Freeport Boulevard Bicyclist Fatality
Freeport Boulevard Bicyclist Fatality – A bicycle fatality occurred east of Interstate 5 on October 15, 2018. According to a spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department, the accident was reported around 10:00 in the morning where officers found that the bicyclist had been in a crash with a truck pulling a trailer. Although the rider was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, the individual died later.
I would like to offer my condolences to the family and friends of the decedent in their time of grief.
Freeport Boulevard Bicyclist Fatality Details
The Freeport Boulevard bicyclist fatality is under investigation by local authorities as to cause. It is unknown whether alcohol or drugs played a part in the collision. The area from Meadowview Road to Cosumnes River Boulevard along Freeport remained closed for more than five hours while the scene was investigated.
Bicyclist Fatalities
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 840 bicycle riders died in collisions with motor vehicles in 2016. This represents 2.2 percent out of the total number of traffic collision fatalities. In the city of Sacramento, 231 injuries and deaths caused by Sacramento bicycle collisions were reported in 2015 by the California Office of Traffic Safety.
How a Bicyclist Fatality Can Happen
A bicyclist lacks the steel cage protecting motorists and must rely on their knowledge of what can go wrong to prevent fatal crashes in a bicycle accident. While doing this does not always prevent a bicyclist fatality, here are a few circumstances a bicyclist needs to watch out for:
- Rear end accident: This is one of the most dangerous collisions for a cyclist. It is often caused by a drunk or distracted driver who fails to see the bicycle in front of them. A bicyclist can help avoid such accidents by using lights and reflective clothing or tape to alert motorists. However, if a driver is impaired or not watching the road, the likelihood that a crash will be averted is slim.
- Right turn: There are two ways a motor vehicle driver can hit a bicyclist when making a right turn at an intersection. The motorist may be unaware of a bicyclist already in the intersection and hit the cyclist. Another scenario is where the driver, having passed the bicyclist on one of the cross streets, wrongly assumes the cyclist is out of range and turns, hitting the cyclist. In this case, the driver failed to maintain the proper distance from the bicyclist, which in California is three feet.
- Open door: This situation occurs when a driver, parked on the side of the road, opens his or her drivers-side door without looking and causes serious injuries to a cyclist. If a bicyclist is approaching the area, there may be insufficient room to swerve out of the way or stop in time. Since both motorists and bicyclists have the right-of-way under these circumstances, anyone suddenly opening a car door would be at-fault for the accident. A cyclist can proactively watch out for drivers parked on the street who may be emerging from their vehicles.
- Left turn: This occurs at intersections when a motorist turns left into the path of a cyclist. If the bicyclist is already in the intersection or has the right-of-way, the driver is at fault.
Injuries That Can Occur in Bicycle Accidents
Certain injuries commonly occur when a bicycle rider is involved in a crash with a motorist. These include:
- Traumatic brain injury: Although a brain injury can be milder such as a concussion that heals with time, more traumatic injuries can be life-threatening when they include bleeding on the brain or skull fracture.
- Facial trauma: Fractures to the face or damage to the eyes or teeth can require extensive surgery. Damage to the face can also cause scarring or disfigurement, which can affect an individual both emotionally and psychologically.
- Broken bones: Bone fractures are common in bicycle collisions with motor vehicles. While some heal in a matter of weeks, a broken hip or pelvis can cause life-long disability.
- Abdominal trauma: Injuries to the soft tissues of the abdomen can cause internal bleeding or damage to organs such as the spleen, bowel or liver.
- Spinal cord damage: This severe injury can result in complete or partial paralysis if the spinal cord is severed in an accident.
Watch YouTube Video: What is a Wrongful Death Claims? Ed Smith explains what a wrongful death claim is in the following video:
Sacramento Wrongful Death Lawyers
I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento wrongful death lawyer. Bicycle accidents cause injuries and fatalities every year in Sacramento and elsewhere in Northern California. Most of them are caused by a negligent driver. If you lost a loved one due to a traffic collision, I can offer you free and friendly advice. Just phone me at (916) 921-6400 locally, or reach me through my toll-free line at (800) 404-5400 if you calling from outside the area. I also offer an online contact form at my site AutoAccident.com if you find it more convenient.
I’m proud to be a Million Dollar Advocates Forum member of California. The forum was established to recognize trial lawyers who have obtained more than $1 million for a client through either a case settlement or verdict.
For 37 years, I’ve worked hard to obtain fair compensation for my clients for their personal injuries. Some of the areas I cover include all types of motor vehicle accidents, brain injuries, and other traumas.
I invite you to look over my client reviews and some of our previous cases and how they concluded at the following links:
Photo Attribution: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-riding-bicycle-on-city-street-310983/; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9-lg0clbRM / Freeport Boulevard Bicyclist Fatality.
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