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Teal & Montgomery
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Residents of the Greater Sacramento area use bicycles for more than recreational use. In addition to enjoying a Saturday bike ride, Santa Rosa citizens use their bicycles for everyday transportation purposes. Although by law cyclists have identical rights and responsibilities as motorists on the road, many times motorists neglect to share the roadways, which causes complications and injuries for all involved. Sadly, cyclists have little protection from cars and other automobiles. In 2012, 726 Americans died in accidents between bicycles and motor vehicles. That is just less than two people every day in the United States of America. This number is greater than the 682 bicyclist deaths in 2011 reported by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts).

Dangers of the Road for Cyclists

Severe injuries often result from motorists turning in front of bicycles, sideswiping bicyclists, or running bicycles off the road. Cyclists have no protection against motor vehicles. When cyclists are struck by motor vehicles, they can suffer from bone fractures, brain injury, spinal cord injuries or ultimately death. Some common accidents involving bicycles and automobiles involve:

  • Bicyclists failure to yield – This occurs when a cyclist stops at an intersection, whether controlled or uncontrolled, then proceeds into the intersection without first yielding to oncoming traffic.
  • The “Left Cross” – This occurs when a car turns left at the same time a cyclist is attempting to do so, coming from opposing directions and the two crash into each other.
  • The “Right Hook” – This occurs when a motor vehicle strikes a cyclist in one of several types of right turns.

If you or someone you love has been hurt in a pedestrian or bicycle accident in Santa Rosa, your lives may never quite be the same. You may now be looking at months or more to recover from your injuries. In fact, you may never completely recover. If you are having difficulty figuring out how to finance your medical bills and other expenses related to your accident, it is imperative you talk to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible.

Dangers of The Road for Pedestrians

Something we all have in common is the fact that each one of us spends a certain amount of time as a pedestrian. We all use public roadways, parking lots, sidewalks to travel by foot. As such we should have a reasonable expectation to do so safely. Sadly, accidents happen all too often between motor vehicles and pedestrians and the results aren’t pretty. In 2012, 4,743 people due to pedestrian/motor vehicle crashes. This statistic accounts for more than 12 people daily in our country (NHTSA Traffic Safety Facts).

Who Is At Risk?

Although anyone traveling by foot is a pedestrian, statistics exhibit that some are more at risk of harm than others. Looking closely at the age, gender, and site of pedestrian collision victims, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) published fact sheets that show which populations die in accidents involving motor vehicles:

  • 69% are males
  • 32% of pedestrian fatalities took place in the evening between 8pm-12am
  • 35-42 is the average age range of those injured or killed in 2012.
  • 34% of those killed had a high blood alcohol content.

With offices in Sacramento and Santa Rosa, the lawyers of Teal & Montgomery have decades of experience serving injured people throughout Northern California and beyond. We will take a close look at the circumstances surrounding your accident and identify every responsible party. In addition to the negligent driver, there may have been defective roads, inadequate signage, or other factors that contributed to your injuries. Once we have identified these parties, we will work diligently to recover compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. Although most cases do settle prior to trial, our law firm will prepare every case as though trial will be necessary.

Contact Teal & Montgomery Today

We welcome you to contact us online or call 916-448-1010 to schedule a free initial consultation at your convenience. We will not charge attorney’s fees unless we recover damages for your injuries.