Hit and Run Bicycle Accident in Tulare Ends Tragically
Police are searching for a semi-truck who hit a cyclist on Christmas Eve (December 24, 2017). According to the Fresno Bee, after the accident, the driver never stopped but some witnesses have been able to provide a description of the vehicle. The cyclist was riding North on J Street. Tragically, the 37yr old cyclist died from their injuries. We can’t be sure from the brief news description, but it sounds like this may have been a rear-end bicycle accident.
If you have any information on this terrible accident, please contact Tulare Police immediately. Anonymous tips may be sent here as well: http://www.tulare.ca.gov/departments/police/crime-tips.
California Vehicle Code 20001 tells us that leaving the scene of an accident involving death or permanent, serious injury in California is a Felony offense.
After a hit and run
In the event the driver is at fault and never caught, cyclists who are injured in a hit and run may still be able to be compensated by their own insurer. Unfortunately, your own insurer is likely to try and minimize or deny your claim as injured cyclists are now left trying to prove negligence. If and when the driver is caught, they and their insurer may be held liable, but cyclists face the same problem.
In the event a loved one is killed, family members left behind may be able to file a wrongful death claim. Insurers fight these claims and frequently blame the cyclist for being in the road or not wearing a helmet, however, we are familiar with all of these tactics and how insurers attempt to blame cyclists for injuries caused by reckless motorists.
Consult with a bicycle accident lawyer
If you have been injured or a loved one has been involved in a fatal accident in Tulare, California, contact us for a free, confidential consultation. Bay Area Bicycle Law is one of the only personal injury law firms in California to specialize exclusively in representing injured bicyclists and their families. While our main office is in San Francisco, we represent clients all over the state including Tulare, Fresno, Bakersfield and Los Angeles.
We are caring, compassionate attorneys. While we can not take the pain away from an injury or the loss of a loved one, we can and will help you work through some of the issues involved.
Related pages: