Maison Law can help you when you’ve been injured while riding in a bike lane in California. While bike lanes are there to keep you safe and away from traffic as much as possible, there are certain situations where drivers are allowed to enter them. One of the most common is making a right turn, but that’s also how right-hook accidents happen. If that’s happened to you, we’ll be there to help. Set up a free consultation today.
How CVC § 21717 Relates to Right Hook Bicycle Accidents
California Vehicle Code § 21717 covers what drivers must do when they need to cross a bicycle lane to make a turn. Specifically, it states that:
- When a driver needs to cross a bike lane to make a turn, they must first move into that lane before turning.
The basic idea is simple: drivers can’t just cut across a bike lane without first making sure it’s safe to do so. When that doesn’t happen, though, it’s pretty easy to see how an accident can happen. Even more specifically, though, right-hook accidents result from such a move. As its name suggests, a right-hook accident is one where:
- A driver turns right, directly into you while you’re riding your bike.
Although they’re fairly common, right-hook accidents can cause serious injuries, especially when you don’t have much time to react. Even at lower speeds, the impact can throw you off your bike and leave you with injuries like:
- Skull fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Broken bones, particularly in the legs, hips, and arms
- Soft tissue injuries and torn ligaments
- Back and spinal cord injuries
- Road rash, cuts, and scrapes
- Internal bleeding and organ damage
- Fatal injuries
Every crash is different, and some injuries are more serious than others. But when a vehicle turns across your path, the consequences can be life-changing. That’s why it helps to understand what you can do to help yourself.
How Can I Get Financial Help For My Injuries After a Right-Hook Bicycle Accident?
There are two main parts of a bicycle accident claim: figuring out who’s at fault and looking at how the accident has impacted your life. Fault is a good starting point, because it gives you the person that has to actually pay for your injuries and other losses. In a right-hook accident, this often comes down to what the driver did before turning. Most of the time, it means a driver collided with you while they were:
- Cutting across the bike lane
- Turning right without realizing how close you were
- Drifting into the bike lane before trying to turn
- Simply not paying attention to their surroundings
CVC § 21717 can help explain what the driver was supposed to do when crossing a bike lane to make a turn, but ultimately, what matters is that the driver was negligent in some way. That’s what leads to the next part of the process: filing a claim and getting financial help. Usually, this means filing either:
- An insurance claim
- A personal injury lawsuit
The two work a little differently, but both are ways to address the injuries and losses you’ve dealt with after the accident. Once you file, you’ll need information and evidence to show what happened, how you were injured, and how the accident has impacted your life since. That usually includes costs relating to your:
- Medical bills and the cost of future treatment
- Income you’ve lost while recovering
- Physical pain and emotional distress
- Repairs or replacement for damaged property, including your bicycle
- Changes to your daily life and quality of life
Keep in mind that California also has deadlines for filing injury claims. In most cases, you have two years from the date of the accident. If you miss that deadline, you may lose your chance to file, so it’s important to not wait around.
How Can Maison Law Help Me After a Right Hook Bicycle Accident in California?
Even if you’re an experienced bike rider and do everything you can to stay safe, you can’t control what a driver does. A right-hook accident can happen in seconds, and the injuries can leave you with plenty to deal with afterward. You can handle an injury claim on your own, but that doesn’t mean you have to figure everything out while you’re trying to recover.
Talking with our California bicycle accident team at Maison Law can help make the process easier. We can:
- Look into what happened
- Explain your options
- Gather important evidence and information to strengthen your claim
- Help you understand who may be responsible
- Handle the back-and-forth with the insurance company
You should have time to focus on your recovery without feeling like you have to manage every part of the process yourself. We’ll help you understand what comes next and take some of that pressure off you and your family. Set up a free consultation today to get started.
