My firm, the Law Office of Nikolaus W. Reed, proudly stands up for those that get hurt in San Pablo bicycle accidents. Although San Pablo has nearly ideal conditions for riding your bike, it also means you could be in an accident, especially when sharing the road with vehicles. If you’ve been injured in a right hook bicycle accident, contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation to talk about your potential options.
Why Would You Need a Lawyer After a Right Hook Bicycle Accident?
You don’t have to hire a lawyer, but having our experienced team can make things easier. Recovering from a bicycle accident, especially if a car turned in front of you, and dealing with insurance can be tough.
That’s where we can step in to help, starting with a free consultation. We’ll guide you through the process, including:
- Figuring out who’s at fault
- Collecting evidence
- Talking to witnesses and experts
- Dealing with the other driver’s insurance
- Trying to settle or taking legal action if necessary
Each case is different, but we’ll work on a plan that’s right for you, aiming to get you the financial support you need for your injuries or damages. And as with any bicycle accident, these can be extensive. Before you even start thinking about your legal options, though, you need to think about how to respond after the accident.
How Can You Properly Respond After a Right Hook Bicycle Accident?
A right hook accident is one of the most common types of bicycle accidents you could be involved in. Riding in San Pablo, particularly in areas like Rumrill Boulevard or City Central, where there’s heavy traffic. Before you even start thinking about your legal options, though, you need to think about how to respond after the accident. Here’s what you can do:
- Safety first – Get to a safe spot on the road, out of traffic. This should help make sure that you’re not in any further accidents.
- Call 911 and report the accident – Once you’re safe, call 911 for an ambulance and the police. They’ll both respond to the scene. Make sure to get medical treatment from EMS workers and have the police create a report of the incident. You can’t use it in court, but there’s still important information in it.
- Gather evidence – Take pictures of the accident scene to document it. Also, make sure to get information about the driver that hit you, and get the same information from any witnesses.
- Get further medical care – Once you’re done at the scene, it’s a good idea to get further medical care at a hospital. This can take care of more severe injuries, and creates a medical record tying it to the accident.
Even with these steps, presenting evidence for your damages is crucial. Our team can assist in gathering medical records, accident reports, witness statements, and other key evidence to support your case. That said, it’s important to understand the actual claims process.
What’s the Process in a Bicycle Accident Claim?
There’s two main parts of the claims process after a right hook bicycle accident: liability and damages. Liability is usually the starting point, and provides a roadmap for your case because it tells you who will actually have to cover your injuries.
The nature of a right hook accident typically means liability isn’t hard to figure out. Basically, a right hook accident is one where a driver:
- Turns right and hits you as you’re moving in the same direction. This often happens when a driver passes you, underestimates your speed or distance, then turns right, causing a collision.
This obviously equals negligence on the part of the driver, which is the determining factor in liability. However, every accident is different, and an insurance company will probably try to argue that others should share some fault, like other drivers, vehicle manufacturers, or even the local or state government.
My experienced team can help you figure out all the liable parties, and once that’s established, you can then proceed with actually filing your claim. You generally have two options here: filing an insurance claim or filing a personal injury lawsuit. Both allow you to recover “damages” from all the responsible parties for the accident. These usually include:
- Medical expenses
- Physical therapy expenses
- Lost income
- Physical pain
- Emotional distress
- Reduced quality of life
- Wrongful death expenses in fatal accidents
Recovering damages from your right hook bicycle accident may involve both financial and emotional costs. Remember, you have to file within California’s statute of limitations, which is two years from the date of the accident. Miss this deadline, and you won’t be able to recover these damages. And given what you could be up against, this could seriously impact your healing.
Common Injuries in Right Hook Bicycle Accidents
Even though it’s fairly common, a right hook bicycle accident still carries the same injury risks as any other type of accident. And as you might expect, these injuries can be quite serious, particularly if the car that hits you is moving at a faster speed. In terms of the potential injuries, you could be looking at any or multiple of the following:
- Skull fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Broken bones, particularly in the lower body
- Soft tissue injuries and ligament tears
- Back injuries
- Road rash, cuts, and scrapes
- Internal organ damage
- Fatal injuries
Every accident is different, but injuries from a right hook bicycle accident can be serious and take a long time to heal, if they heal completely at all. If you suffer permanent injury or worse, it’s going to make everything harder. So, it’s important to look at how you can possibly avoid these accidents to begin with.
Can Right Hook Bicycle Accidents Be Avoided in San Pablo?
Riding your bike in San Pablo is very popular, despite the risks of being in right hook accidents. In terms of avoiding these accidents, that’s not always possible, particularly because you can only account for your actions. That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be prepared, though. So, while you can’t always avoid them, you can do things to at least reduce the likelihood of them. Here’s how:
- Be visible – Wear bright clothes, use lights, and signal your movements clearly.
- Stick to the road – Riding on sidewalks near intersections can confuse drivers. Stay on the road to be more predictable.
- Avoid passing cars – It’s risky to weave between cars at intersections. Wait your turn instead of darting in front of turning vehicles.
- Slow down – Approach intersections cautiously and make eye contact with turning drivers to make sure they see you.
Again, these steps can’t outright prevent a right hook accident, but they can go a long way at reducing them. However, if you do end up being in one, my firm will be there to support your recovery.
Contact NWR Law After a Right Hook Bicycle Accident in San Pablo
Getting hurt in a right hook bicycle accident in San Pablo is always challenging, no matter what happens. However, you don’t have to face these challenges alone. At NWR Law, we’ll handle your claim and give you the legal help you need to get a fair outcome. Contact us today for a free consultation.