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Cyclist Dies in Collision with Box Truck in Merced

A cyclist was struck by a commercial truck Wednesday, September 25, 2019, just after 1 p.m. According to police, the cyclist was traveling northbound on Highway 59 approaching West Olive Avenue when the truck attempted to make a right-hand turn from the same lane and hit the bike.

Officials pronounced the cyclist dead at the scene and his age and name have not been released as of yet. The truck driver stayed and cooperated with police who say that neither drugs or alcohol were thought to be a factor in the crash. Police are still investigating the incident, and no charges are likely to be filed.

Box Truck and Bicycle Accidents

A box truck can weight around from around 8,000 to 25,000 lbs without any load, and this vastly outweighs the typical bike and rider. When bicycles ride in traffic, they are at a significant disadvantage when tangling with any vehicle, but commercial trucks present even greater challenges.

Blind Spots

The weight and size difference means that any contact can be deadly for a cyclist. Also since bicycles travel in traffic, as they are allowed to do in California, when they ride near large box trucks, they have to contend with their sizable blind spots.

The larger the truck, the larger the blind spot, and a bicycle can easily fit fully within any of the spots which will render them invisible to driver of the truck. The rule of thumb for a cyclist is if you can’t see the driver’s face in the mirror, then the driver can’t see you.

Right Hook

Blindspots also increase the risk of a right hook which happens when a cyclist is riding on the far right-hand side of a traffic lane or in a bike lane that runs along the curb of the street. Then a box truck moves to the right to make a right-hand turn, and runs into the cyclist knocking him or her to the ground and many times running over the cyclist with their back tires.

Wrongful Death

When a box truck hits a cyclist and is at fault in the accident, then the driver’s insurance will pay for the damages. Sometimes the cyclist tragically succumbs to the injures, and the incident becomes a wrongful death.

In a wrongful death, the right to make a claim falls to the surviving family members of the deceased. The damages claimed are from the perspective of those left behind., and they can claim certain types of compensation such as loss of companionship, loss of support and mental pain and anguish for the loss of a loved one.

At Bay Area Bicycle Law, we understand how difficult it is to have a loved one seriously injured or to lose someone because of someone else’s negligence. We believe that cyclists have just as much right to the road as other vehicles, and we have dedicated our practice to helping injured cyclist and their families get justice and the compensation they deserve.

Injured? Contact a Specialist.

Bay Area Bicycle Law works with clients all over the State of California and is one of the state’s only personal injury law firms working exclusively with injured cyclists. We handle cases in your area, and there are many benefits to working with a specialist.

Contact us today for a free consultation by email. Years of advocacy for bicycle crash victims have seasoned our attorneys with the necessary skills to handle bicycle accidents cases with the utmost level of professional expertise. We will always offer you legal advice which is in your best interest.