Accident Involving Fleeing Driver on Power Inn Road Injures Bicycle Rider
A bicyclist injury occurred on May 26 after the rider was struck by a hit-and-run driver. The accident was reported shortly after 8:00 in the morning at the intersection of Power Inn and Gerber roads. It was called in by the pedestrian’s father, who said his son was struck as he was riding his bicycle to school, according to the California Highway Patrol (CHP). Sacramento Fire Department paramedics were called to the scene, where they determined that injuries had occurred to the bicycle rider. The incident is being investigated by the CHP to find out how it happened and to locate the hit-and-run driver.
Negligence Resulting in a Bicyclist Injury
Negligent motorists cause many injuries to bicycle riders every year in the Sacramento area. Some of the reasons these accidents occur include:
- Drivers ignoring the speed limit and not exercising caution when passing through a school zone can cause an accident.
- Distracted drivers who are texting or chatting on a cell phone instead of paying attention to surrounding traffic, pedestrians and bicyclists lead to a collision.
- Drunk drivers cause many accidents, including a bicyclist injury. Because their vision, reflexes and judgment are affected by alcohol, they may not see a rider, causing a bicyclist injury.
- Those who ignore traffic laws and run red lights, tailgates, make illegal turns and other types of reckless driving are a major cause of all types of traffic collisions.
- Fatigued drivers can also end up causing a bicyclist injury because they can drift off and have problems concentrating on the task at hand.
Finding a Hit-and-Run Driver
Hit-and-run drivers are becoming more common. However, my law firm has been successful in locating fleeing drivers, so they can be held responsible for the injuries they caused. It is our belief that it’s difficult enough for someone to be injured in an accident that wasn’t their fault. The at-fault driver or entity carries the responsibility for the harm they’ve done. During our investigation of a hit-and-run:
- The investigators go directly to the bicyclist injury site to find evidence to identify the vehicle and driver that fled.
- Accident reconstruction is performed, which indicates the location before, during and after of the vehicle and rider.
- Witnesses of the bicyclist injury accident are interviewed. In many instances, someone may recall at least a portion of the license plate number and have descriptions of the vehicle and driver. A witness may have also filmed the accident with their cell phone.
- Surveillance cameras in the area are examined to determine if any of them captured the accident on tape.
- The police report is checked to ensure its accuracy.
Our injury attorneys go to work once the evidence is compiled to construct a case that benefits our client’s claim for compensation.
When the Fleeing Driver Cannot Be Located
In the event the fleeing driver cannot be located, the injured party may use their uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage to pay for their accident injuries. If the person who was injured doesn’t have this add-on insurance policy and another household member does, that can be used to pay for their medical expenses. Using an uninsured/underinsured insurance policy doesn’t affect the rates.
Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer
I am Ed Smith, and I’m a Sacramento personal injury lawyer. Bicycle riders often suffer severe injuries in a collision with a motor vehicle. By filing a personal injury claim, the injured rider can recover their medical costs, lost wages and be compensated for their pain and suffering. When you would like free and friendly advice about your accident injury, call me at (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400. You can also contact me online.
Our legal team has successfully handled many claims since 1982 for bicycle accidents, all kinds of traffic collisions, wrongful deaths, and others.
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Additional information about my law firm and how we’ve assisted others in obtaining the compensation they deserve can be found at the links that follow:
Photo attribution: https://pixabay.com/photos/bicycle-bike-biking-sport-cycle-384566/
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