Can Bicyclists Be in Legal Trouble if They Knock Over Pedestrians

[Kg1982]

My question involves a traffic accident in the State of: Illinois

I was recently knocked over by a bicycle when I was outside walking. I was on a sidewalk and the guy came up behind me and basically knocked me to the ground. This was a serious bicyclist - a sort of middle aged executive who is a Lance Armstrong wannabe on the weekends with the right bike and equipment. He was probably going pretty fast about 20 miles an hour or so. I was lucky to only sustain some bruises and scraps, but the guy was a jerk about the situation. He basically blamed me and yelled at me for getting in the way. He was very snotty about the situation. Of course, no one helped me despite the fact that I was sprawled on the ground. My question is.. are there any laws prohibiting bicyclists from knocking over pedestrians? There are lots of families with children, people walking dogs, elderly people, etc. who use this path. I live in near Lake Michigan, so it is a pleasant place for people to walk in the summer. Is there anyway for bicyclists to have to follow the rules? I think that some of them are sort of full of themselves and don't think that they're above the rules.

[Mr. Knowitall]

You will need to check local ordinances to determine if bicycles are allowed on the path at issue - we don't have the information necessary to investigate that for you.

If a bicyclist injures a pedestrian through the negligent operation of a bicycle, the bicyclist could be sued. Depending on the facts the bicyclist might be charged with a moving violation, or even with a criminal offense, similar to how the operator of a motor vehicle might be cited for causing an accident.