Triathlete Hit By Car During Escape To Miami Triathlon

A few years ago we represented an elite Tri-athlete that was injured during a race on Key Biscayne.  On that occasion the police officer assigned to traffic control failed to stop traffic for riders as they were descending the Key Biscayne bridge, and our client ran into the side of a vehicle.  We sued the police department, the offending driver, and our clients uninsured motorist carrier.

Yesterday, Sebastian Rivalora was participating in the Escape to Miami Triathlon when he was struck by a car on the closed portion of the course. The car hit and ran over Sebastian, who was transferred to Ryder Trauma Center.

Many questions remain, including how a car was on the closed portion of the course.

Race organizers charge participants a hefty fee in exchange for insuring that appropriate traffic control measures are taken.  If a rider is struck by a car during a race, then it is likely that appropriate measures were not taken.   Thus either the race promoter overlooked important safety measures or failed to hire enough police to control the traffic.  Alternatively, if police were in the area then the question becomes how they allowed a car onto the course.

As lawyers that specialize in bicycle accidents, and as fellow cyclists, we wish Sebastian a speedy recovery.