{1:35 minutes to read} Organized events cause increased traffic, and event coordinators need to take proper safety precautions when laying out the course to protect participants and non-participants alike.

Bike touring and marathon season are upon us, with dozens of events to participate in around the New York City Area over the next several months. This translates to large crowds of people moving through public spaces, often at high speeds—and given the City’s tight quarters, that can be pretty dangerous.

It is up to the event planners to take reasonable precautions to protect racers as well as the general public so we can all safely enjoy our common space.Organizers are responsible for providing safeguards that may include barriers, markings and clearly communicated instructions.

Sports can be risky, and when those taking part in them—organized or otherwise—are injured they often take the full brunt of the blame, thinking they are solely responsible for any misadventure. If you are injured during a sporting event and the circumstances didn’t seem safe, speak with an attorney. You may very well have recourse from other parties—for example event coordinators or other participants—to share in the liability.

Case Study 1

Langsam Law is currently representing a leisure bicyclist who was injured by a bicyclist participating in a race in Prospect Park. The club that sponsored the race reserved two race lanes that were adjacent to leisure biking and pedestrian lanes. A race participant collided with our client when they swerved out of the dedicated race lane to pass. While the perpetrator was not identified, it is claimed that the club was negligent in their course setup, posing a danger to non-participating pedestrians and cyclists.

Note: Prior results do not guarantee similar results.