You might be surprised that your electric scooter most likely has the same laws and rules as your typical bicycle. Electric scooters have recently become popular because they are low-carbon, cheap, and efficient means of transportation for commuters and joy seekers worldwide. But it has also created some issues including sidewalk congestion, traffic obstruction, and accidents. This has caused a need for States to implement laws and guidelines to enforce safety and responsible for scooter riders and the general public. However, we have already seen instances of law enforcement inappropriately citing people for riding their electric scooter on sidewalks here in Arizona.

Sidewalks – Riding a scooter on the sidewalk is banned in only 10 states.

Streets – Only Pennsylvania and Delaware actually ban scooters on streets. For riders in States who ban scooters from sidewalks and for those who are comfortable riding in the street, scooter riders can ride in bike lanes and shoulders but must adhere to the same rights and privileges of a person riding a bicycle.

Arizona – Arizona passed laws (SB 1398) for electric scooters in April 2019 at the state level. They are treated very similarly to bikes, and an “electric standup scooter” is defined as less than 75 lbs in weight and 20 mph in top speed.

This means they can be ridden wherever a bike can (including sidewalks and excluding high speed roads) and that they do not require registration or insurance.

A.R.S. § 28-819. Electric bicycles; electric standup scooters

A. An operator of an electric bicycle or an electric standup scooter is granted all the rights and privileges and is subject to all of the duties of a person riding a bicycle. Except as otherwise provided in this section or as otherwise regulated by a local authority, an electric bicycle or an electric standup scooter is subject to the same provisions of this title as a bicycle.

Arizona is therefore one of the states that specifically states with some limited exceptions that electric scooters and electric bicycles are subject to the same rules of the road as bicycles. And, of course by now you know that most of the rules of the road for bicycles are the exact same as for cars- again with some notable exceptions.

Hopefully you never need our services for a bicycle crash, or electric scooter crash, etc. However, we are here for you when you need us. Be safe, have fun, ride smart and ride hard!

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Co-authored by Kaci Brown, at Bike Accident Attorneys

I hope you always enjoy the ride! Hopefully you’ll never need us, but if you are ever involved in a wreck—we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys who represent cyclists in every state. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer #BAA

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer — 2020 LOTOJA

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free.

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from
    your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident
    attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

In the first week of February, 2021, a cyclist here in Arizona was riding his bike all alone and was pulled over by a cop for not wearing a mask. He was headed west on Allison Rd. It is a route he takes often as do many other cyclists. See the picture below for the exact location.

This part of Arizona is on a section of land that is an Indian Reservation. It was an Reservation Police Officer who stopped the cyclist for not wearing a mask while riding his bike. In case you are wondering, the cop wasn’t wearing a mask either when he stopped the cyclist nor during any of his interactions with the cyclist. This is a classic example of the bias cyclists face in our legal system. There were and still are dog walkers, joggers, and many more users of the exact roadway here that were not wearing a mask that day. And the cop wasn’t wearing a mask either. Total hypocrisy. And be careful- this blog is not an expression of my feelings towards wearing or not wearing masks; I’ll share those another time. This incident is example of the very bias we face as experienced bicycle lawyers who help cyclists. Almost every case we have had we have seen a version of bias against cyclists. This is yet the most recent cultural and political example: mask wearing coupled with law enforcement targeting a solo cyclist and not anyone else.

Fortunately, the cyclist was not issued a ticket or a citation, this time. The cyclist was totally social distancing and riding solo. Yet he was still intentionally stopped by a cop for not wearing a mask.

If you have also been stopped by a cop as a cyclist for mask requirements, COVID-19 issues, or anything else relating to the pandemic please reach out to me and we can discuss the legal issues and possible resolutions for you. For now, be safe out there. Be smart. Be respectful. But by all means BE YOU. Ride your bike, live your life, be healthy.

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Enjoy the ride! Hopefully you’ll never need us, but if you are ever involved in a wreck- we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys who represent cyclists in every state. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer #BAA

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

Ever wonder what the process is for your personal injury case? Every want to know what the actual steps are to your personal injury case? Here is the basic outline of the process and steps to a personal injury case. These steps form a sort of case map and/or case timeline you can follow with your personal injury attorney. The first 7 steps are all about what happens up until a lawsuit is filed. Many cases are resolved before a law suit is filed.

1.  Consultation with an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney

a.   Call to set up a consultation with a reputable and experienced attorney. Our initial consultations are free of cost. Ben Dodge is a certified Master Advocate through the National Institute of Trial Attorneys. Having an experienced court room litigator answer your questions is always the best 1st step.

b.   In your consultation you should provide the attorney with all the facts of loss and provide any documentation you have available at that time. This may include medical bills, receipts, lost wages claim, and more.

c.    Do not speak with any insurance companies until meeting with your attorney. If you are needing to do so because you need to set up a rental car, etc., try to be as brief as possible on information you provide to them. They are trained to solicit answers from you to questions they ask that are only meant to help them.

2.  Property Damage

a.   Most attorneys do not fully handle the property damage portion as this is usually settled within 2 weeks depending on the circumstances. However, some firms will assist with this portion without additional fees.

b.   If you are claiming any additional property damaged be sure to take photos and provide receipts if possible.

3.  Medical Treatment

a.   If you are not already receiving medical treatment it is best that you find the medical provider that will best fit your needs. Beginning and fully completing medical treatment for your injuries will significantly make or break your case.

b.   Keeping up on your treatment and not having large gaps between treatment dates if not necessary.

c.   Keep your attorney/paralegal updated on all medical treatment and letting them know when you are released from treatment.

d.   Understanding that if you feel your injuries are not improving you can always get a second opinion or change providers.

e.   Always understand that your medical treatment is your choice, and you are responsible to voice any concerns you may have.

f.    Be sure you are providing your health insurance if discussed and if the provider accepts your insurance.  If your health insurance is billed there is a chance that there may be a lien for a portion, or all of the payments made.  This total is usually lower than the total cost of medical treatment. Your attorney/paralegal will confirm this with your health insurance. Medicare and Medicaid are automatically required to be reimbursed.

g.   Pay your patient portion of any bills during the case to keep them from going to collections.

h.    If a provider does not accept your insurance or for any reason you feel you do not want to use your health insurance, the provider may put your treatment on a lien.  If this is done, the lien must be honored from your settlement payment. This goes for any liens filed against your settlement.

4.  Developing Evidence

a.   Your Paralegal will be doing this from the time you sign the fee agreement with the firm.

b.   Collecting police report, video and photos, witness statements, accident reconstruction (if needed).

c.   Medical records, itemized billing, and paycheck stubs (if you have missed time from work for medical treatment).

d. Contacting and retaining the necessary expert witnesses to help prove our theory of liability. As your attorney we will assess your case and the probably need of litigation. And in more complex cases we will want to gather our expert witnesses early on so they can eventually help steer the litigation process. Expert witnesses will also read and evaluate the evidence we collect to help formulate their opinion.

5.  Demand Package (This will be done once all medical treatment has been completed)

a.   A demand letter outlining the facts of the case and explaining why the opposing party is liable.

b.   Medical records, itemized billing, police report, photos, and any other supporting documents will be included.

c.   A demand amount will also be listed as to what the attorney is valuing your case at and a starting point for negotiations.

d.   Once the demand package has been reviewed by the other side they will either: i. Accept the settlement offer ii. Respond with a counteroffer iii.   Decline the offer.

e.   Once an initial offer has been made the attorney/paralegal will follow up with you to discuss the offer and obtain your permission to either settle or respond with a counteroffer.

6.  Settlement

a.   Once an offer has been accepted the adjuster will send over a release form for the client to sign.

b.   Once the release has been signed you may not go after the defendant or insurance company for the same accident.

c.   The signed release will be returned, and the check will be issued to your attorney office at which time funds will be disbursed.

d.  Depending on the situation, after attorneys’ fees and costs, payments will be made accordingly.  If there are liens filed, they must be paid from the settlement and anything further is discussed if you would like them paid directly or if you would like to handle paying the remaining providers.

7.   UM/UIM/Medical Payments Coverage

  1. There are different types of coverages that may be used along with the third-party or in the case that there is not third-party coverage.
  2. Uninsured motorist would be used in the chance that the third-party does not have coverage or fled the scene and was unable to be contacted.  This is coverage that is added to your own policy and is not automatically added.
  3. Under-insured motorist would be used when the third-party’s limits are not adequate to cover your medical expenses.  This claim would be submitted once the third-party tenders their policy limits.  This coverage is also added to your own policy and is not automatically added.
  4. Medical Payments is another additional coverage that you can add to your policy.  This is something that we can submit for once we have billing that would equal the coverage available.

The above coverages are all optional and must be added upon your request.  some insurance companies may offer and require you to sign if you refuse the coverage to show that it was offered.

8.   File a Lawsuit

a.   Filing a lawsuit becomes necessary when the at fault party’s insurance refuses to pay, or offers something so low it can never fully compensate our client. Filing a law suit has some strict timelines. Every case is different, however in most cases not involving a government municipality the timeline is 2 years from the date of the accident to file a law suit.

b.   Cases involving governmental entities require a notice of claim to be filed at 6 months from the accident date. Then a lawsuit filing deadline of just 12 months from the accident date.

c.   After the suit is filed there is a lengthy period of time where “discovery” and “disclosure” occurs. This is where both sides request and show each other critical information regarding the facts and theories of liability, etc. of the case. Cases are often won and lost with how well this process is done.

d.   Next is depositions. Depositions are formal recorded and sworn testimonies under oath. They are often held at your attorney’s office or the offices of the defense lawyers. In a deposition you, the witnesses, and expert witnesses will all be asked questions under oath. These are used as a tool to nail down what testimony and what facts will be heard later at trial.

e.   At anytime in the case, but particularly after the depositions are conducted, the Motions of a case are presented. Motions are often used to get certain facts thrown out, or theories of liability established prior to the trial. Here a lawyer can get a certain part of a case, or even a party to the case dismissed. Using the evidence collected so far through discovery and the depositions you can ask the judge make some decisions early, even before the trial. You do all of this through the Motions. Common motions include a Motion for Summary Judgment, or a Motion to Dismiss, and so on.

f.   Settlement. At anytime a case can settle. Often after the discovery, or depositions, and the motions – a case may finally settle. If at any point both parties reach an agreement then they are free to settle. We have even seen this literally on the court house steps as a case is about to start a trial. We have also seen settlements happen during the middle of trials. Your lawyer should be good enough to always explore the maximum settlement opportunities for you at any given point in your case. Always weigh the settlement against the risk of trial.

g.   Trial. Finally, if no settlement could be reached then we go to trial! Trial is where we present your case to a jury for you. The defense also presents their case against you to the jury. Then the jury ultimately decides. It is always a gamble. It is a risk that should be carefully thought through with every settlement offer. Many lawyers are inappropriately afraid of courtroom litigation and trial. You should avoid such lawyers. The best of our profession are proudly litigators. We are attorneys who run towards a courtroom not away from it. While many cases don’t end up in trial we are confident that when we prepare for a trial we get the better settlements. Our clients always net more because of the hard work we put in and the reputation we have.

Enjoy the ride! Hopefully you’ll never need us, but if you are ever involved in a wreck- we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys who represent cyclists in every state. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer #BAA

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Contributing Author for this article: Mandy Miller, @ Bike Accident Attorneys.

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

As a cyclist and bicycle crash lawyer, here are the best things you should do and know in case you are ever involved in a bike crash.

With what appears to be record numbers of bicycle crashes and more and more people riding bikes, it seems important to review what every cyclist should know from a legal perspective about hi/her bike crash. There are important things that can help preserve your rights and protect you in BOTH the immediate moments after your crash and the long ensuing court battles ahead.

1. DO call 911. Hopefully by now you know how valuable your cell phone can be when cycling. Its not just useful for cool aps such as Strava! Your cell phone is your best tool in your accident for many reasons, first and foremost it is important to immediately call 911 for any medical assistance needed. Call a relative and/or a close friend as well to come out and provide any assistance you may need, such as photographing the accident, collecting your bike, providing you a ride back home, meeting you at the hospital, etc. These calls provide a clear trail that documents your injuries and often ignites the police into action for police reports and investigations if necessary. Of course there is the ambulance issue as well. Calling 911 will trigger a response from medical providers at the scene. They will make sure to check out how injured you are and may even transport you to the nearest hospital. Many of my clients don’t like the ambulance and refuse their offer of transport. I know, I get it- cyclists are tough. We all know that soccer players pretend to be injured while cyclists pretend not to be injured. But in the case of a bike crash it is best to make sure you are not injured by the appropriate medical professionals. Allow yourself to be seen, treated, and transported if necessary. Worst case is they release you that same day form your local hospital. At least all of your future rides that you suffer on will not cause any question or concern whether the “pain” and “suffering” you feel are related to your bicycle crash or just simply due to your incredibly hard training efforts! Any insurance and medical bill concerns should come second to your priority of ensuring you’re injuries are taken care of.

2. DO Get Medical Help. Seek any necessary medical attention as soon as possible. When arriving home again after the accident you should make immediate appointments with any and all necessary medical professionals to begin treatment for your injuries sustained in the bicycle accident. Any delays in treatment will be negatively viewed by the insurance companies as simply not relating to your bicycle crash. Some common medical treatments will be chiropractic care, physical therapy, orthopedic care, and more. It is important to continue seeing these doctors until they officially release you form their care. Many of my clients have to be reminded to actually go to the doctor! They sit at home with broken bones and open wounds hoping time will make it all better. While I generally applaud this mentality in every other context, it makes your legal case hell. Insurance companies are looking for any reason NOT to pay you or to pay you as little as possible. Not seeing doctors or even completing their recommended treatment plans is a recipe for legal disaster when it comes time to argue your injuries. I wish it was more plain and simple, and that good old fashioned common sense was still a prevailing mindset. But it is isn’t, and your case will need a paper trail. Your doctor visits and treatments all make up the necessary paper trail.

3. DO take lots of photos. Again, your cell phone is an important tool. Use it to capture as many photos of the accident scene as possible. Try to capture the damage to the car, the bike, and of course to your person. Take photos of the streets, the lighting, the road conditions, and anything else that may look important. If you are too injured to take photos try and ask for help from a nearby witness, or anyone who is there and willing to do so. The more pictures taken the better. If at all possible, try not to move the bicycle or the vehicle until after a few photos are taken. Use your phone to take photos of the driver’s license and insurance card as well. If you are too hurt then hopefully a riding companion or a witness nearby can take these photos for you at your request. It is ok to ask for help in doing this.

4. DO collect the names and contact information for all witnesses. Don’t assume they will be easy to contact from a police report, or by finding them on Facebook. Take the time to get their current contact information so your attorney can contact them later. Ask them to stick around until the police arrive so they can make a statement for the official report. Take pictures of their contact info if that is faster, and of them if they permit it. Tracking down witnesses later is more difficult than you think. Collect as much info as possible so you or you bicycle attorney can find them later.

Bicycle Crash Lawyer Ben Dodge

5. DO get all of the contact information possible on the driver, including the make, model, color, and license plate number of the driver’s vehicle as well as all contact and insurance information for the driver. Use your cell phone to help collect this information and take photos of these important documents if you are able. As always, ask someone nearby to help and assist you in collecting this information if you are too injured to do so. If you are involved in a bike crash with NO driver- then collect as much info as possible for the bad road condition, debris, etc. as you can. It may be a construction issue and you can collect that construction company’s info, etc. Just collect all contact info you can. Later one it may prove to be much more difficult.

6. STAY OFF OF SOCIAL MEDIA. In our society social media seems to be the only way we connect or even communicate with some people. Don’t use ANY Social Media platforms to discuss the case. Don’t post about it or explain to anyone what you think happened, etc. Don’t post medical updates about your recovery, don’t post any physical activities you may or may not be doing. Stay off. Stay off. Stay off. Many of the large insurance companies have whole divisions of employees whose sole job is to scan and collect social media statements from the parties involved in accidents. They use this information to help support their positions. I have seen clients get tagged by their friends on Instagram and Face Book posts where weeks after their accident they were making a statement about how they feel a little better now. These statements are blown out of proportion and taken out of context to make it sound like no other medical treatment after such statement is even necessary. It gets crazy. Or worse, you say you’re hurt then a week later you pist a picture of yourself rock climbing, or at another bike race, etc. True story. Also- stay off strava, map my ride, my fitness pal, garmin connect, and all other platforms for tracking your rides. After your bike crash you should not be posting any rides until your doctor says you are cleared to ride again.

7. DO keep all of the GPS and Strava data from that ride. This information stored in your GPS devices (such as a Garmin, etc.) can provide helpful information about the events immediately prior to and during your bicycle accident. Many of these devices record helpful information about the % grade of the road, your speed, the time of day, the weather, and much more. This information can be helpful in establishing your own innocence in a bicycle accident, and can provide much needed details when fighting with an insurance company. Sometimes police officers wrongly issue citations to cyclists and these citations be better overturned when we have data to support our position.

8. DON’T discuss any aspect of the bicycle accident case with the driver. I wish I didn’t have to even discuss this topic, because moral decency integrity, and ethics seem to have faded away from many in our society. Nevertheless, as your lawyer it is better to err on the side of caution when you speak with the driver. Sometimes we inadvertently say sorry to the driver even though we cyclists aren’t at fault. It is human to be sorry that an crash happened, it shouldn’t mean you’re claiming responsibility. But in our day and age, that is what a jury thinks. These and other similar statements can and will be seized by the insurance companies and at fault drivers as some sort of confessional to liability. When the cops arrive and start taking statements the driver may inform the cop of your “sorry” statement and may begin to assume that you are at fault. It is certainly OK to listen to the driver go on and on about the accident, especially if he/she is admitting fault. But you should never say anything about the accident. Seriously, say nothing at all – don’t talk about how curvy the road was right there, or how crazy fast the light changed, etc. Say nothing. Just collect his/her info.

9. DON’T leave the scene of the accident until the police have told you that you are free to go. Unfortunately, leaving the scene of an accident is actually a criminal violation in many states. It is for sure in Arizona. Never leave until you have been told you are free to go. Additionally, you may be so nervous and anxious that you just want to get right on your bike in spite of the pain and the injuries you suffered and just quickly ride home (if the bike is still even somewhat functional). Such a decision is not only criminal but can actually reduce or hurt your bicycle accident claim in a serious manner as the insurance company may simply use it as evidence that you are not really injured. Many of us are pretty amped up after a bike wreck and the adrenaline alone can carry us home. Then a few days or hours later and we are in agonizing pain. Be smart and stick around until you are free to go and it is safe to do so. True story: A client of mine was hit and broke his leg in two places. He hopped up, limped to his bike and out of fear, confusion, and an overwhelming desire to get the heck out of there- he just pedaled away in agonizing pain. We settled that case, but it wasn’t easy when we were claiming how much it hurt and they kept saying it couldn’t have hurt that bad since he still rode his bike afterwards.

10. DO call an experienced bicycle accident attorney. Bicycle wrecks are unique. There isn’t a personal injury attorney on the planet who would turn your case down. Personal Injury lawyers are often like cockroaches- they’re everywhere. Every billboard, every t.v and radio commercial, every bus stop, sides of buses, just everywhere! But they don’t know a thing about cycling. They don’t know a thing about the bias and how to deal with it in our legal system. They don;t understand how your bicycle can be worth more than their receptionist’s car. And they just treat every personal injury case the same with a standard red car vs blue car scenario where the fastest settlement is what is best for them. Most lawyers are so scared of the court room they only take settlement offers. Many personal injury lawyers brag about how they can wear blue jeans and a t-shirt to work because all they do is make phone calls and write letters to get some stupid settlement offer out of the insurance company- then they sell that “offer” to you their client as the “best possible scenario give all the circumstances,” etc. It is all B.S.

That is not what you need. You need someone who knows the cycling community. Who knows your local cycling ordinances, statutes, and regulations. You need someone who actually rides bicycles. You need someone who actually goes to court and isn’t afraid to stick it to every idiot insurance company out there with a law suit. There is a very real bias out there that drivers feel towards cyclists. There is a belief that as cyclists we are somehow at fault for these “accidents.” As if we are “stupid enough” to ride on streets where cars also drive then we somehow deserve to get hit. This bias is not limited to just the drivers out there – I have seen it in police officers and insurance adjusters as well. Educating the police officers, the drivers, and the insurance companies on cyclists’ rights is the only way these cases end up receiving fair treatment. OFTEN that education comes via my lawsuit. I take them to court. I show them the laws and make the arguments necessary for my client’s success. An experienced bicycle accident lawyer will be able to help identify the key issues in a bike accident that lend to a stronger medical and financial recovery. No cyclist should have to settle for less just because when they were in an accident they were riding a bike and not driving a car.

Enjoy the ride! Hopefully you’ll never need us, but if you are ever involved in a wreck- we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys who represent cyclists in every state. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer #BAA

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

“Why can’t I just ride on the sidewalk and not even risk getting hit by a car?” great question. SO many reasons. Both the law and educated experience provide answers to this question. The data may not surprise you, but sidewalks suck and are much less safe than riding on the road.

Sidewalks Are Really SUCKWALKS

First, lets get a little story about sidewalks in. My 10 year old son is obsessed with roads right now. He loves the sound of the cracks as we drive over them, the overpasses and bridges, and the dedicated bike lanes we see all over our beautiful city. Almost every time I return from a ride he asks me what roads I went on. I tell him and then he gets frustrated and disappointed because it is “unfair” that I get to ride on the road and he has to ride on the sidewalk. He recently learned that term “this sucks”. He has now told me that sidewalks are really just “suck walks” because it sucks to ride on sidewalks. I busted up laughing at his newly coined word and how appropriate it really is in this context. He has no idea how right he is. I love it. I love everything about it. You’ll see him below when I took him out on a little field trip to teach him about bike lanes and sidewalks. He sat down in the bike lane (don’t worry, it was a little side street with no traffic whatsoever) and we just chatted all about the importance of bike lanes.

My 10yr Old Son & I On a Father-Son Field Trip to Discuss Bike Lanes

Why Does It Suck to Ride on a Sidewalk?

In a semi recent bicycle collision report published by the city of Phoenix in 2010, the conclusion was that approximately 70% of the bicycle collisions- the cyclist was riding on the sidewalk or had just left the sidewalk. It is legitimately more dangerous to ride on a sidewalk than on the street. For most motorists, the driveways or side streets with sidewalks on either side are points of entry or exits. In most cases the motorists is eagerly waiting for a break in traffic just to make the entry or exit that inevitably intersects the sidewalks. They don’t pay attention to pedestrians and cyclists on the sidewalk when they are looking for the momentary break in traffic. And when they finally see that break in traffic they almost floor it just to get in our out of where they are going.

That lack of attention from motorists is one major reason why it SUCKS to ride on sidewalks. But there are some legal issues here as well.

ARS 28-627 Grants Local Cities the Authority to Make Traffic Laws & It May Be Illegal in Your City!

While the State statutes do not address bicycles on sidewalks in Arizona, the local and individual cities can and often do enact their own rules for sidewalk riding. It can be legal or illegal depending on what city you are in or in some cases what part of a city you are in. For a more detailed article on this specific issue you can check our our other post: Is It Legal to Ride my Bike on the Sidewalk. The short answer is it can absolutely be illegal. For most cities however, they make an exception for smaller bicycles based on wheel size so as to not penalize children from riding on the sidewalk. Almost to encourage them to actually ride on the sidewalk instead of the road. Can you imagine little 4 year old Sally riding in the road? Probably not. I can’t either. Based on the speeds of most children and the fact they mostly ride in neighborhoods and not on busy commercial streets riddled with strip malls, sidewalks may be safer for them. I know I make my son ride on them when we ride together and we go much slower than when I roll with my racing team out in the roadways.

Sidewalk vs Bike Lane

Hands down there is a huge difference here. The bike lane is a dedicated part of the road way intended for use by bicycles. There are specific protections and traffic laws/rules relating to them intended to protect cyclists. If a cyclist was hit while legally riding in the bike lane his/her case of sharing some of the fault with the driver is much easier to win. However, when the cyclist is on the sidewalk the contributory negligence arguments get much harder to win. Often cyclists on sidewalks are riding against the flow of traffic. They often don’t have helmets. And they may be illegally on the sidewalk with an adult sized bike, or on a sidewalk where cycling is prohibited by local municipal code. Not to mention that sidewalks are shared by so many users and bike lanes are meant just for bicycles.

Final Conclusion: Avoid riding on a SUCKWALK.

Avoid riding on a suckwalk. They are far more dangerous, and present more tricky legal considerations that can harm your case. If you find yourself on a sidewalk be sure to monitor traffic from both directions as best as possible when you approach an intersection or driveway. Motorists seem to come from every angle and you don’t want to get hit. Sidewalks suck. They may be illegal and they definitely aren’t safe. Use the bike lane, or the shoulder, or even take the lane when you must.

Enjoy the ride! Hopefully you’ll never need us, but if you are ever involved in a wreck- we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys who represent cyclists in every state. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer #BAA

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

“Do I have to ride all the way to the right? What if there is no bike lane, or zero shoulder? Where in the road is it legal to ride my bike? Where is it illegal to ride?” I get asked these questions fairly often. The short answer is “it depends.”

Why is there so much confusion among police officers, motor vehicle drivers, insurance adjusters and even some cyclists when it comes down to this question? Simple, most people are confused because they either don’t know the law and how to apply it, and/or they are blinded by bias.

“GET OFF THE F*ing ROAD” he screamed…

True story: car drives by and buzzes a cyclist within an inch or two. Yelling and screaming gout the window to get off the f*ing road. Cyclist is nearly knocked of his bike in the process and run off the road in what certainly amounts to very dangerous conditions. All because this driver couldn’t wait to pass, or pass with 3 feet of clearance between himself and the cyclist.

This is not an unfamiliar story to many of us who ride. You each likely have dozens of these experiences yourself. No doubt we can all share story after story of reckless and angry drivers who place our lives in danger out of their own impatience.

This raises the major question of where exactly are we legally obligated to be and allowed to be? They are different. Lets look at Arizona bicycle laws. Arizona is where our Bike Accident Attorneys National Network is headquartered. Arizona bicycle laws and traffic laws are very similar to many other states:

Bicycles Can Use the Roadway

Arizona Revised Statutes 28-812 expressly grants cyclists the right to use the road when it states that a person riding a bicycle is “granted all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties” that apply to a driver of a vehicle. In its simplest intent this statute says bicycles can use the roads. The very same roads that cars use. It is from this statute that the conflict between cyclist and driver seems to be born, both having equal rights and duties on the roadways. Most states have a similar statute wherein cyclists are granted express permission to use the roadways as well as express duties that for the most part mirror that of drivers.

So why then do drivers get so mad at cyclists on the roadways? Good question. Too much to address here in this article, but my personal belief is our culture in America is so different towards cycling as a means of transportation that tend to view cyclists as annoying pests instead of equals. And that culture has a lot of contributing factors, from our impatience to the sheer number of people who commute via car rather than bike, etc. and so much more.

So Where On the Roadway MUST We Ride? To the Right?

In general, the law requires a cyclist who is riding “at less than the normal speed of traffic” to ride “as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway” (ARS 28-815). This the Arizona law that many other states also have. Note that this only applies if the cyclist is riding at less than the normal speed of traffic. And even then the statute further specifies that it is “less than the normal speed of traffic at the time and place and under the conditions then existing.” One great example is a downhill descent. It is often much safer to take the lane when you can reach speeds comparable to that of traffic under the conditions, time, and place then existing.

Essentially, as cyclists we are REQUIRED to stay to the right. However, there are a list if exceptions: (ARS 28-815)

  • If passing another bicycle or vehicle going in the same direction as you on your bike
  • If prepping for a left turn into an intersection, private road, or driveway.
  • If reasonably necessary to avoid conditions like fixed or moving objects, parked cars, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, or other surface hazards.
  • If the lane you’re riding in is too narrow for a bicycle and vehicle to travel safely, side by side.

That last point is the one we must really clarify. When is it unsafe for a vehicle and a bicycle to ride side by side? Simple, in a state like Arizona where we have a 3 foot passing law (see ARS 28-735 and/or this article) then any lane where you can’t pass a cyclist with 3 feet then the cyclist can take the lane. Period. End of story. Or is it…?

The exception to the exception: if you are riding your bicycle slower than the normal flow of traffic on a 2 lane highway where passing is unsafe (i.e. curvy mountain roads, etc.), AND 5 or more vehicles are all waiting behind you; then you are now impeding traffic. You must pull over to let them pass you (ARS 28-704).

Final Conclusion: Ride to the Right or Take the Lane, Both Seem to Work!

Cyclists: At the end of the day you should ride to the right except when it isn’t safe or impracticable to do so. Then you should occupy the lane. When taking the lane just take the right 1/3 or 1/2. Proceed cautiously and take the lane after confirming it is safe to do so with any oncoming traffic, etc. Pay attention to curvy two lane highways or other roadways where due to the lack of a bike lane you end up causing 5 or more cars to stack up behind you. If that happens pull over and let them pass. Also be wise, be safe, don’t take the lane just because you think you can. ONLY take it when necessary for your safety.

Drivers: Be careful and cautious. The cyclists out there have the same right to use the roads that you do. Do not pass them unless you can do so with at least 3 feet of distance between you and the cyclist. At times you may see a cyclist out in the lane. This is normal. Most likely there is debris in the road that the cyclist can see more clearly than you. Avoid honking as you drive by as this can often cause a crash. Be wise, be patient and chill out. Stay off your phone and pay attention to your surroundings.

***

Enjoy the ride! Hopefully you’ll never need us, but if you are ever involved in a wreck- we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys who represent cyclists in every state. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer #BAA

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

For those of you who love the dirt and park outside your local state park but ride your bike into the park on some other connecting trails- you may get a ticket! It seems to make sense that if you find that magical parking spot outside of the state park that you somehow figured out a clean way to skirt the system. You may learn the hard way that you might just be wrong and a ticket will show up on your parked vehicle. Here’s what you need to know…

State Park Fees are for Entrance into the park not for Parking

Oddly enough some out door enthusiasts and mountain bikers believe that the fees they pay are for parking. However, typical sate park fees across the country are considered entrance fees and just include parking. Some other state parks have an additional fee for parking, but that is less common.

When you understand that an entrance fee is not a parking fee then you may start to realize why some Park Rangers are getting away with writing tickets and leaving them on your windshield. When you return it looks and feels like a parking ticket. But in reality it is a user/entrance fee of the state park.

Local Example: Usery Mountain Regional Park

Here in Arizona a local park full of decent mountain biking and hiking trails is located east of Phoenix. While it’s official name is Usery Mountain Regional Park, we all just refer to it as Usery. There is also a ton of road cyclists who make the paved climb and the decent a regular part of their weekly training.

Like many other state and regional parks, Usery has a main entrance staffed with some park rangers. They collect your entrance fee there at the gate before you’re allowed inside. Once you’re all paid up and parked, you are free to use the many hiking, biking, or horseback trails available to you. There is even some camping sites built around the park.

And like many other state and regional parks, there are numerous trails that start outside the park and lead into the park. One such famous entry point at Usery is the corner of W. McKellips and N. Crismon Road. This is an official entrance to the park, however there is no ranger station built there and you will never see a ranger standing there to collect your entrance fees. Most weekends this corner is full of vehicles parked all over the dirt section. Most of them are mountain bikers.

E. McKellips Road and N. Crismon

We actually called the Maricopa County Assessor’s Office to confirm whether or not that section of dirt on the North and East side of those two roads is privately owned rather than park property. That dirt section is in fact owned by Maricopa County. After a conversation with Maricopa County Parks and Recreation we learned that they intentionally cleared out more of that dirt section to make more parking available for users of the park. It is not an official parking lot by any stretch of the imagination but it is widely known as a great parking spot for this entrance into the park and the park itself supports parking there by their own actions.

I get reports from frustrated cyclists that they are getting tickets for parking in the dirt area which has been clearly supported for parking by the park. I always love supporting our cycling community so I start looking into it. Turns out that the park is not writing parking tickets at all but rather writing tickets for non payment of the usage fee into the park. After speaking with a ranger, we learned that they are assuming that whoever parks there is using the park. If someone is parked in that dirt area north and east of McKellips and Crismon roads without a usage permit then you will get ticketed.

The annual pass permit is only $30 and can be purchased in several areas around town but NOT at this dirt lot entrance. If you purchase and display an annual pass then you can park there without any tickets. There is also an option for a day pass of $2.00 per vehicle which you can purchase there in order to gain lawful entry into the park. The $2.00 user fee for a day pass is an “on your honor” type system where you leave your money in an envelope type deal there onsite and take a pass for your windshield. Ironically, the $2.00 fee doesn’t allow entry into the main gate. That is a much higher fee.

Maricopa County Parks and Recreation: Park Rule 104

THE FOLLOWING ACTS ARE PROHIBITED IN MARICOPA COUNTY PARKS:
R-104 ENTRY, USE, OCCUPANCY, FEES

  1. Entering, using, or occupying of a Maricopa County Park or its facilities, designated trails or waterways under the supervision and control of the Department for any purpose when said parks or areas are posted against such entrance, use, occupancy or where barriers exist.
  2. Entering upon or using for any purpose, the land, water or facilities within the boundaries of Maricopa County Parks when a fee, rental, admission or other consideration has been established for such land, water or facilities, unless the person entering or using such land, water or facility has paid said fee, rental, admission or other consideration.

So 104(1) doesn’t apply to the McKellips/Crismon parking issue because there is no barrier there as intended by this rule. However, Rule104(2) does specifically states that you are not allowed to enter or use the land without paying the use/entrance fee. And in this scenario the use/entrance fee is clearly posted at the entrance with means to leave your money and claim your permit right there.

Conclusion

For sure ride your bike more! When riding in regional or state parks be sure to understand what permits/usage fees are required to gain lawful entrance. Regardless of where you park make sure you have obtained the correct permit to lawfully ride. Most state and regional parks require one. Support local, regional, federal, and state parks as much as possible by paying the appropriate fees to use them.

Enjoy the ride! Hopefully you’ll never need us, but if you are ever involved in a wreck- we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys who represent cyclists in every state. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer #BAA

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

It’s important your bicycle lawyer have some basic skillz (as they say these days). Recently when I interviewed cyclists about what they expect their lawyer to know and do I was not shocked to learn the following expectations. Proudly, I can say “I got this” to my clients.

Be A “Badass” in The Courtroom

Not surprised and I can’t agree more! Of course you want your bicycle lawyer to be able to go toe to toe with the largest and meanest of insurance companies and their army of attorneys. Would you ever really hire someone who isn’t the most incredible trial lawyer and total bad ass in the courtroom? No one wants to show up to war with an untrained, nervous, and awkward soldier. Yet law school does absolutely nothing for people who want to learn how to be incredible attorneys. How do you know your bicycle lawyer is even good as a lawyer in the court room? When is the last time they were even in trial? What do they intentionally do to keep up on their skillz?

The deep dark secret is that law school only teaches you how to think differently, not how to be a lawyer. This is a huge problem. A true Trial Attorney is a dwindling breed in a subset of our profession. I’ll be blatantly honest and bold in this following comment and I don’t mean to intentionally hurt anyone’s feelings, but on the hand I also don’t care if other lawyers find this offensive: 95% of lawyers have no business representing clients in court. Most lawyers don’t have the gumption, the skill, the tactics, the strategies, the persuasiveness, the mind, the courtroom presence, etc. to ever effectively be a trial attorney. It is a dwindling breed. When more and more cases settle there is less of a need for the development of true trial attorneys. A law degree doesn’t mean crap. A trial lawyer is more of a “reputation” thing that only trial lawyers earn over time, especially the good ones. The rest of everyone else I affectionately call Pencil Pushers. They belong behind a desk somewhere thinking about how to draft some legal document, but never should they actually go argue it in court.

Recently I attended an advanced trial skills clinic in Washington D.C. with some of the best trial attorneys currently in our country. Some of the federal judges in attendance all agreed that trial lawyers are a dwindling breed. Clinics and courses like these are not widely attended by my peers because they take too much time and cost too much money. What shame. Especially when many of those same lawyers have zero court room skillz.

My clients expect an amazing lawyer and that is what I give them. I’m all in. I seize every opportunity to be better and learn more. I take professional and personal development seriously. I have even been known to hire professional actors and theater personalities to provide training on court room verbal and physical presentation skills. “Refine your craft. Hone your skillz. Be better today than you were yesterday.” All words I live by. Besides, have you noticed the subtle (or maybe not so subtle) 3 letter designation for our national racing team: BAA Racing. Bike Accident Attorneys, or one with a little imagination could see: BAA for an entirely different meaning. A meaning our clients understand, bad ass attorneys. 😉 See our 2020 racing team jersey:

Have Integrity

Lawyers need to be brutally honest with their clients. I hate it when a client comes to me who spoke to another lawyer prior to hiring me and told me what that lawyer said. It usually involves something along the lines of a lie about the real case value or process of the case in hopes of getting that client to hire them.

Maintaining integrity with our clients is a HUGE part of our culture. We speak plainly and frequently to our clients. If we think the insurance company or opposing attorneys are jerking our clients around then we tell them. We don’t try and make it look like their low ball settlement offer is the “best you will likely get.” Instead we take the gloves off and take those jerks to court. Period.

Our clients here from us every couple of weeks at most. I insist that they get regular updates on how their case is going even if the news isn’t always good. Constant and frank communication is necessary for anyone who practices law with integrity. I prefer it and so do most human beings.

Ride Bicycles

Seriously, how many accident lawyers and personal injury lawyers do you know that actually bicycles? How in touch can they be with what you’re experiencing as a client? I know most personal injury lawyers try to get as many accident cases as possible and they treat them all the same. It is usually NEGLIGENCE and they just run a bicycle accident case through their standard negligence injury formula of:

  1. Duty
  2. Breach
  3. Causation (& proximate cause)
  4. Damages

They simply rely on their experience of classic motor vehicle style accidents: red car hits blue car, blah blah blah. They look at you as a bicycle client and say the car had a duty to drive in a safe manner and not to hit you. The car breached that duty when it made an unsafe turn through the intersection. Your client’s unsafe turn was the cause and proximate cause of my bicycle client’s injuries her car hit my client on his bicycle in that turn. My client in fact suffered physical damages to his body/person with documented medical injuries as well as property damages to his bicycle.

Looking at a bicycle law case like a car case may be legal malpractice. The typical personal injury lawyer will treat it like a car case and miss important issues that can change the outcome of the case and limit the ability of the lawyer to effectively represent the cyclist. For example, they overlook any mention of a “sun glare” in the police report and as to why the investigating officer felt it was really reasonable for any driver not to see the cyclist. Therefore no citation was issued. They over look that the cyclist wasn’t in just a shoulder but a designated bike path affording some privileges and protection. They over look the issue that the cyclist had day light lights on his bike. They don’t understand how to extrapolate the cyclist’s garmin data, and they may not even know what a garmin is. They over look the similarities and frequencies of the cyclist’s chosen route as can be demonstrated in Strava, Gamrin Connect, and other apps like map my ride, etc. that all show how the cyclist safely proceeds through that intersection hundreds of times before. They look at bicycle damages in awe not understanding what comprises a drive train or how micro cracks around a bottom bracket must be X-rayed to positively ID.

In short, they just miss too much and then accept a laughably low settlement offer because they don’t understand what they are missing. They don’t understand what they don’t know. Then like any other typical personal injury lawyer who is not a cyclist, they move onto the next car case they have and continually focus on volume rather than quality.

BAA Founder and Bicycle Litigation Lawyer Ben Dodge

Be a Human

In fact – most lawyers are total douche bags. Have you ever heard the old joke about “How many lawyer jokes actually exist? Answer: Only 3, the rest are true.” Sadly lawyers earn their horrible reputations and the jokes about our profession are less and less a joke and more often than not true statements. Another classic lawyer joke with far too much truth about the character of lawyers is: “What happens if you give a lawyer Viagra? He gets taller.” Hinting that lawyers are just jerks. They don’t truly respect their clients and often talk down to them with a big ego and considerable condescension. People wan to be treated kindly, especially when they are paying you to represent them.

I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that many lawyers could care less about treating their clients with kindness, they only care about making the money. They never connect the fact that the client’s trusting you and their choice to keep you hired is the only way you continue to make the money. And the benefit of a referral far outweighs some ridiculous marketing strategy to get new clients.

We get it. Legals matters can be sensitive and complicated. We make sure to empathize and sympathize with our clients. We understand that our clients are people and that they would have rather not ever even needed a lawyer, but now that they do we are here for them. We have their back. We protect them. We love and appreciate them. One simple way we show this is to spontaneously send hand written cards to our clients throughout their case, and even after their case has concluded. We thank them for doing a great job in court that day, or acknowledge a birthday their child may have had, or simply tell them that we are thinking of them and hoping they have a great day. With our fatality cases we will even set up meals, assist setting up child care arrangements, and on the anniversary of the death date we will usually set up some sort of memorial or some other meaningful event to honor them. We understand the importance of being bad ass lawyers as well as being incredible humans in meeting our clients needs.

Make sure you find a bicycle lawyer with skillz. We are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys who represent cyclists in every state. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer #BAA

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

The group ride is a hallmark of cycling and a major reason many cyclists enjoy riding their bikes. Most of our routes and daily rides take the shape of some version of a group ride. It could be a handful or less of your closest friends planning something the night before on a text thread. Or it could be a regularly schedule local group ride you want to hop on.

Fact is we all LOVE group rides. They are fun, social, and often can push us to a physical effort level we may not reach on an individual ride. Whatever your reason for joining a group ride, make sure you CLEARLY UNDERSTAND the #1 One Tip. Knowing this can build trust between your fellow riders, ensure your safety and theirs, and boost confidence.

The #1 Group Ride Tip is:

Point out hazards. It sounds easy, and even lame to some people. But it is hands down the number one group ride tip out there. There are hundreds of suggestions and even unwritten group riding rules of etiquette related to group riding. There are rules on how to properly wear your sunglasses and the proper length of your socks. There are really important tips related to drafting and wheel overlapping. Not sprinting from the middle of a pack, and more. All of these are incredible and worth learning. Why is pointing out hazards the #1 tip? Because pointing out hazards can not only save you but can save the group from devastating crashes. It takes no bike handling skill. It requires no real experience. And yet it can help avoid gnarly bike crashes. ANYONE can do it. EVERYONE should do it. You can show up to your first group ride and be an expert at it simply by learning what is expected of you without having ridden much at all. Plus, some of us more experienced riders get to casual in our hazard pointing. We get too comfortable thinking “surely everyone behind me can see this…” – when in fact, rarely can your fellow cyclists see anything in front of you, or even next to you. Call it out. Point it out. Nail this down or get nailed out there.

Everyone appreciates the cyclist who points out hazards. Do your part in the group and ensure everyone sees what you are pointing out. Make sure if you see another cyclist pointing something out that you also gesture, and make your gesture big. Ensure the message is received all the way down through the group. It creates a feeling of safety, security, and trust. Be the cyclist that points out hazards. Don’t be the cyclist not paying attention, or not effectively pointing out hazards. No one wants to ride behind or with the careless cyclist. We all have been in group rides where we instantly mark the guy to avoid.

What Hazards?

There may be too many to list them all. However, anything that poses a risk to you and/or your group is a hazard. Especially when you are in the front of the group you may be able to easily avoid a bump, dip, crack, pothole, etc in the road but in the middle of back of the group it may be much more difficult to see. Hazards may include:

  1. Road defects such as cracks, potholes, uneven surfaces, dips, bumps, and more.
  2. Construction issues such as cones, metal plates, ditches, incomplete road surfaces, signs, and more.
  3. Traffic Signals and stop signs and other road signs and indicators.
  4. Traffic issues such as heavy traffic, car up ahead, car back, passing cars, parked cars, big trucks, cars at intersections.
  5. Intersections and directions such as right and or left turns, slowing, and stopping.
  6. Road debris such as branches, rocks, gravel, sand, bits of car tires, the million weird things that fall out of cars and end up in the bike lane (one time I had to avoid hitting a refrigerator!), etc and more.
  7. Dogs, runners, pedestrians, and other living things. ;-0 Seriously – so many possibilities here that must be called out. Stray dogs, or even dogs on a leash in the sidewalk that get too close to your bike lane can be a disaster.
  8. Even other cyclists or other cycling groups you come upon that are slower than you. They must be called out and provided plenty of room when passing (3′ at a minimum).

There are seriously more. This is just a quick list of the basics. Every town, and country will likely have its own unique set of “hazards” you may encounter. Point them out!

Proper Hazard Pointing

Not every cyclist points out hazards, and many don’t even do it the right way. Lets discuss how you can do it the right way. The general principle here is that small gestures are hard to see, especially when dark. Think big. Think big gestures (except for verbal cues can be over done – see below). Be certain your pointing is seen. When done right many cyclists behind you can see. When done wrong the cyclist immediately behind you may not even see you point.

If you’re thinking it is unsafe to remove your hand from your handle bar longer than a nano second then you’re wrong. This fear based mindset will only allow you to make short, quick, and small gestures. The people who crash behind you because you’re uncomfortable riding with one hand won’t appreciate your lack of bike handling skills. And yes, if you ride in a group of other cyclists and hop on “the group” ride then you better be able to demonstrate some basic bike handling skills such as pointing out hazards. Others are depending on you doing it. I have a good friend and local cyclist named Saul who only has the use of his left arm. His right arm had been damaged and is permanently in a sling. He rides his bicycle with one hand at all times. And yes, he is COMFORTABLE pointing out hazards. Not only is he comfortable, he is one of the safest cyclists in a group ride I know. What’s your excuse? Saul can do it and ride momentarily long enough without any hands on the handlebar to ensure the safety of those he rides with.

Get comfortable pointing out in big gestures. Make sure you have some basic bike handling skills nailed down. Your comfort level needs to be there before you put others at risk.

Finger Pointing & Hand Gestures

I’ll start with a personal pet peeve of mine. The cyclist who pints something out with a finger but holds his/her hand so close to their body that unless you’re on that side of the cyclist you stand no chance of seeing it. Even if you are right behind him you may not see the gesture. Especially if it is dark! It’s as if the cyclist is trying to not allow any air space between his arm and his body. While it is great that this guy at least points something out, it is a very ineffective way to do so. The guys riding directly behind him may not see him, and you know the guys in the middle and back of the group can never see such a gesture. It’s simply ineffective.

When it comes to finger pointing and hand gestures, it is best to exaggerate your movement and your pointing. Instead of keeping your arm tight along side you, point by holding your arm directly extended all the way out perpendicular to your body. Also – some motion is even more effective. Not only will the cyclists directly behind you see you, but even many of the cyclists in the back of the group may still see it. This is the proper way to point hazards regardless of where your position in the pack/group. Even if you are in the very back, you never know when someone or some other group may be coming up behind you. Plus it is good to make it a habit. Point out hazards even in the back.

Another common hand gesture worth making big is the “slowing” or “stopping” hand gesture. Make sure to emphasize this big like all hand gestures. Ensure the guys behind you see it. In this case you may also want to call it out verbally as we discuss later in this article.

Bad example. Too small a gesture. Too close to the body. Too hard to see.
Good example. Big gesture. Hand stretched out perpendicular to the body. Easy to see.

Verbal Calling Out

This is often best accompanied with literal finger pointing. The two combined are unmistakable. However, on it’s own verbal calling out may be effective when warning of an approaching car. A classic example, is someone in the back yells out “Car Back” – indicating that a car is coming from behind. This is fine. It is best when like the old telephone game when you hear it you repeat it. This way you ensure the warning makes it’s way through the peleton. “Car up”, “Slowing”, “Stopping”, “Right Turn”, “Left Turn” are all common verbal calls. All of which are also best accompanied with some hand signals as well.

Remember hand gestures are hard to see unless they are big movements. Imagine you are on a stage and performing in a theater production. How will you guarantee the people in the back of the theater can still see and understand what you are conveying? Simple, by over exaggerating. This is what actors must do, even down to their stage makeup. We ought to do it as well. Their very facial expressions and body movements must be exaggerated or they are missed and their production was ineffective at conveying the message they intended. So it is with group cycling. Again, especially in the dark.

Verbal call outs can at times be over exaggerated. One important thing to bring up here is that the temptation to scream out some word like “debris” or “hole” can sometimes scare the hell out of the other cyclists in your group. Often they can’t hear exactly what you are yelling. And if it sounds like you’re about to die and all you intended was to point out a stick next to you then you must be mindful of the risks. Don’t over yell. Screaming like your about to die is not necessarily helpful. This is the one example if how over exaggeration doesn’t fit. A calm and controlled strong tone is important. Screaming for your life is scary. Remember what it feels like when a car drives by and honks unexpectedly at you. Scary! It is the same when you hear someone over yelling. Be safe. Be smart. Be calm and controlled in all of your gestures, call outs, and in all things bike handling.

Pre Ride Call Outs

Last but not least, before a ride starts is an awesome time to draw attention to anything in the route you already know is a hazard. Many of our routes are common. If we remember some construction, or a particular hole, etc. bring it up to the group before you even start. This could likely save someone a lot of pain.

Don’t be afraid to call/point out hazards. Be comfortable with your bicycle before joining a group ride. Be the cyclist everyone can trust. Regardless of your experience as a cyclist, we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys as well. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

I am a local Arizona cyclist and a nationally known bicycle lawyer. I have been representing cyclists since 2006. What I’m about to describe is real world experience handling countless cycling cases in our legal system. The scary truth is that people don’t care about cyclists. When I say people, I mean almost everyone. The drivers on the road. The police officers investigating bicycle accidents. The insurance companies handling bicycle accident claims. The jury in a trial listening to the cyclist’s plea for help. And the list goes on and on.

Motorists: All the Hate…

I’m constantly engaged in the representation of cyclists. And in so doing I am always encountering what seems to be the worst in people. I know not all people are bad. I know not all drivers are bad.

However, there is almost a tangible disdain between motorists and cyclists. It feels like almost every motorist believes that cyclists shouldn’t be riding their bicycles on the same roads as cars. In many cases this feeling shows up in road rage and outright anger. I have been personally run off the road a great number of times. I have seen and helped cyclists who were aggressively and intentionally hit by a motorist.

Recently in Glendale Arizona, 4 cyclists were hit by a vehicle making an unsafe left turn. (See story here: https://www.azfamily.com/traffic/several-bicyclist-struck-by-car-in-goodyear-police-say/article_508b506a-d567-11e9-b209-4b178c294596.html?fbclid=IwAR1Xnqtc7_ObmOoo51C1ZCljekb3muVgato1zMjVHnvUX-GMzTXXctzFcj4). The news reported that the driver indicated sun glare was an issue and that is why the cyclists were not seen.

In a thread relating to this article on our own Arizona Bike Accident Page, the bias between motorists and cyclists was in full force. The anger manifested by one such driver is below. I apologize for the constant swear words (and this one is even a mild one):

I believe the point this person is trying to make is cyclists need to be careful while riding. However, note the insane amount of wear words and angry tone. This person is very frustrated towards cyclists. In this particular case in Goodyear there is no fault whatsoever to the cyclists based on the facts we have. It was simply a left turn by a driver who couldn’t see, and turned anyways! These cyclists are lucky to not have been killed.

The problem is that this BIAS is real. It influences many of the drivers. The very same drivers we encounter as insurance adjusters, police officers, and members of our juries.

The Police: Bias & Pity for Drivers

This is by NO MEANS a bash on police. Our police officers put their lives on the line to protect and to serve their communities. It is an honorable profession deserving of recognition.

However, there is room for much improvement. A classic example is the same set of circumstances for the Glendale Arizona bicycle accident described above. And how the police failed to fully investigate and failed to issue any citations to the driver.

Arizona Bicycle Lawyer Case:

Bike Accident Attorneys client: J.P. was riding westbound on Baseline Arizona in the morning hours. The sun was rising in the east. The driver made a left turn without being able to see if the path of the vehicle was clear and safe. This resulted in her hitting and nearly killing J.P. Our client, J.P. suffered major injuries. J.P. was not from Arizona and was only here for a brief vacation. J.P. was unable to return home for several months while the necessary medical care was administered before J.P. was recovered enough to travel.

The driver who hit J.P. cited sun glare as a factor for not being able to see the cyclists. The police involved in the investigation agreed with the driver and felt like it would have been hard to see a cyclist given the sun glare. No mention was made that when turning the driver must make sure it is safe to do so before proceeding with the turn. No citation was issued to the driver. There easily two citations which could have easily been applied:

  1. A.R.S. 28-754(a). Unsafe left turn. A person shall not turn a vehicle at an intersection unless the vehicle is in proper position on the roadway as required in section 28-751, or turn a vehicle to enter a private road or driveway or otherwise turn a vehicle from a direct course or move right or left on a roadway unless and until the movement can be made with reasonable safety.
  2. A.R.S. 28-772. Failure to yield right of way while making a left turn. The driver of a vehicle within an intersection intending to turn to the left shall yield the right-of-way to a vehicle that is approaching from the opposite direction and that is within the intersection or so close to the intersection as to constitute an immediate hazard.
  3. A.R.S. 28-701(A) and (D). Failure to Drive at a Reasonable and Prudent Speed through and Intersection. (A) A person shall not drive a vehicle on a highway at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the circumstances, conditions and actual and potential hazards then existing. A person shall control the speed of a vehicle as necessary to avoid colliding with any object, person, vehicle or other conveyance on, entering or adjacent to the highway in compliance with legal requirements and the duty of all persons to exercise reasonable care for the protection of others… (D) The maximum speed provided in this section is reduced to the speed that is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and with regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing, including the following conditions: 1) Approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad crossing. 2) Approaching and going around a curve. 3) Approaching a hillcrest. 4) Traveling on a narrow or winding roadway. 5) A special hazard exists with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions.

I have had a number of cases with this exact scenario. Yet, in a car on car accident the driver who made this same exact unsafe left hand turn with sun glare would get at least one or more of the citations above. Yet, in a cycling case the police officers seem to take pity on the driver agreeing in some sort of twisted and biased way that cyclists must be so hard to see that they are excused from the law when hitting one.

I can’t help but wonder what the police will do with this most recent “sun glare” infraction up in Glendale Arizona. 4 cyclists were hit. Not seeing one cyclist is bad enough, not not seeing 4 cyclists is crazy. Will the police even cite the driver? In my experience the safe bet is bet on no, the driver will likely walk away without any real infraction.

In our Arizona bicycle accident case with J.P. we were able to successfully win the case in spite of the lack of liability determination by the investigating officers. J.P. was fully compensated and able to return to cycling making a full recovery. We continue to write police departments with training and instructions on bicycle crash investigations. We are proactive in helping the Arizona cyclists locally. We are home based here in Arizona. This is our home. These are our roads. We are here for you.

Insurance Companies: Total Ignorance

I won’t spend much time here. The bias with insurance companies is all too real. It is OBVIOUS that they make money by not spending money on your injury claims. What is only obvious to a handful of us professionals in the country who exclusively represent cyclists is that insurance companies are supremely ignorant in all things cycling related.

They are so used to auto accidents and homeowner’s claims that they are literally clueless with most cycling cases. Think about it for a minute, the whole industry is geared towards auto accidents. Not long ago my wife was involved in a motor vehicle accident. Another driver rear ended her. We were instructed to take her vehicle to a local insurance agent to work up a damages estimate. When we arrived we noticed that the address we were given contained 3 business all in the same exact building. The insurance adjust maintained a desk there, along with an auto body repair shop, and a rental car business. We literally walked in and 30 minutes later we drove away in a rental car with a promise to return in a few days to pick up our damaged car all fixed up brand new again.

BUT no where did I see a bike shop, or rental bikes available. And with the lack of these types of professionals the lack of knowledge is blatantly obvious. The insurance adjusters have no clue how to properly value a bicycle. They have no idea what it is like to ride a bicycle on the roadways with vehicles. The insurance company really has zero understanding of the local bicycle laws as well. This bias is real and it affects how they undervalue many bicycle cases.

The ignorance of the insurance industry is evident in their processing of bicycle claims. It takes an experienced bicycle accident lawyer to help with these issues. Be careful out there when dealing with an insurance adjuster. They probably have no idea what a derailleur is, or how Dura Ace is better than Ultegra. And forget it if you have Di2 – they’ll think you’re cracking a Star Wars joke.

The Jury: Never a Cyclist

As you can imagine, you will never get a cyclist on your jury. It will be a jury full of drivers. And like many other jury members, they are already angry that they got selected to be on jury duty and that their excuse for getting off was denied by the judge.

This is an uphill battle for sure. Yet, it is an issue that an experienced litigator who is also a cyclist can overcome. Most people on a jury have ridden a bicycle. Or they have a child or spouse or friend etc. who they would not want to see get hit by a giant 2,000lb vehicle. Relating with them is a skill. It is something a normal attorney will probably fail at. A cyclist and a national litigator on the other hand has the best chance at bridging this gap. That is why I get hired so often, I know intimitely what it is like to be a cyclist on these roads. I also know how to reach people on a normal human level – not on some stuff suit legal approach which most jurors meet with disdain.

Don’t leave your fate in the hands of less experienced advocate. Contact us today and we will help you.

This Bias Can be Defeated – You Can Do Something

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you can’t make any difference. This is not how this word has to be. Cyclists don’t have to be considered a plague. Drivers can actually gain more awareness. People can care more. First they must know more. People need to learn more about cyclists. We all need more protection as vulnerable users of these roadways.

Arizona needs better cycling laws. Arizona needs more advocates, more people willing to make a change. I know of several wonderful groups here locally that you can be a part of in Arizona. Each of these cycling organizations are non profits. Each of them are making real changes in our cycling community. Donate to them or sign up with them to get involved in their many many projects. Check them out:

  1. Greater Arizona Bicycle Association (GABA).
  2. Look Save A Life Arizona.
  3. Rob Dollar Foundation.

On a national note you can support and be a part of many great organizations. USA Cycling even holds a list of the most notable organizations. Some may even be close to you, the list is here: USA Cycling – Advocacy Division. Some of them include:

  1. People For Bikes
  2. League of American Bicyclists
  3. Team Share the Road
  4. World Bicycle Relief

Regardless of your experience as a cyclist, we are here for you. My practice is exclusively for cyclists. I manage a national network of cycling attorneys as well. I ride. I race. I advocate. I choose to live and ride. #mylawyerdoesntsuck #arizonabicyclelawyer #bicyclelawyer

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed Arizona bicycle accident lawyer, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

My lawyer doesn’t suck!” is something we often hear from our clients. How do they know? I’ll tell how you Jake knows… Jake is a recent client who hired us after his previous lawyer had taken the case as far as they could. With our unique skill set and aggressive representation we were able to get a 400% increase in settlement funds for Jake! That is 400% over and above what the previous lawyer got. This is a common story for us. It is one of countless experiences we share with our clients and one of the reason they each know that we are the best. #MyLawyerDoesntSuck

Often clients are afraid to hire a personal injury lawyer because they think that the 33% settlement fee taken by the lawyer is too high. In all honesty, I agree for some cases. There are a few smaller cases where it may not make sense for a lawyer to get involved. That is more rare then you think. It will come down to how much do you trust your lawyer to actually get you the highest dollar amount possible? Are you confident they will do everything necessary to maximize your settlement? Are they willing to actually go to trial or would they prefer to sit in their office in jeans and a polo shirt making some phone calls until the dollar amount is finally high enough for them to pay their rent that month?

The dirty secret in the personal injury world is that most lawyers are lazy. They haven’t been to court in so long they forget how to even dress for it not to mention what to actually do in the court room. Personal injury work is so volume driven that many lawyers are used to the comfortable setting of writing a few nasty letters and making a few nasty phone calls hoping for a decent enough settlement that they can then sell it to the client as a good ending to their case. Meanwhile, they fully know they aren’t maximizing the settlement. They essentially become pencil pushers. Stuck in a rut of volume based personal injury work with mediocre settlements at best.

Not us! Our bicycle crash attorneys are incredible. We show up to work every day dressed and ready for court. Why? Because we actually go to court very often for our clients. We are not lazy. Also, it is just a principle of showing up prepared for a battle with your best foot forward. It feels good to be ready. How do you think a soldier would feel if he showed to the front lines of a war dressed casually in street clothes? He may be a good soldier, but he wouldn’t feel like it that day. We stand out because we are good at our jobs, in fact we are the best bicycle crash lawyers in the entire country. We also stand out because we dress like it. #MyLawyerDoesntSuck

We work on cases likely 2-3x as long as casual mediocre law firms work on cases. We actually take cases to trial. We are not looking for the easy cash in a quick settlement. We look for the best possible outcome for our clients even if it means working on a case twice as long and filing a law suit. We ride bikes and we appear in court as regulars. Like in Jake’s case, we were able to get a 400% increase in settlement because we worked the case for over a 1.5 years, filed a law suit after the insurance company denied our requests and repeatedly offered us low settlement amounts, and we forced them into litigation- all with the single purpose of getting a real and meaningful settlement for our client. #MyLawyerDoesntSuck

We continually strive to sharpen our skills ad our education. Completing exclusive and expensive litigation training through the very best resources. I have recently completed additional certification of advanced trial skills through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy. These sessions were often one on one with the some of the most prestigious attorneys and judges in our country. Worth every penny, and makes me an even more skilled and bad ass attorney. #MyLawyerDoesntSuck

Choose your bicycle crash lawyer carefully. Choose the best bike accident attorneys in the country. Start here.

We are here for you. We got your back. We protect our own like you’re a member of our tribe.

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge, Bicycle Lawyer

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

Ben Dodge, NITA Advocate with Advanced Trial Skills Training

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. Ben is certified through the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) as having completed extensive litigation courses and has demonstrated these skills over and over again. Most lawyers are pencil pushers and shouldn’t be in a court room… not Ben Dodge. He is a gifted and aggressive litigator. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson, Yuma, Gilbert, Peoria, Glendale, Scottsdale, Ahwatukee, Tempe, Chandler, Prescott, Sedona, Flagstaff, Surprise, Kingman, Page, Lake Havasu City, Payson, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Show Low, Winslow, Maricopa, Nogales, Globe, Avondale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Apache Junction, Carefree, Wickenburg, Pinetop-Lakeside, Strawberry, Anthem, Safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded BikeAccidentAttorneys.com a National Network of independent and incredible bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

Mental Toughness

Navy Seal Dan Cerrillo, Tactical Shooting Course, PHX AZ

What is mental toughness? How can this be applied to your cycling? I light up when asked anything even remotely close to this topic! Mental Toughness has to be one of my all time favorite topics as well as one of my go to principles to live by. I think one of the best statements in this podcast from our Navy Seal friend Dan was when he was asked how to develop mental toughness: “Do hard things over and over again until they become normal.”

Another outstanding principle behind mental toughness is learn to live in the uncomfortable. Practice difficult and uncomfortable on repeat until it becomes comfortable. Then you can conquer your demons. Remember that when you are out in a difficult or challenging experience that your not building your mental toughness in those moments nearly as much as you are demonstrating it. “Do today what others won’t do, so you can do tomorrow what others can’t do.” In other words the time to develop your mental toughness is NOW, not later when you need it.

How does this apply to cycling? Great question, the answer is it applies to everything in life. If you are intentional about improving anything in your cycling, i.e. your fitness, your watts, your distances, your cadence, your VO2 max, your HR zones, your standings in the races, your endurance, etc. etc. etc. then you will need to operate at a higher level of mental toughness then you currently possess. To improve is to intentionally seek out the difficult. Difficult and uncomfortable circumstances are where the mentally tough succeed and the mentally weak quit. Quitting can be as extreme as calling your spouse or an uber for a ride home in the middle of a ride or race, or as subtle as just not trying very hard anymore. Make no mistake about it, when you let off the effort you are quitting. Most of the quitters I know don’t have the courage to straight up quit quit, they simply ease off their effort and try to rest because rest is easier and more comfortable. They are not comfortable in the uncomfortable. They begin to feel sorry for themselves and the pain and discomfort they are feeling. Then they have little pity parties blaming the circumstances all around them instead of owing the fact that it is super hard for them in that moment and pushing through it anyways. Navy Seals don’t quit. There is honor, integrity, and commitment in everything they do it and they do everything intentionally. If there is breath in their lungs they keep pushing. Their individual life is not more important then the mission. What is your mission? What is your mission with your cycling? Where do you quit? What kind of quitter are you?

I guarantee you when you are racing you will hit a wall because your pace and your effort, your watts, your HR, etc will get to a point where you don’t think you can hold it any more. Your mental toughness will be beyond critical in your decision as to what to do in that moment. IF YOU DON’T RACE this principle still applies- when you are trying to be a better version of yourself then you will need more mental toughness. Even to be a better recreational rider, a better parent, employer, employee, etc. you will benefit from more mental toughness.

Start building today what you will most surely need tomorrow. The path to strong mental toughness always starts with your intention to do something about it today. There are so many more principles of mental toughness I will share and write about in a later post. But for now, enjoy the words of a Navy Seal who has lived a life demonstrating extraordinary leadership and mental toughness.

Thank you Dan Cerrillo for your time in sharing with us your thoughts. Check out Dan’s website for some seriously intense and super cool adventures where you can develop and learn mental toughness as well as tactical skills from a Navy Seal: https://www.spartan7adventure.com/

Here is the podcast file, as well as the direct link:

LINK: https://benldodge.podbean.com/e/interview-with-navy-seal-dan-cerrillo-incredible-insigjts-into-the-tough-questions/

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

 

 

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben competed in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. This was a non stop 1500+ mile race across the entire country of France. He and his teammate finished 3rd. He is registered for a 2 man Race Across America (RAAM) team as well in 2019.

The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases. Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • Your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • The applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • Your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • The process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • The value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded a national network of independent bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

Not sure where to even start with this. Racing my bicycle across France was on so many levels beyond incredible. The scenery, the culture, the iconic mountain climbs, the weather, the crew, my teammate. Everything was incredible. Incredibly hard, incredibly beautiful, simply incredible. Words can’t adequately describe what I was blessed to see. Everything from the majestic Alps, to the medieval villages across France. This race was hands down one of the most beautiful and challenging races I have ever been blessed to be a part of.

Huge shout out to the two men responsible for this race, Arnaud Manzanini and Loïc Guenot. These two men designed and hosted an amazing race course. I know they had many volunteers and other staff members who contributed greatly, in fact too many to name. However, I can name these two. They were present at every moment. They were intentional about every aspect of this race. One of the more touching moments for us as an American team was immediately upon finishing the race we were discussing the beauty of the roads, and the course. Arnuad then described and explained to us that he specifically and intentionally chose small and narrow roads through small towns and villages throughout the country so the racers can feel France, can experience France. In fact, he mentioned that after our American team signed up he intentionally created the course to go through the famous Omaha Beach of D-Day fame from WWII. It was a special night to pedal through there and feel of those sacrifices of so many of our country men there on that hallowed beach. In fact, I looked for opportunities to always STAY on the bike and to only rest when my shift was over, but that sacred night I stopped and took a moment at the memorial to honor those brave men and women of WWII. It is a memory I’ll always have with me. Thank you Anruad and Loïc for an incredible course, and incredible hospitality.

Last shout out before I recap the race from my perspective. Having a teammate and a crew is the only way these races are even possible. Many a times we would comment to each other as teammates and crew how this race “was no joke.” The difficulty was real. The course challenging. The lack of sleep, etc. is all legendary and expected. In spite of all of these challenges I was blessed with a crew who gave all. They turned themselves inside out for us. Their never ending sacrifices on our behalf will always be a part of me now, a part of my very being. Dear crew, you inspire me. I am moved by you. Your efforts on our behalf literally bring me to tears of gratitude. Thank you Bob, Del Ann, Cecily, Ray, and Sonja. And to my teammate Jason, I couldn’t have done it without you. Your efforts and time in the saddle helped make this finish a reality. I honor you for showing up to a race of this magnitude.

Now, lets get on with the race! Some critical background info about the distance and elevation gain for this race is as follows:

Total Distance 1,573.19 Miles
Total Elevation Gain 104,350’
Total Time 5:11:03:15 (5 days, 11 hours, 3 min etc.)

After a few days of early arrival settling, and eating like kings (make no mistake about it – I live to eat and love food more than just about anything including my precious bicycles) – our race day was upon us. Not many of us had slept good as it was hot and our Air B n B didn’t have A/C. Lots of mosquito bites and sleepless nights led to the start.

Our strategy was to rotate as teammates on a 1-2 hour basis during the day and up to 4 hours during the middle of the night. This was to encourage better effort output during the day and better recovery and sleep at night. For the most part we did this. As was pretty expected, anytime you have a plan you must be prepared to adapt it completely once you have boots on the ground and can better see the needs of the team, race, route, weather, and crew needs. But in general, this was the schedule we kept to.

This race is essentially a TT race with zero drafting allowed. As teammates we couldn’t even draft each other, but we could of course take turns. So we did. I started out the first hour on the first day. It was immediately apparent that we would be in for some absolutely beautiful climbs. My first leg was about 14 miles and 2,000’ of climbing right off the bat. It never really let up. The Race Across France is a climber’s race for sure.

It was also immediately apparent that as Americans we would struggle with directions, and map issues for likely the entire race. In the first 10 minutes we took our first wrong turn. The race map and printed turn by turn directions were simply not that accurate. The GPS file provided to us was something we only learned later how badly we truly underutilized it. Our poor crew was stuck trying to make very quick turn by turn directions in small little villages and cities with what felt like billions of “round a bouts” as opposed to straight roads with street lights and clearly labeled street signs. After the race was over I looked back on the map issue with some reflection and can’t honestly remember a single leg on the bike that I did where we didn’t get lost a handful of times, or at least have to come to a complete stop a handful of times just to figure out which way we were supposed to go. From a racing perspective the minutes lost turned into hours over the course of a long endurance race such as this. In fact, there was several times that we were in fact lost so badly that we were stopped for 1-2 hours. In a nonstop race, that is just killing your finish time. HOWEVER, I can say that our crew did their very best and that is all that anyone can do. Missed turns, wrong directions, and getting lost just became a “normal” part of our race just as never ending climbs were already a part of it. We just dealt with it the best we could and kept rolling.

The first day and night were one of the toughest time cut offs to make. There was more breathing room in the rest of the race, but by the middle of the first night we were supposed to be at the summit of the iconic Mount Ventux. I remember taking the first 4 hour night shift on the bike and our crew chief Bob telling me that I needed to keep a certain pace to try and at least get to the bottom of the climb for Jason to have enough time to get to the top of it during his shift so we can make the time cut off. I took this request as seriously as I could. I hustled. I put it out there and upped the watts both in my climbs and during my descents. My whole mantra was “I can rest later when I am off the bike, no need to coast now.” And it worked beautifully. In the past my ultra cycling racing has always been solo. This was the first time I tired an ultra race with a teammate. With a teammate I could enjoy the “off the bike” time as best as I could and recover and stretch, and fuel, etc. the best I could during my off the bike time. This led me to greater watt output capacity on the bike. I pushed hard during the night to get to the bottom of Mount Ventux. When we finally arrived at the bottom I had plenty of time still in my shift so I kept rolling up the mountain to get as far up as possible for my teammate and for the cut off time. I am not certain how far up I got but it is somewhere between 1/3 and 1/2 way up the mountain. It was a great relief to get further than the goal and build that padded time for our team effort. Proud moments.

The next few days and nights all seem to merge together for me. I can say that we kept pedaling and kept moving closer to the finish. Soon we were squarely in the Alps. And I have to say, that these Alps are breathtaking. There really isn’t any words for the beauty and sheer majesty of them. They are kingly. Also, pedaling up them was no joke! Holy cow. They are often 9% sustained climbs. In fact, in France along this race route it seemed pretty lucky to catch anything less than about 6%. If you were on a 4-5% grade we called it flat. For those of you in Arizona, Mt. Lemmon is an average of about 5%. That would have been flat to us compared to the sustained grades in the Alps.

The hair pin turns of Alp d’huez were amazing. The iconic and legendary atmosphere was just awesome. The names of the pro cyclists who had just raced up that mountain last month in the Tour de France were still painted on the roads. SO AWESOME! It was evening and then nighttime as we climbed Alp d’huez. It was also raining and cold. And for anyone wondering, once you summit Alp d’huez there are more 3-4 more summits within riding distance of this amazing climb AND of course this course made us go through all of them. Alp d’huez for me will always be the gift that kept on giving. By this time is was early in the morning (1a-3a) and I was still riding a couple of hours longer than my expected 4 hour shift since our RV was a bit lost trying to get down the mountain an alternate and safer route. So I kept pedaling. I ran out of dry and warm clothes of any kind. With a few more summits to hit and being wet and freezing cold it began to just be funny. Ray Ray was in the follow car. I had asked him to scrounge up whatever he could find. I kept my bibs on and threw some rain pants on over my bibs and was ready to go without a jersey all together as there was no coat at the time. I figured shirtless and somewhat dry was better than a wet jersey. Luckily Ray found an old t-shirt so I put that on. It was a funny sight to see such a ghetto looking cyclist climbing through those Alps that night. But hey, I kept the climbing and the pace alive. I think that night I stayed out about 6 hours and climbed over 10,000 feet in just 46 miles. It was a rough, cold, wet, and STEEP night in the Alps. Lol

We also climbed and summited several other iconic and classic Tour de France mountains over the next day or two. All of them still freshly painted with pro tour team and cyclist names by loyal fans. It was amazing. Each time, the descents were equally amazing. I am HUGE fan of very fast descents. I will say this, on this course I took it easy. Many of them were at night for me and I couldn’t see, or it had been raining and was just wet and dark. My shermer’s neck was no joke as well and the pain from it would significantly increase on any aggressive descending position. But let me tell you my friends, the descents were still rad! Hair pin turns in the Alps are fun to climb but a lot more fun to descend! So cool. So fast. SO sketchy! A few times I locked up the brakes and had some rear wheel slippage. Scary for sure.

During the days we also saw so many of the Alps and the little ski villages nestled all over them. They were simple. They were beautiful. Life up there seemed slower and more simple. I found myself instantly connected to the whole country and culture though my bike. The journey was more than a race now. It seemed to create a connection in me to the culture and country of France. I’d be the first to go back into some of those smaller towns in the Alps or even in the French countryside and just vacation for a week or so. They seemed to just draw you in. They are like a magnet for the soul. I loved it. Just loved everything about it. A piece of me will forever be there. And a piece of it will now forever be with me.

The next few days were crushing it after the Alps. We tried to hustle as we were under the impression that our cut off time was Friday morning at 9:00a. We hustled. We all gave a lot. We rolled through many French towns and villages. Each so unique and beautiful. Fresh bread baking in the background, fresh flowers hanging from pots, cobblestone roads. The whole thing was just magical.

What wasn’t magical was the pain in my shoulders and neck. It began creeping in just as it had in Race Across the West 2 years ago. It became just so bad. A few times when I finally got off the bike I would collapse or fall into the side of the RV and beg for a crew member to just dig into my back, shoulder, and neck with their elbow. These elbow massages kept me alive and kept me going. The pain was so severe that at times I would just lean into the massage and tears would stream down my face. But hey, that is part of Ultra Cycling. Dealing with pain is always a priority. This pain crept in after the 2nd day or so. By the end I couldn’t even really squeeze the brakes that well and would sometimes seize up in my shoulders with a massive spasm while pedaling, It would stand me straight up non the bike and I would grunt in pain and stretch it the best I could. Then turn it off the best I could and keep pedaling. I am proud to say I never took a break just to stretch or rest from pain. My rest and my pain stretching was entirely off shift. I kept going at all costs. It was a personal best and an awesome thing to look back on with gratitude for the strength I had built leading up to this race. I am not sure where I heard this, but I 100% believe it: Hardship doesn’t build character – it reveals it. I was blessed to experience this race and all of its adversity with character that made the hardship easier to bear.

One of the biggest hardships in these ultra races is the total lack of sleep. We had rented an RV hoping to get some sleep in it. But I am not one that can sleep in a moving motorhome. Holy cow those tight and narrow roads along with the hair pin turns and round a bots everywhere made sleep a precious commodity. I estimate somewhere between 4-6 hours of total sleep during those 5.5 days of racing. Just had to deal with it like any other challenge and keep pedaling.

One huge highlight for me was when my sweetheart of almost 18 years now flew out to France and surprised me on the course. Things were hard. She knew it. She got in touch with Ray and jumped on a plane and surprised me the last two days of racing. It was awesome to have her with me. I got off the bike and I knew something was up as our camera man was out there with the camera on me and this little black car rolls up behind the RV and she steps out. SO cool. We embraced, and cried a bit. I was and still am so grateful to have her out there. She brings a strength that I can appreciate. She gets me. She knows me. She is my better half for sure and I am incomplete without her. Having her there was beyond amazing. She then jumped right into crew rotations and provided some much needed crew relief the next two days and nights. So epic.

As Friday morning neared it became evident that we would miss the cut off time. After we had pushed so hard and we ended up missing it I was disappointed. I remember calling Bob over as crew chief to have a discussion with him and the crew to gauge where their interest level was in finishing despite we missed the cut off. I felt I didn’t have anything to prove to anyone, yet I didn’t feel like I could demand we keep racing after the official cut off time without their support and buy in as crew and even more importantly the official nod so to speak from the race director. The last thing I wanted to do was to be some selfish and stubborn American deciding to race in spite of the fact that they may have only purchased permits for a certain time period, etc. We decided as a team to keep racing and in the meantime to get permission from the race director to also keep racing.

To my great surprise Bob came back to me sometime later (maybe only a few minutes, I really don’t recall) and informed me that we were mistaken on the official cut off time and that instead of Friday at 9:00a it was Saturday at 9:00a. WHAT A RELIEF! Now we knew we would be official finishers! Such a happy moment!

We kept racing. We finished sometime that late afternoon. As Jason and I rolled across the finish line we were both probably a bit in shock as we were literally and legally official finishers of the first ever Race Across France. So grateful to be a part of this first one. We had a blast. We raced hard. It was epic. Now on to the next one… 😉

My finish stats from my Garmin:

Total Miles Raced 896.97
Total Feet Climbed 69,101’
Total KJs burned 34,347
Average Power 162 watts
Average HR 146 bpm
Average Speed 15.12 mph
Moving Time 60:22:13

Ben Dodge, Esq., Endurance/Ultra Cyclist

 

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben is competing in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded a national network of independent bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

The Top 8 PT Stretches Every Cyclist Should Know

My friend and teammate, Tyler Arnett, is a fantastic and competitive cyclist. Currently racing as a Cat 2 cyclist he really knows his way around competitive cycling. He is also a fantastic physical therapist. I once asked him his thoughts on some of the best stretches cyclists should know in order to prevent pain and increase performance. He just recently wrote this up for me to share with all of you. Thank you Tyler!

My experience as a Cyclist & a Physical Therapist

By Tyler Arnett PT, DPT

I’ve considered myself an endurance athlete since the 7th grade when I went out for the cross-country team. I was always someone with average talent who decided I could beat people if I out-worked them. I spent the next 9 years through high school and college running at a (somewhat) competitive level in cross-country and track & field. I competed at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT – a Division I school. I was a walk-on athlete who earned a scholarship my sophomore year based on my freshman results. My mentality was always to train when others were sleeping; do the extra mile (or 5); do the extra interval; or push myself when I was hurt.

Did you read that last sentence? That was my former/dumber self. There’s a small but significant difference between “Pushing when it hurts” and “Pushing when I’m hurt”. If you don’t push yourself when it hurts, then you’re not really competing. You might be exercising, but you’re certainly not competing. I want you to think back to your last really tough event. How were those last 5 miles of that century ride? How did the last 5 minutes of that 40k time-trial feel? Were you in the pain cave? I hope so! That’s what I consider “healthy pain”. This is where we grow as an athlete and a person. This is vastly different than pathological pain, though as athletes, we often confuse the two. We often rationalize working through pain when we shouldn’t. It has taken me years (decades?) to figure out that I was doing myself more harm than good when I continued to run through pain and injury.

So what type of pain should you be concerned with? As a rule of thumb, muscle soreness after a hard workout or race that dissipates in 48-72 hours is normal. Muscular pain that lasts longer than that is a sign that something isn’t normal. If the little voice in your head says, “This doesn’t feel like normal pain”, then it probably isn’t. There are way too many overuse injuries to discuss here, but as a general rule, if I’m having muscular pain that lasts longer than 72 hours, I take a week off the bike. I’ve found that at least 90% of injuries can be avoided if we properly rest and give our body a chance to heal things before they become a chronic issue. Many of us (my former self included) tell ourselves, “If it still hurts in a month, I’ll take some time off”. By this point, it’s too late. The damage is done and your recovery is going to take at least 3-4 times as long to improve.

Another pain to be concerned with is pain located at or near a joint. Cycling is a low impact sport and should not cause joint pain. Tendonitis is a common injury for cyclists and is often found at the knee or ankle. This is not a type of pain I would recommend “pushing through”. Rather, take up to a week off the bike and focus on some of the treatments found below.

Can I prevent pain?

Short answer – No. I’ve never met any serious endurance athlete that has never experienced some sort of injury. That being said, there are way to minimize the risk of injury.

  • Professional bike fit: A bike fit makes sure your joints and muscles are properly positioned so they can maximize power to the pedals while improving efficiency in your pedal stroke. A seat too high or too low can cause knee pain. Handlebars being too far or close to your saddle is sure to cause back or neck pain. Even small adjustments in cleat position can have a huge effect on foot or knee pain. Do yourself a favor and get a professional bike fit. Otherwise, you’ll need to spend a LOT more time doing the following Physical Therapy interventions.
  • Foam rolling: It would be great if we all have unlimited wealth and access to a massage therapist, but that’s unrealistic for most of us. Foam rolling is a great alternative that is inexpensive, simple, and you can do it anywhere. Spent a few minutes foam rolling each major muscle group in your legs 1-3x per week as maintenance. Roll your calves, quads, hamstrings, IT band, and glutes. If there’s a certain muscle or area that is extra sensitive, emphasize that area for a week or 2 until it becomes more tolerable. Foam rolling both legs shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes. I typically don’t recommend rolling too close to your joints. It’s easy to irritate tendons, joints, and bursa that are found near your knee. I also like to lay on my foam roll at my mid back and let my arms flop out to the side. This opens up my chest and stretches my thoracic spine. Cyclists tend to have poor posture, and this can help address that – plus it’s super relaxing.
  • Stretching: Flexibility of our lumbar spine, hamstrings, quads, calves, hip flexors, glutes, hip abductors/adductors is important to for efficiency of pedal stroke as well as reducing risk of injury. There are at least 4-5 ways to stretch each muscle group so I won’t go into specific versions of each stretch, but I will give you some general guidelines and include some of my favorite stretches at the end of this article. 1.) Make sure you’re warmed up before stretching. This can be as simple as a 5 minute spin on the bike, foam rolling the muscles you plan to stretch, or even taking a hot shower prior to stretching. Cold muscles don’t like to be stretched.   Another great time to stretch is after your bike ride. Muscles are loose and it acts as a nice warm-down. 2.) Make sure to start gentle and gradually increase the intensity of the stretch. Hold 45-60 seconds per stretch and repeat 3 times. 3.) Don’t bounce. A ballistic stretch can make muscles tighter as a protective mechanism and can cause injury to tendons. 4.) Don’t stretch aggressively before a race. If you have a tight area, doing some very light stretching can be beneficial, but intense stretching has been shown to decrease your peak power output.
  • Strengthening: If you want huge legs that produce tons of sprinting power, then lifting in the off-season is a good idea. If that’s not your goal, you still need to do some strengthening – your back and “core”. I particularly like core exercises that emphasize a neutral (straight) spine. Planks and bird-dogs are 2 of my favorite core exercises. Sit-ups and crunches tend to put too much pressure on our lumbar and cervical spine (plus they’re so 1987).

These are some general guidelines that I’ve come to believe over the past 20 years as an endurance athlete and 8 years as a physical therapist. If you have specific questions about an injury, seek guidance from a medical practitioner you trust. A good doctor, physical therapist, or chiropractor should be able to guide your individual recovery.

Tyler’s favorite cyclist stretches: Please note that there are literally hundreds of different stretches that are appropriate for cyclists. These are by no means an exhaustive list but a couple of my personal favorites.

  1. Prone pressups – 10 second hold
  2. Supine hamstring stretch with strap/towel  
  3. Standing or prone quad stretch
  4. Foam roll or exercise ball pec stretch  
  5. Standing calf stretch against wall   
  6. Piriformis / Glute stretch 
  7. IT Band Stretch
  8. Hip adductor/hamstring stretch
-Tyler Arnett PT, DPT
Physical Therapist, Cat 2 Cyclist

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Dodge, Esq., Founder of Bike Accident Attorneys PLC is a teammate and friend to Tyler.

Follow Ben on STRAVA.

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

Ben Dodge, Esq. Ultra Cyclist

Ben Dodge – Bicycle Lawyer

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben is competing in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded a national network of independent bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

Webinar: The Nuts and Bolts to Fat Adapting and Intermittent Fasting to Boost Athletic Performance.

Anna Sparks

Recently had the distinguished privilege of hosting an online webinar with pro cyclist and Athletic coach Anna Sparks. She is a feisty ball of energy and passion to say the least. Her driver and commitment to health lifestyles and top level athletic performance is hard to match. She has positioned herself as the leading authority in all things Metabolic Testing. Her company Sparks Systems focuses on providing services to help people young and old live a more healthy and improved lifestyle. She does this through her proprietary software, experience, and metabolic testing machines to collect and interpret a person’s personal metabolic efficiency, caloric burn rates, carb vs fat burn rates, aerobic thresholds, athletic performance, and more. Sparks Systems then provides you with a detailed report unique to you and your body.

As an athlete, this information is critical if you want to intentionally make gains in your performance. From a general “health” perspective this information can help get a handle on issues such as diabetes, tiredness, and more. The specific nutrition planning custom tailored to your own personal metabolic efficiency point is pretty cool as well. I try to test several times per year to track my progress and changes I have been making in my fitness and nutrition.

In the webinar below we discuss the important points of What, Why, and How as it relates to becoming Fat Adapted. Here is the short version: The What: Essentially, a fat adapted athlete has intentionally went through a physiological transition where the athlete has taught his/her body to burn fat as a fuel instead of carbohydrates. It is not ketosis. It is not some fad diet or some weird meal replacement strategy. It is not a multi level marketing deal with supplements and specially branded processed food products. It is not a magic pill or supplement you buy. Fat Adapting is a way of being, it is a way to live your life, a lifestyle that is easy to sustain. It is a better way to experience every single day. It is simply educated choices on what we eat on and off the bike. The Why: fat is a more readily abundant source of energy and much more clean and efficient to burn. Even the skinniest athlete has a near infinite amount of energy stored in the fat cells of his/her body. Tapping into fat eliminates the need to use all of the Gus, gels, gummie blocks, high sugar powder drinks, etc. When you transition to burning fat instead you feel less hungry, less tired, your mental clarity is incredibly increased, your ability as an athlete to go faster/longer/harder is increased. You don’t have to eat any garbage during your ride/run etc. You can fuel for hours off of nothing but water. It is a game changer. Especially for longer events. But even for non athletes, this is a total upgrade to your way of living life. It is supercharging your day to day living experiences. The How: becoming Fat Adapted starts with getting your personal metabolic test. Hard to know what to eat and what to avoid, and how much of what to eat until you know exactly what your body burns, and at which aerobic points it starts to burn different fuel sources. In other words, you need to know what and how much food to eat and when your body defaults to carbs vs fats. Knowing this will put you in a position to intentionally influence and train your body to witch over to fats. Step 2, is make the necessary commitments to yourself to change what you eat on and off the bike. Start your own personal nutrition plan where you begin teaching your body to burn fats instead of carbs. This will most likely include some period of time where you will be in a “pre-phase” sort of process. In the pre-phase there is a purge of carbs so to speak. After the pre-phase you continue eating a fat adapted meal strategy. After just 1-2 weeks your metabolism can change. The longer you eat fat adapted the more Metabolic Flexibility (MF) you get. MF is best understood by saying that the longer you are fat adapted the easier your body will be able to take on carbs and still switch back over to burning fat. Sort of like switching on and off a light switch. The greater your MF the easier it is to consume a few carbs here and there during longer races, or training events and not lose any fat adaption.

All this and more discussed below in the Webinar. As always, if you have questions or comments pleas post them here and we will answer them to the best of our ability. Thank you.

PDFs & Handouts

becoming-fat-adapted-handout

-Ben Dodge, Esq., Founder of Bike Accident Attorneys PLC

Follow me on STRAVA and Social Media.

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

Ben Dodge, Esq. Ultra Cyclist

Ben Dodge – Bicycle Lawyer

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben is competing in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded a national network of independent bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

There are no shortage of supplements out there on the market that allegedly make you faster, stronger, lighter, and so on. It can be overwhelming and often conflicting to sort through all of this. After trial and error of many of these supplements I have found that a few of them are much more preferable  than others. Some are a must in my opinion, while others are pretty good. Some are even proscribed by doctors based on your individual blood work and what you may be deficient in.

I open up some of my latest blood work results, Doctor’s notes and recommendations, and my personal tote bag of supplements in this webinar. While I readily acknowledge whole foods are BEST, we are often imperfect humans who could use a little help in our nutritional demands while killing ourselves as athletes. Some of the supplements will be very specific to my metabolic and physiological needs as tested and recommended by my team of doctors. Many more are natural supplements that I recommend for ANY athlete to take to boost performance, recover quicker, and feel better.

Supplements Point of Facts

HUGE point of fact #1, in my opinion supplements are exactly that: supplements. They should not be used to replace clean eating and proper exercise. As cyclists we often get so hammered out there and our bodies take a lot of abuse. Eating clean, raw, and organic whole foods is the best thing we can do to make sure we get all of the nutrients we need. But in my experience I still fall woefully short of what my body needs. Supplements help. Point of fact #2, make sure you are taking what you actually need and no more. Go see a physician or two. Get blood work done. Know for sure what if any your body is lacking. I see 3 doctors who all play a separate role. In fact, I fly up to Seattle Washington every 2-3 months to see one doc in particular who I feel is so amazing that it is worth my time to do so. Point of fact #3, I have experience with some supplements but obviously not all. I welcome comments and questions and suggestions for what you are taking. I only discuss those that I typically use right now at this stage of my cycling experience as a fat adapted endurance/ultra cyclist. There are others that didn’t make the recording on this webinar that I take regularly (i.e. Vitamin C).

Enjoy the webinar below, type comments and questions in and I’ll be happy to answer them the best I am able.

Webinar

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/AWVr3m0LEsk

PDFs & Handouts

dahlgren-notes-for-endurance-cyclist-ben-dodge_1217

7-17-blood-work Test

[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_facebook][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_googleplus][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_tweetmeme][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]-Ben Dodge, Esq., Founder of Bike Accident Attorneys PLC

 

Follow me on STRAVA and Social Media.

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Ben Dodge, Esq. Ultra Cyclist

Ben Dodge – Bicycle Lawyer

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben is competing in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded a national network of independent bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

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Here is the video recording from the Webinar titled: Tips on Hacking Your Cycling Performance, dated 3/22/2018. Hosted by Ben Dodge the bicycle lawyer and endurance cyclist along with fellow ultra cyclist and teammate Jason duPont.

Discussing many ideas on how to improve cycling performance. Topics such as Fat Adaptation, Lactate Thresholds, Aerobic Thresholds, Xert, Supplements, and more.

Link is here: https://youtu.be/koc_GagG0NU

\-Ben Dodge, Esq., Founder of Bike Accident Attorneys PLC

Follow me on STRAVA and Social Media.

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

Ben Dodge, Esq. Ultra Cyclist

Ben Dodge – Bicycle Lawyer

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the world. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. Ben is competing in the first ever Race Across France – 2018. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded a national network of independent bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

In my career I have seen a lot of tragedies surrounding the sport and recreation of riding a bicycle. I have also experienced what seems to be at times the overwhelming nature of competitively training. The never ending long rides and the difficult day in and day out commitment to compete in significant bike races and events. Sometimes riding a bicycle can seem like it isn’t fun anymore or isn’t worth it. Today I was lucky enough to experience the simple pleasure of riding a bicycle all over again. I love bicycles. I love cyclists. I love to ride. I am a cyclist. No matter how crazy life can be sometimes, I am grateful and happy for the opportunities I have to ride my bike.

In Arizona it gets hot in the summer, like really hot. In fact, today when I left work I got in my truck which was in a covered parking spot and the temperature showed 118 degrees for the outside temperature. I know that those can vary sometimes in accuracy… but no matter how you look at it, it was hot. In fact, for the past two days here in Arizona it has been too hot for airplanes to take off from Sky Harbor and flights have simply been canceled! That is hot.

Many of us locals ride our bikes all year around here regardless of the heat. We actually get used to it. I honestly prefer it. I would much rather ride in the heat than in the cold. We are used to loading up with extra water bottles and even making a few stops at local gas stations to refill our water bottles when they run dry.

Today was one of those days where I dreaded getting up out of bed at 4:00am to ride my bicycle. Getting up at 4:00am is pretty normal for me and those I often ride with. In fact, sometimes we even start our longer rides at 3:00am. It is what you do to get your training in before work. Of course it helps with avoiding the heat a bit also. But today I was tired. I have been riding/training a lot and racing several weekends in a row. I was mentally and emotionally a bit tired, and I was definitely running low in overall energy. So when my 4:00am alarm went off today I wanted to just ignore it. But training doesn’t get done by itself, so up I was and out the door to meet up for our 4:30am group ride meetup.

As is usually the case, once I am out there and spinning around a bit I begin to feel better, more awake, and excited to challenge myself. Today was no exception. After a about 20-30 minutes we witnessed an amazing sunrise as we rode East. It was beautiful and I thought to myself I need to stop and take a quick picture. So I did. Grateful for the beauty and inspiration in the sunrises we experience as early morning cyclists. If the ride had ended then and there I would have gone home a grateful and re energized person. Fortunately there was more to experience that I didn’t anticipate…

After some good efforts, sore legs, and lots of sweat later our little band of friends arrived at Saguaro Lake. It is a beautiful little lake here about 25 miles from our homes. The lake had this beautiful calm to it. It was so peaceful and undisturbed. It was sooooo inviting. Even at 6:00am here in Arizona right now it is wicked hot; it feels like a stinking oven all the time. Longingly looking at the lake one of my friends suggested we park our bicycles and jump in. I laughed. He was serious. Then in a moment everyone started taking off their bike shoes, helmets, etc., walked to the end of the pier and jumped in!

It was one of the best decisions I have ever made on a ride. Jump in. Float around in a peaceful lake all by ourselves. I remember thinking to myself, this is one of the simple pleasures of riding a bicycle. I felt so fortunate to be able to ride a bicycle all the way to the lake, and then seize an impromptu opportunity to take full advantage of the atmosphere only a lake can provide that early in the morning. The water was so refreshing. We all laughed and swam around a bit. After a few minutes we all realized we weren’t in good enough swimming shape to keep this up for too long. We swam back to the pier, got dressed and rode home.

I’m not sure I have ever enjoyed a ride more than this one. It helped me remember that riding a bicycle is a simple pleasure that I want to take full advantage of. I want to continue to seize these such moments shared with good friends as often as they present themselves. I know many fallen cyclists who have been injured or even killed. I know how hard it is to train day in and day out as competitive cyclists do. I know how difficult it is to get up early, or to ride in terrible weather conditions. But today none of that mattered. For a moment it was just a simple pleasure to ride my bicycle that brought a refreshing energy and a brighter perspective on how special it can be to be a cyclist.

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

Ben Dodge – Bicycle Lawyer

A bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know has been injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. He can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire United States. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the country. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West 2016, he really knows what it’s like to ride and race a bike. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the United States every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important, but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • your rights as a cyclist, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. There is never an obligation past a complimentary consultation with Mr. Dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback Rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and has founded a national network of independent bicycle lawyers that can assist in representation in all 50 states.

While I am a huge fan of pursuing every bicycle case I come across, there are a few times when as an experienced cyclists and bicycle litigation attorney you know you just have to pull the plug on a case and walk away. Just a few days ago I encountered one such example. Believe me, it is rare for me to walk away from a case. I truly feel that cyclists are under represented and that every case is an opportunity to make progress towards cycling safety and awareness, and for cyclists to be made whole in this prejudiced legal system. But in this case there was no other option. This bike wreck was sincerely the direct result of my own client’s negligence and not that of the driver. The full details of the facts of the case took quite sometime to compile and for a while I believed that my client was not at fault. Once in litigation (and through some serious depositions) more evidence came to light. It became so clear and convincing that my client the cyclist was at fault, that I had no choice but to walk away from the case. My most important duty became educating my client to help him/her understand what he/she had done wrong.

bicycle-race-accident_smallIn some cases it is absolutely clear from the beginning that you the cyclist are at fault for the bike wreck. You know it, and so does everyone else around you. So what do you do when you are involved in a bike wreck and you know you are at fault? Simple: follow these easy to understand steps.

  1. Take lots of pictures. Breathe, relax, collect your thoughts and start taking pictures. You can never take too many pictures. Seriously photograph everything.
  2. Cooperate with the others involved in the wreck. This may be a motorist or other cyclists. Either way, it is a good idea to keep your ego and all other emotional outrage in check. Cooperation goes a long way in true ownership of problems and helping make things right.
  3. Exchange contact information. It may become important for you to communicate with them directly at some later time.
  4. Take more pictures. Yep, you seriously can never take too many pictures.
  5. Report the wreck to you bicycle insurance carrier. What? What is bicycle insurance? YES. If you ride a bicycle you really ought to buy bicycle insurance. Its fairly cheap and covers you when you are injured or your bike is damaged whether you caused the wreck or not. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. The best bicycle insurance company in the United States is Velosurance.
  6. Be careful in your admissions of fault. Do not admit fault for the entire wreck, but just the part you may have caused. Usually there are multiple factors and variables that create the circumstances for a bike wreck. That means that other people may have contributed to part of the responsibility or fault of the crash. Be sure to be guarded in accepting responsibility for your own part and not the whole thing. Most attorneys would never tell you to take responsibility for any part of the wreck. Remember that I am not like most attorneys! One huge problem in this world is that people don’t take responsibility for their mistakes. This article is about what you do when you know you caused the bike crash. If you are not sure if you are fault then absolutely don’t accept responsibility! Not accepting responsibility is not the same as being rude or being a jerk to someone. It is simply not saying anything where you acknowledge you’re at fault. UNLESS of course you know you caused the wreck. In that case, suck it up and do whatever you can to help make it right. This is one of many reasons why you must have bicycle insurance. Bicycle insurance will help you make it right. We have all be there in a group ride and maybe had a few close calls to causing an accident because we weren’t paying attention (or any number of other reasons). If you did it then own up to it and do everything you can to make it right. If you are not sure then be careful in what you say but you should STILL do everything you can to be helpful and help make it right.

At the end of the day anyone of us may end up causing a bicycle crash. If that is the case then follow the 6 steps above to ensure that the fallout is minimized. Be safe out there. Take responsibility. Buy bicycle insurance. (mic drop).

Bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

Ben-&-BikeA bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know were injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. Ben can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire united states. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the country. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. Having competed in 8 Ironman triathlons, numerous local and national cycling races, and a successful finish in the Race Across the West, 2016, he really knows what it is like to ride and race a bike. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches the police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the united states every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben Dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • your cyclist’s rights, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of bike accident attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. there is never an obligation for a complimentary consultation with Mr. dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and can assist in representation in all 50 states.

Once again, Vic Armijo provides invaluable information about racing in RAAM or RAW and the role of the support crews. This originally appeared on January 22 here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/523225327828742/permalink/579227618895179/. It is Published and re posted here fro archive-ability and reference material for any future RAAM/RAW racers and crews. All photo credit goes to Vic Armijo as far as we know.

RAAM RACE CREWS: Athletic Support, by Vic Armijo

“The support plan for a RAAM rider to bicycle from the West coast to the East coast has been developed and refined over these past 34 years and has arrived at a basic formula. First a rider needs a crew consisting of six to ten people. Most crews are made up of friends, family and fans. The first requirement is to be someone able to keep a positive attitude under stress. Friendships have been made and ended on RAAM crews and more than one RAAM assault has fallen apart due to bickering within the crew. Few crew members are paid and all are required to be able to subsist on fast food and coffee, be able to get very little sleep while sitting up or traveling in a moving motor home, and be a combination driver, navigator, cook, mechanic, nurse, psychologist, family therapist and be willing to get up before dawn so that when the rider is ready to roll, all vehicles and all crew members are ready too. A member of one crew commented, “I tell people back home in Austria I am coming for RAAM and they say ‘Ah, you are going for a holiday in America.’ Right! Twenty hours of working a day, sleeping while bouncing in the RV. Yes, a real vacation!”

THE ROLLING STOCK

Each crew will have a follow car as required by RAAM rules. It stays behind the rider for the vast majority of the time, and is required at night. The follow car is usually a mini-van, SUV or station wagon. Most crews will have a second car to serve as back-up should the primary follow car have a problem. And the second car is used for speeding ahead to get groceries, supplies, check position of other riders, do laundry etc. Then there’s the motor-home; a place to prepare meals for the rider and crew and a place to sleep. Usually there’s at least one crew member taking his/her sleep rotation in the motor home. When I crewed for a rider in ’06 my job was to drive the RV. In that motor home rode the rider’s mother who had among her many jobs was the task of cooking for him and us. So we referred to the motor home as “the mother ship,” a term often used by other RAAM crews.

JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Most RAAM crew members have many jobs and will often rotate. There needs to be two to three people up to the task of driving the follow car, one of the most intensely demanding jobs in RAAM. Imagine how mind-numbing it is to drive on the shoulder of the road at 15 to 20 miles per hour while dodging road-side debris AND paying close attention to the distance between the follow car and the rider—running over your rider is generally frowned upon—but it has happened. Sitting shot-gun is the navigator/rider feeder. It’s the front seat passenger’s job to keep apprised of the route for at least the two or three turns ahead—missing a turn is time-consuming and frustrating, especially for the rider. The navigating job is much easier these days with GPS systems. The RAAM organizers make available to all teams a complete track of the route that can be downloaded into a lap-top. One crew told me that their lap-top GPS setup is their primary navigation method; the route book is only for back-up.

The “feeder” job is being the one who hands off water bottles to the rider, takes back the empties, hands up a rain-jacket when needed and is there to listen when the rider drops back with a question, or food order, etc. And finally, the front-seat crew member mans the sound system. Many follow cars have roof-top speakers hooked up to an I-Pod. In the ten years I’ve spent following RAAM I’ve heard everything to current US pop hits to Slovenian folk music blaring from the roof of follow cars.

A rider also needs a mechanic to keep the bikes tuned and always ready. Modern bicycles are very well engineered and so the 3,000+ miles of RAAM isn’t really that much of demand on them, that is if all goes well. But on RAAM a smart crew is prepared for any eventuality, so a stock of parts and tools is a part of any well prepared rider’s plan as is at least one crew member with bike mechanic skills.

Vic Armijo's photo.

Many other riders use a PA system as described above, while others merely use an I-Pod, but per RAAM rules, they can only use one ear-bud, the other ear must be open to hear approaching cars. Some crews use wireless intercoms between the rider and the follow car; some can also play MP3s AND the follow car can patch it through a cell phone so a rider can talk to family and friends while riding. Cool! Most crew’s outside sounds system are also equipped with a P.A. so that his crew can call out which way to turn or to offer encouragement or report on the whereabouts of other racers of concern. The workload within the follow car can be intense. Our ’06 crew referred to the follow car as “the pressure cooker.”

Those crew members not in the follow car have plenty to do too. With six to ten people to feed, clothe and (occasionally) shower there’s always a hunt for the next grocery store and laundry-mat. RAAM crews have a fondness for Mall-Wart, just about anything a crew needs is there in one place, usually including a gas station. Fast food places are popular—even among those crew members who normally don’t eat the stuff—in many parts of the route there’s simply no choice. Or if there are local restaurants, you never know if they’ll be good (or safe) or if their service is fast enough for a RAAM crew. The best thing to say about RAAM and fast food is that you know what you’re getting; the Subway sandwich or Quarter Pounder you got in Arizona will be pretty much the same as the one in Ohio.

For the first 54 miles of RAAM the riders must ride without a support crew. And sometimes when passing through cities during heavy traffic, a crew may pull off and let the rider go on alone so as not to block traffic with the follow car. In these instances a road-side hand-up is the only way for a rider to get a feed or water-bottle.

Along the RAAM route there are a few Time Stations where the station staffs have recruited local hotels or health clubs to provide the use of shower facilities. Those stations are among the most popular next to the ones that serve up barbecue! The station in Congress, Arizona, where it was in the high 90s, had a small wading pool set up this year. Ahhh, refreshing!

HOUSEHOLD RULES

It is vitally important that a crew keeps everything clean, tidy and organized. With so much equipment and so many people traveling such close quarters that can be a challenge. The primary rule for crew members is “do it now.” Used a flashlight? Put it back where it goes the moment you’re finished with it. That 5mm allen wrench you used at that last stop? Back in the tool box it goes and not in your pocket. Would you want to be the one to tell your rider that his finicky derailleur can’t be fixed ‘cuz you can’t find the right tool? Made sandwiches for the crew? Clean up the spilled mustard and put away the bread now so that messes don’t accumulate. And the “do it now” mantra applies to crews’ personal business too. When there are showers, use ‘em. Someone’s fetching dinner? Order something, even if you’re not hungry, you can always eat it later. If there are a few minutes of down time and you need to call home, do it. The one thing that can always be counted on in RAAM is that any plans, not matter how carefully made, will be altered many, many times

Vic Armijo's photo.

Last, but not least, the crew members not currently in the follow car are a rider’s own built in fan club. Sometimes the best thing that they can do with their time is to be at the side of the road cheering on their rider as he or she passes.

Whew! That all sounds intense, doesn’t it? Now realize that there’s much more time before and after the time spent actually racing RAAM. Most crews will arrive at the start in Oceanside two or more days before the start. There’s much to do there, roof light systems must be installed, RAAM required stickers and sponsor stickers need to be applied to the vehicles. Many of those vehicles are rentals, so those must be picked up. Often the crews will remove the third seat from the follow car vehicle, but that seat needs to be on the East coast when the vehicle gets returned to the rental agency. So RAAM offers a freight service, they take a big U-Haul to the finish packed with luggage, back seats and anything else that a crew needs but doesn’t have room for.

Then there’s inspection. All vehicles are checked over; all lights, brake lights, turn signals must work. All drivers need to be insured. Follow car light systems are checked. Each bike and all spare wheels must have specifically placed reflective tape. Anything left undone found by the inspector must be corrected before the start.

Another task that must be done before the start is to organize all the supplies and equipment. There’s a huge list of things that need to always be at hand; the rider’s food, bike shorts, jerseys, tights, rain jackets, arm warmers, tights, gloves, eyewear, toilet paper, baby wipes, bike parts, tires, inner-tubes…it goes on and on. Plastic tote boxes and drawers are very popular with RAAM crews—nearly every RAAM follow car will have them.

Any rider who finishes the Race Across America is a hero. Heck, any rider with enough confidence in his or her abilities to even enter is a hero. But none of them, not the winners or even those who pull out partway could get very far if not for the hard work and sacrifices of their crews. Any, and I mean any RAAM finisher will be the first to agree with that statement.”

-Vic Armijo

Arizona bicycle crash and bicycle accident lawyer Ben Dodge

Ben-&-BikeA bicycle crash is not always an accident. If you, or someone you know were injured in a bicycle crash or accident caused by a road hazard or dangerous road condition, hire a personal injury attorney who is experienced and has a successful track record. Ben Dodge, a licensed bicycle accident lawyer in Arizona, has dedicated his entire firm to one purpose: representing cyclists. Bicycle accident cases are the only cases Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC handles. Home based out of the great state of Arizona, Ben can still help cyclists in the entire United States. Ben also founded Bike Accident Attorneys Network, a national network of attorneys who focus on representing cyclists. Ben can find you help anywhere in the country.

Ben Dodge has represented and assisted bicycle accident victims across the entire united states. As an avid and competitive cyclist himself, Mr. Dodge currently participates in national and local cycling events all over the country. It isn’t uncommon to spot him in early morning hours out riding his bike. The day he fell in love with his job was the day he devoted himself completely to bicycle accident cases.

Ben represents cyclists injured in bicycle accidents, at the police station, with insurance companies, and in the courts. He advocates for the rights of all cyclists, not just his clients. He teaches the police about bike laws and bike safety, he educates drivers about the rules of the road, and he trains cyclists and clubs to ride more safely.

A consultation with experienced Arizona bicycle accident attorney Ben Dodge is free

In recent years there has been approximately 700 bicycle fatalities in the united states every single year. Approximately 2,000 bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. approximately 30 fatal bicycle accidents are reported in Arizona every year. Bicycle fatalities are terrible and horrific tragedies that affect the lives of too many families and friends to count. Understanding your rights and obligations as a cyclist can bring clarity to your specific accident situation. It will always be in your best interest to be represented by an attorney who knows the bicycle laws and has a successful track record of winning bicycle accident cases. The negotiation tactics and strategies of winning a case are extremely important but should always take a back row seat to the litigation experience and knowledge of court room rules, local, state, and federal rules of civil procedure that can have significant impact on your bicycle accident case. It is wise to be represented by someone well versed in bicycle accident law, local and state bicycle ordinances, rules, regulations, policies, and laws. You should hire someone very familiar with negligence and tort law, civil procedure, and the rules of evidence as they all relate specifically to bicycle accident cases.

Ben dodge always offers a complimentary in person consultation to all local cyclists and a complimentary phone consultation to any cyclist injured in a bike accident. Typically the consultations are schedule from 30-60 minutes depending on the severity of the accident. You can expect to get answers to questions, clarity, information, and reassurance of your personal bike accident liability and potential for recovery. In your free consultation you can generally expect to discuss such topics as:

  • your specific bike accident details, diagrams, and pictures from your perspective and then from the perspective of your bike accident attorney.
  • the applicable local, state, and federal laws underlying your case.
  • your cyclist’s rights, obligations, and any potential liability.
  • the process, procedure (in and out of court), and the time frame required to conclude your case.
  • the value of your case and what you might expect as compensation.

You can call Arizona bicycle lawyer Ben Dodge of bike accident attorneys, PLC at 1.855.663.3922. Mr. Dodge’s staff is standing and ready to accept your call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every single day of the year. Ben will personally return your call within 24 hours. there is never an obligation for a complimentary consultation with Mr. dodge. His passion is in representing cyclists and his entire office stands ready to serve with kindness and patience.

Bike Accident Attorneys, PLC

Call Ben Dodge, the Bicycle Lawyer today at 1.855.663.3922. Reach him by fax at 1.800.958.8902.

Mr. Dodge can also be reached by email at ben@bikeaccidentattorneys.com

His main Arizona offices are located at:

Mesa Arizona (home base office)
4824 E. Baseline Rd., Suite 124
Mesa, Arizona 85206

Phoenix Arizona office
2415 e. Camelback rd., suite 700
Phoenix, Arizona 85016

Tucson Arizona office
One South Church Avenue, 12th Floor
Tucson, Arizona 85701

Mr. Dodge represents cyclists in the entire state of Arizona including but not limited to mesa, phoenix, tucson, yuma, gilbert, peoria, glendale, scottsdale, ahwatukee, tempe, chandler, prescott, sedona, flagstaff, surprise, kingman, page, lake havasu city, payson, goodyear, buckeye, queen creek, paradise valley, show low, winslow, maricopa, nogales, globe, avondale, cave creek, fountain hills, apache junction, carefree, wickenburg, pinetop-lakeside, strawberry, anthem, safford, and more. Ben Dodge is currently involved with bicycle accident cases all over the country and can assist in representation in all 50 states.