as a stop light. Idaho was the first state to pass such a law in 1982. Stop-as-yield laws are designed to allow...
The Little-Known Bike Helmet Exception to DC’s Contributory Negligence Rule
There has been some recent chatter amongst DC attorneys and lobbyist groups concerning DC’s contributory negligence rule. As we have described in previous blog posts, contributory negligence is a legal doctrine that bars injured people from being compensated for their...
The Potential Cyclist Exception to Contributory Negligence
There has been a lot of discussion recently surrounding DC’s contributory negligence defense in personal injury actions and how it affects cyclists. The doctrine known as contributory negligence is recognized in only a handful of jurisdictions across the country...
Do Sharrows Really Improve Road Safety for Cyclists?
A “sharrow”, or shared lane marking, is a symbol painted on roads to indicate that vehicles on the road should share the road with cyclists. Sharrows have been in DC since around 2008, but they have been used in Denver, Colorado since the 1990s. They were added in...
Who is Liable in a Dooring Bike Accident?
“Dooring” accidents occur when parked motorists open the car door into oncoming cycling traffic without looking and a cyclists collides with the door. This can result in terrible injuries, but dooring cases are very difficult for a number of reasons. The cyclist...