Does Auto Insurance Cover Bike Accidents?
Riding a bike as a means of recreation or as a method of transportation is growing in popularity. When you are riding your bike to get to a destination or just for fun, you’re probably not thinking about the possibility of being involved in a bike accident, but accidents can happen when you least expect them. When you’re riding a bike, you’re out in the open with nothing around you to protect you. Unlike passengers in a car, you aren’t protected by a seatbelt or by metal surrounding you. If you’re hit by a car, you may be thrown from your bike or your body may be directly impacted by the vehicle. If this happens, you may suffer catastrophic injuries. Serious Injuries from a Bike Accident If you’re hit by a moving motor vehicle and thrown from your bike, you may suffer extensive injuries to your head, neck or limbs. You may experience broken bones, a traumatic brain injury or damage to your internal organs. Sustaining this type of injury can have a huge financial impact on your life. You may find you are left with a mountain of medical bills, rehabilitation costs, and lost wages. It may be months before you can return to work, and if you suffer permanent injury, you may not be able to return to work at all. Who Pays for Injuries Resulting from a Bike Accident? If an at-fault driver hits you while you’re riding your bike in California, he or she should have at least the minimum auto insurance coverage required by law in this state. Minimum coverage in California is: This amount of insurance may provide sufficient coverage if you’re in a minor accident. It may not be adequate to cover the type of very severe injuries you may have sustained if you’re hit by a vehicle driving at a fairly high speed that hits you while you’re riding a bike. Additional Ways of Obtaining Compensation After a Bike Accident If the driver’s auto insurance coverage doesn’t cover your expenses after a bike accident, you may be able to sue the driver. Unfortunately, in many cases, the driver doesn’t have enough assets to attach. If the driver was uninsured or underinsured, you may be able to collect on the uninsured/underinsured provisions of your own auto insurance policy. You may also need to rely on this coverage if the driver of the vehicle flees the scene of the accident. When you carry uninsured/underinsured protection, your insurance company is required to extend this coverage to activities such as biking and jogging. It’s a good idea to carry the maximum coverage to protect you against uninsured drivers whenever you ride a bike. If you don’t own a car and don’t have auto insurance, for this reason, your health insurance can help to cover medical bills that happen because of a bike accident. Can You File a Personal Injury Claim After a Bike Accident? If you’ve been injured in a California bike accident, it’s in your best interest to get legal advice from an expert in the field of personal injury law. At Kuvara Law Firm, our attorneys have many years of experience handling all kinds of bike accident claims, and we know how to get fair compensation as quickly as possible. Whether your bike accident and injuries seemed minor or were very severe, get in touch with us by filling out the form on this page. We’ll call you to set up a free, no-obligation consultation so you can get your questions answered and find out whether you have a case. Related Readings:
Dooring Accidents in the Bay Area
When you ride a bicycle or a motorcycle on a street in the Bay area, one of the hazards you face is dooring, which is when someone opens a car door in your path. If someone suddenly opens their vehicle door while you are riding by, there’s a good chance that you won’t have time to react in order to prevent a dooring accident and getting hurt. Even when you are traveling at a slow speed, getting doored can cause you to lose control of your bicycle or motorcycle. You may be thrown over the handlebars or suffer a number of other possible injuries. Serious Injuries from Dooring Dooring can lead to very serious injuries. Whether you collide with the door that was opened in your path or swerve to avoid the door and collide with another vehicle, there are many types of serious injuries that you may sustain from a person’s carelessness in opening a door without looking. As a bike rider, you aren’t protected by the metal of a vehicle surrounding your body, or by airbags. Some of the injuries that may occur from dooring include: Spinal cord injuries Neck injuries Broken bones Traumatic brain injury Damage to internal organs California’s Dooring Statute In the Bay area and throughout California, there is a dooring statute which clearly prohibits opening the door of a vehicle on the side of moving traffic. The exception would be if it’s safe to open a door without interfering with moving traffic, which includes bicycles or motorcycles. This statute falls under California Vehicle Code 22517. It also prevents leaving a door open on the side of traffic for any longer than it takes for passengers to get in or out of a vehicle. Who’s to Blame for a Dooring Accident? A bicyclist or motorcyclist who has been hurt in a dooring accident in the Bay area can file a claim for personal injury against the person who opened a door in their path. Most of the time the person who opened the door can be found in violation of California’s Dooring Statute for not checking that the path was clear before opening the door. Damages that a victim can collect if the other person is found to be negligent may include: Medical bills including those that may be incurred in the future Lost wages Compensation for disfigurement Pain and suffering Coverage for final services and burial in the event of a death caused by dooring Comparative Negligence The person who opened the car door isn’t always automatically found to be responsible for a dooring accident. In order to avoid the high cost of financial responsibility, a person who opened a door in the way of a cyclist may try to prove that the victim was at least partially responsible for the accident. If the victim was found to be partly responsible for the accident, this is known as comparative negligence. This would mean that the victim would collect damages minus the percent that they were found to be at fault. Getting Legal Representation for a Dooring Accident If you or a loved one has sustained an injury in a dooring accident, it’s a good idea to consult with an expert in the field of personal injury law. At Kuvara Law Firm, we have more than 40 years of experience in this field. We offer a free consultation so that you can find out your rights and whether you should proceed with filing a lawsuit. Get in touch with us by filling out the form on this page. Let’s talk about what happened and see if we can help.
The Best Bike Routes & Safety Tips In San Rafael
Bicycling is a healthy and fun way to be active, and for a short commute or errand, riding a bike can be more practical than driving a car. May has been considered National Bike Month since it was established by the League of American Bicyclists in 1956. It’s a chance to celebrate the many benefits of bicycling. Fortunately, Bay Area residents live in one of the best areas for biking in the entire country, and there is plenty to celebrate. The Benefits of Biking There are numerous benefits to biking and plenty of reasons to take it up if it’s not something you do already. Benefits of biking include: Riding a bike can help to increase the amount of time you spend outdoors, and it can grow your social circle as you get to know others who share your interest in biking. When you bike instead of driving, you can decrease the stress of your commute and save gas money. Stay Safe While Biking Good safety etiquette can prevent bikers from sustaining severe injuries. Riding a bike requires following the same rules of the road that you would in any other vehicle. Obey all street signs and signals and drive with the flow of traffic. Watch out for anything that might cause you to fall such as potholes or debris in the road. Avoid listening to music or anything else that distracts you from paying attention. Wearing a helmet is one of the most important things you can do to protect yourself from severe injuries such as head trauma. Always wear bright clothing and reflective gear to make yourself more visible to drivers. Choose routes with less traffic whenever possible, and use bike lanes or bike paths when they are available. Technique matters Technique and your position on the road can also make a difference when it comes to staying safe during a ride. Try to keep sufficient space between you, vehicles, and other riders. It is important to have room to maneuver in case something unexpected happens. You should also keep a nice cushion between your tires and the curb. When riding with a partner or in a group, try to stay single file when there is traffic around and try to avoid passing other cyclists on the right. Also, be vocal when you ride. Do not be afraid to give a shout when you need to draw another cyclist’s or pedestrian’s attention. If you are riding through the city, keep an eye out for opening car doors since these can cause some serious injuries. Furthermore, if traffic is moving slowly, go ahead and take the lane. The last thing you want is vehicles trying to squeeze by you and pushing you closer and closer into the curb or parked cars. Riding on the highway Riding on the highway requires that you stay extra alert and use an abundance of caution at all times. With the cars around you moving faster, your time to react to danger is greatly reduced. Keep as far into the shoulder as you possibly can. Listen for cars coming up behind you and try to keep an eye on what is going on to the rear. Since the wind from passing cars can knock you off your bike, brace yourself when cars pass you. Also, keep your body low and tighten your grip on the handlebars. This will help you maintain control when large vehicles pass you at high speeds. Bay Area Trails In the Bay Area, there are plenty of beautiful bike trails to enjoy. There are many safe and scenic rides that you can take to appreciate a spectacular view and the climate. Kuvara Law Firm has compiled all of the best bike routes in the Bay Area and plotted them in the Bay Area Bike Map below. You can browse routes by distance, difficulty, and rating to find the route that makes sense for you. Aquatic Park Trail The trail is a short trail of only two miles around a small lake. Enjoy quiet surroundings without riding a long distance. The Great Highway The great highway offers a beach view on a straight shot of road. There are designated bike lanes, but there are also cars on the same stretch of road. The Golden Gate Bridge Crossing the bridge provides a memorable ride that is relatively short at 6.75 miles. The San Francisco Bay Trail The San Francisco Bay Trail stretches for 500 miles around San Francisco Bay. It’s a flat ride with breathtaking views. The Hawk Hill Loop The Hawk Hill Loop offers a more challenging ride with a steep ascent but has outstanding views of the bridge and the ocean. These are just a few examples of Bay Area Trails that can be found in the area and on the map. It’s a great location for those who enjoy bicycling. Additionally, your biking does not have to be confined to the Bay Area. There are a number of great bike routes throughout Sonoma County, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County, and Solano County. Bike Accident and Injury Statistics One drawback to bike riding is that there is a risk of being involved in an accident. Drivers of automobiles and other vehicles aren’t always careful when it comes to sharing the road with bicycles, and accidents are also sometimes caused by bike riders getting distracted or making a mistake while riding their bikes. Some statistics involving bicycle accidents include the following: California frequently leads the nation in cyclist deaths. Most bicycle accidents occur in urban areas, and not wearing a helmet significantly increases the likelihood of severe injury or death. If you should experience an injury caused by the negligence of a driver, contact Kuvara Law Firm using the form on this page and one of our lawyers will get in touch with you promptly.
