In the last decade, the Bay Area has been home to tens of thousands of crashes in which a bicycle and a motor vehicle collided. Almost 2,000 of those left the bicyclist dead or seriously injured. When that's happened to you (or has taken a bicycling loved one from your family,) you have the right to pursue legal action. A knowledgeable San Mateo bicycle injury lawyer can help you put together the strongest possible case.
NHTSA statistics showed that, in the first nine months of 2021, fatal accidents in California and Arizona were up 17% over that same period in 2020. That includes accidents involving bicyclists, who are often the victims of vehicle drivers who failed to engage in properly safe driving while behind the wheel, leading to the crash that killed the cyclist.
Earlier this week, news sources reported that a bicyclist on Highway 1 lost his life in a fatal accident near San Gregorio. According to police, the cyclist, a 60-year-old man from Half Moon Bay, was pedaling northbound in the bicycle lane when the crash occurred.
At the same, a woman behind the wheel of a Nissan sedan was also headed northbound. The driver, who police described as moving at an "unsafe speed," lost control of her car in a curve and veered into the bicycle lane, striking the man.
The car spun out and slammed into a southbound Subaru, causing "non-life-threatening" injuries to both drivers, according to the report. The impact threw the bicyclist into a dirt embankment, where first responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
Pursuing Your Legal Rights After a Bicycle-Versus-Vehicle Accident
When you've lost a loved one in a bicycle accident, your personal loss is immeasurable. When it comes to obtaining a recovery through the legal system, the right legal representation is crucial.
Your case involves two equally critical parts. First, you have to prove fault. The right legal team can help you by dispatching investigators to the scene promptly and securing the necessary proof (including forensic crash-site evidence) required to establish exactly what happened and why it happened.
Police records can be a very useful part of this step. Many times, the accident in which your bicycling loved one died may also be one where the vehicle driver received a citation from the police. That citation may be an essential part of establishing that the vehicle driver was negligent and, therefore, liable.
Additionally, you'll need to prove the extent of your damages. This may include things like future lost earnings, which may require testimony from one or more experts. A skilled legal team can help you make the best decisions about what proof is (and is not) necessary to make your case.
If you've been injured by a vehicle driver while you were aboard your bicycle, it costs you nothing to find out what legal options you may have, and it may benefit you greatly.
To set up a free consultation with one of the helpful and experienced San Mateo personal injury attorneys at Galine, Frye, Fitting & Frangos, LLP, contact us at 650-345-8484 or through our website.
We've dedicated countless hours to helping injured bicyclists get what they're owed, and we're eager to get to work for you.
