- Bicycle law
Bicycle law is a specialized field of
law relating to the use ofbicycle s. Although bicycle law is a relatively new specialty within the law, first appearing in the late 1980s, its roots date back to the 1880s and 1890s, whencyclist s were using the courts to assert a legal right to use the roads. In 1895,George B. Clementson , an Americanattorney , wrote "The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen ", the first book on bicycle law, in which he discussed the seminal cases of the 1880s and 1890s, financed byAlbert Pope ofColumbia Bicycles , through which cyclists gained the right to the road.History
By the mid 1980s, a substantial body of law pertaining to bicycles had developed, and a few attorneys had begun specializing in bicycle law. Today, attorneys specializing in bicycle law represent professional athletes, as well as average cyclists, on issues ranging from professional
contracts , to traffic accidents, to traffic tickets. In addition, attorneys specializing in bicycle law may advise cyclists on other legal issues, such as bicycletheft ,insurance , harassment of cyclists, defective products law, and non-professional contractual issues.Controversy
In most cases, it is legal for cyclists to ride on
roads in the United States. However, onlyvehicles that meet certain specifications are required to bear alicense plate . This can make it very difficult to report violations of statevehicle code s topolice .In December 2007,
Australia began cracking down on bicycle crimes due todeaths andinjuries being caused by bicyclenegligence . This is based on an incident which occurred in August 2007 when a 77 year-old man was killed by an oncoming bicyclist ignoring a red light. [ Bid to Reign in Rebel Bike Riders http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22902455-2862,00.html]References
*"
The Road Rights and Liabilities of Wheelmen ", byGeorge B. Clementson (Chicago: Callaghan & Co., 1895)
*"Bicycle Law and Practice ", byPaul F. Hill (1985, 1986)
*"Bicycle Accident Reconstruction and Litigation ", byJames M. Green ,Paul F. Hill , andDouglas Hayduk (Tucson, Arizona: Lawyers & Judges Publishing Co., 1996)
*"Bicycle Accident Reconstruction for the Forensic Engineer ", byJames M. Green andBob Mionske (2001)
*"", byJeffrey P. Broker andPaul F. Hill (Tucson, Arizona: Lawyers & Judges Publishing Co., 2006)
*"", byBob Mionske (Boulder, Colorado: VeloPress, 2007)
*"Bid to rein in rebel bikers ", byNatalie Tkaczuk Sikora http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22902455-2862,00.htmlExternal links
* [http://www.komotv.com/news/local/9103621.html Bicycle lawyers finding new clients in injured cyclists]
* [http://stc-law.com/pdf/Pedal_Power_Jun19.pdf Pedal Power]
* [http://www.woj.com.au/2007/08/12/us-bicycle-lawyers-finding-new-clients-in-injured-cyclists/ Free article of "bicycle lawyers finding new clients in injured cyclists plus Global RSS bike law articles listed here]
* [http://washingtonbikelaw.com/ Washington Bike Law - attorney was in article "Bicycle lawyers finding new clients in injured cyclists]
* [http://www.bicycleattorney.com/ Network of Bike Attorneys 2 of whom were also in the article "Bicycle lawyers finding new clients in injured cyclists"]
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