Sideswipe bicycle accidents are fairly common in urban areas. They’re nearly 100 percent preventable though. They usually occur in one of two scenarios. First, they happen when a motorist is trying to overtake and pass a bicyclist. The second scenario is when the motorist is trying to make a right turn, and the bicyclist is on his or her right side.
You Can Run Out of Room to Avoid a Sideswipe
Just a slight bump from a motor vehicle weighing 3,000 or 4,000 pounds can result in a tragedy with severe and permanent injuries or death. Even when a bicyclist is riding on the far right side of the roadway or in a bicycle lane, there isn’t much room between them and motor vehicle traffic going in the same direction. Sure, California law requires motor vehicles to stay three feet away from bicyclists on their right, but for many reasons, that doesn’t always happen. If a motor vehicle is traveling 25 mph, and the driver is distracted, that three feet can be covered in less than a second.
Talk to Us About Compensation for Your Damages
Sideswipe accidents are noted by bicyclists as sometimes being impossible to avoid. Riders can fall or be thrown from their bikes. The concrete or asphalt below them isn’t forgiving at all. He or she might only be able to go as far right as the curb. These types of crashes are almost always the fault of the driver of the motor vehicle, and when they happen, serious injuries can result. That’s when the bicyclist should talk to us about seeking compensation for the damages that he or she suffered. Those damages can include:
- Past medical bills and medical bills reasonably expected to be incurred in the future
- Past earnings lost as a result of the crash and earnings reasonably expected to be lost in the future
- Any permanent disfigurement
- Any permanent disability
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of a normal life
- Funeral and burial costs in the event of a wrongful death
Don’t Hurt Your Case
The insurer of the person who caused your accident is going to try to devalue your personal injury claim by attempting to shift all or some of the blame for the accident over onto you. That’s why its representative will phone you and ask for a recorded statement. Never give a statement about anything to an opposing insurer without an attorney being present. Call us first, and you can avoid this and other devaluation tactics.
Contact Bay Area Bicycle Law
If you’ve suffered any type injury as a result of a bicycle crash in or around San Francisco, Oakland, Davis, Sacramento or anywhere in Northern California that was caused by the carelessness and negligence of somebody else, don’t hesitate to contact our offices by phone or email to arrange for a free consultation and case evaluation.
We offer free consultations and case evaluations in any bicycle sideswipe injury case. You can contact us by phone or email to arrange for that. If we’re retained to represent you, no legal fees will be charged unless we obtain a settlement or verdict on your behalf. Your job will be to reach maximum medical improvement while we process your claim or lawsuit. We make it as easy as possible for you. There’s no reason not to contact us after being injured in any California bicycle sideswipe accident.