A tragic accident that killed a bicyclist near downtown Minneapolis during the morning rush hour Wednesday has put the Twin Cities bicycling community on alert once again to the dangers of inattentive car and truck drivers.

The bicyclist, Dennis Dunn of Minneapolis, was crushed by a commercial truck when the driver turned into the cycling lane on Park Avenue, near East 14th Street.

The accident happened about 7:40 a.m. and investigators were sent to the scene to reconstruct the accident.

As a one-way street with its own bike lane, Park Avenue near downtown is a heavily traveled route for bicyclists during the morning commute.

The accident happened on the same day as a previously scheduled National Ride of Silence for victims of bicycle accidents.

This latest Minnesota fatal bicycle accident is reminiscent of a crash last August that claimed the life of Twin Cities resident Julie Casey, a beautiful person in the prime of her life. Julie was on a ride up north with friends when she was struck by a semi-truck-trailer combination at a busy intersection near Clearwater, Minnesota.

Her husband and children are represented by Minneapolis-based Pritzker Olsen Attorneys, a firm that specializes in obtaining justice for bicyclists involved in collisions with motor vehicles.

Attorney Fred Pritzker, founder and president of the Minnesota bicycle accident law firm, is a former bicycle racer who himself rides to work. In Julie's case, he was able to establish that her death was caused by the negligence of the truck driver and was entirely preventable if the driver had been looking where he was going and paying attention to bicyclists traveling on an adjoining bicycle path. Read about bicycle accident death compensation.

In memory of Julie, and to prevent similar tragedies in the future, Julie’s husband, Jon Sandberg, and a graphic-artist friend of the family designed a bumper sticker to encourage attentiveness from motorists. The LOOK sticker is a fitting tribute to Julie, her family and friends and a reminder to motorists to look out for bicyclists.

For more information about Pritzker Olsen and the firm's strident approach and proven results in representing bicycle accident victims and their families, please call 1-888-377-8900 or complete an online form for a free case consultation.

Labels: bicycle accident, lawyer, Minnesota accident

On February 7, 2008, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission announced a voluntary recall of about 49,000 Trek MT220 Girls Bicycles. This recall involves Trek girls’ bicycles model MT220 and model years 2005 (light metallic blue), 2006 (metallic silver and metallic purple or pink and pearl white), and 2007 (pink and white pearl or metallic purple). The model name is printed on the frame of the bicycle. Model year 2008 bicycles re not included in this Trek recall.

According to the Trek bicycle recall announcement, the bicycle’s frame can break during use, causing the rider to lose control and suffer injuries. The manufacturer of the recalled Trek MT220 Girls Bicycles, Trek Bicycle Corp., of Waterloo, Wisconsin, has received 13 reports of frames breaking, including four minor injuries. Accidents involving the recalled Trek bicycles could lead to product liability claims, claims against drivers of other vehicles, and other claims. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer should be consulted regarding liability and compensation in a bicycle accident case.

To contact a lawyer at our law firm regarding a bicycle accident, please call toll-free at 1-888-377-8900 or submit our free case consultation form.

Labels: bicycle accident, lawyer, product liability, Trek recall