Gag devoted her professional life to preventing exactly this kind of crash. 

Those who ride bikes or use them for commuting in and out of the city aren’t just frustrated; they are scared. 

Before joining the city, she worked for years at LivableStreets Alliance, a Cambridge-based advocacy group pushing for safer, more connected streets, and she had co-authored plans aimed at eliminating traffic deaths. 

Even so, Gag became another frightening statistic and another example of why greater protections for bicycle riders are necessary. 

In the wake of her death, nearly 4,000 people signed an open letter to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, demanding that street safety projects be resumed (an accelerated) in the wake of Gag’s death. In the letter, bike safety advocates and city residents noted how Gag spent her career working to make streets safer. “She was killed on the streets she spent her career trying to fix,” the letter read. “Years ago, one of her professional responsibilities was keeping the list of people killed by cars in Boston. Now her name has been added to it.”

Massachusetts laws bicyclists should know

As a personal injury attorney, I have seen the aftermath of these crashes: the broken bones, the totaled bikes, and the families ruminating about how to pay medical bills. Most of us are taught fundamental safety knowledge when we first learn to ride a bike. We are taught to ride on the right side of the road alongside cars, to use our hand signals, and to wear flashing lights and retroflective gear to ensure visibility day or night. Inside a busy city, with intersections filled with pedestrians, motorized scooters, e-bikes, and cars, safety and safe riding are paramount. 

Safety for bicyclists also extends to those who make state laws, maintain the roadways, and others who use them. Currently, Massachusetts maintains meaningful legal protections for cyclists; protections fought for by people like Gag and organizations like LivableStreets Alliance and the Boston Cyclists Union, including: 

• The 4-Foot Safe Passing Law. Since 2023, Massachusetts’ Vulnerable Road User law has required drivers to give cyclists (along with pedestrians, roadside workers, and other vulnerable road users) at least four feet of space when passing. If a lane is too narrow to safely provide such clearance, the driver is required to change lanes or wait until it’s safe to pass.
• Protection From “Right Hooks” and Left-Turn Collisions. Under the 2009 Bicyclist Safety Bill, drivers are prohibited from making abrupt right turns across a cyclist’s path after passing them, and they must yield to oncoming cyclists (including those legally riding on the right-hand shoulder) when making left turns.
• The Dooring Law. Drivers and passengers are legally required to check for cyclists before opening a car door into traffic. Violators can face fines, and if a cyclist is injured as a result, that violation can support a civil claim.

The small handful of laws that exist are still viewed by many as not enough. At a vigil held in Gag’s honor, bicycle safety advocates ratcheted up demands to build, extend, and add to current safety steps to reduce the impact of traffic violence on people.

Do Massachusetts bicyclists have legal protection?

Even if you are unsure whether you have a case, Massachusetts personal injury claims are subject to strict filing deadlines, and evidence has a way of disappearing quickly. Vehicles get repaired, witnesses move on, and surveillance footage gets overwritten.

If injured in a bicycle crash, the most important first step is to seek medical attention. Once in a more stable position, report the crash to the police. If possible, document the scene of the crash. The road conditions, any skid marks, and witness information. Camera footage from helmet cams or dash cams has become an increasingly important piece of evidence in these cases, and Massachusetts’ civil laws around fault and passing distance can make a real difference in how a case is resolved. An early consultation with a leading personal injury law firm like Marcotte Law Firm costs you nothing and can preserve options you may otherwise lose. 

What happened to Louisa Gag is both deeply tragic and ironic. She lived to create safer streets and perished while using them in a way she sought to protect. In a state as grand as Massachusetts, where cycling for exercise, enjoyment, and with purpose (i.e. commuting) is popular, the fight that Gag and her counterparts initiated has become paramount. Marcotte Law Firm stands as an advocate for those demanding greater protections and remedies.

This article is provided for general informational purposes and does not constitute legal advice. 

July 20, 2026

Due to the increased amount of bicycle traffic, vehicles and bicycles are often vying for the same road space. Drivers often believe that they always have the right-of-way and that cyclists are the ones who need to move to the side. However, the fact is that drivers share the road with all vehicles, including cyclists. A cyclist is entitled to use an entire travel lane, even if there are other vehicles sharing the road. Due to differences in traveling speed, drivers often perform unsafe maneuvers in an effort to pass the slower-moving cyclist. It is not uncommon for a driver to “clip” a cyclist when attempting to pass. Similar to pedestrian accidents, bicycle accident injuries can be very serious due to the size and weight difference between bicycles and vehicles. Further, like pedestrians, bicycles offer no protection from vehicles.

Another common example of bicycle-vehicle accidents are known as “dooring accidents.” Dooring refers to when the driver of a parked vehicle opens a car door as a cyclist approaches. Due to travel speed and limited reaction time, cyclists often strike an opened vehicle door with tremendous force. Massachusetts law requires vehicle drivers and passengers to check for cyclists before opening their doors.

There are a number of Massachusetts laws aimed at ensuring safe conditions for cyclists, including, but not limited to:

• Unlike vehicles, cyclists may pass vehicles on the right. This fact cannot be used as a legal defense for a motorist involved in an accident with a cyclist;
• Cyclists must obey all traffic laws, including the use of headlights and tail lights for night riding;
• After passing a cyclist, a driver may not make abrupt right turns at intersections and driveways, i.e., they must let the cyclist pass first;
• Drivers may not pass cyclists until there is a safe distance to do so. If there is not a safe distance, then the driver must wait;
• No more than two (2) cyclists may ride together, except on multi-lane roads where there is more than one (1) lane traveling in the same direction. In these instances, the group of cyclists must ride in a single lane; and
• When preparing to make a left turn, drivers must yield to oncoming cyclists.

Now that you know the law, and have followed it perfectly as a cyclist, what happens if I am still involved in an accident? If this happens to you, there are a couple things you should do.

1. Check yourself for injuries. If you are able to do so, move yourself and bicycle out of harms way;
2. Similar to a car accident, collect as much information as you can from or about the other involved parties;
3. File accident reports; and
4. Hire an attorney to help you navigate the insurance and possible litigation process

A quick word about accident reports. Massachusetts law requires an accident report for any motor vehicle accident that results in injury to any involved party, or property damage in excess of $1,000. Also, the report must be filed within five (5) days of the accident. The Massachusetts RMV’s website has downloaded accident report forms and you can also pick one up at any police station. It is also best practice to make at least four (4) copies of the report; 1) mail the original to the RMV; 2) submit one to the police department in the place where the accident occurred; 3) keep one to submit to the other party’s insurance company; and 4) keep one for your own records.

Given the likely severity of injuries, the presence of insurance companies, and the timelines required for a necessary accident report, it is in your interest to hire a personal injury lawyer who can help represent your best interests.