Riders who suffer impacts with open car doors along Bakersfield streets can seek help with injury recovery costs. Drivers and car owners can be held liable for these careless accidents, but their car insurance providers may resist giving cyclists everything they need to rebound physically and financially.
Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield offers a free case consultation to all injured riders. It’s a no-risk way to identify the best approach to securing full compensation from reckless drivers and their car insurance companies.
What Are Dooring Accidents and Why Are They a Danger for Bakersfield Cyclists?
Those who live for bicycle rides can’t always stick to the Kern River Parkway Trail, far away from traffic. For a longer ride, or a ride to work or school, cyclists sometimes have to take advantage of bike lanes along roads like Union Avenue. Some roads don’t have bike lanes, leaving cyclists at risk as they must merge with traffic and share the lanes with drivers.
Unfortunately, riders often have to monitor for dangers from a whole other direction at times. When they travel along parked cars on Bakersfield streets, the risk of an occupant swinging a door open at the worst time isn’t too high, but if it happens, the consequences can be devastating. The threat is even present along some bike lanes, especially in downtown Bakersfield.
Drivers and passengers are responsible for checking the street and sidewalk for pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, and cars. But they often swing their doors wide without looking behind properly.
An injured rider may need help holding a negligent car owner fully liable for wounds after a violent collision.
The Devastating Consequences of Dooring Accidents Involving Bicyclists
A small thing like opening a car door can do so much damage to a defenseless rider. It’s a sudden barrier of metal and glass for someone who may only be protected by thin clothing, and perhaps goggles and a helmet.
Bicyclists rolling at a decent speed can slam into a door. They might be knocked backward to the pavement or out into the flow of traffic. In devastating cases, some riders flip over doors and/or are launched to the pavement on the other side.
Victims can be rushed to the emergency room at Mercy Hospital Southwest to be treated for all sorts of traumatic injuries.
These are just a few of the frightening wounds treated by doctors:
- Broken Arms – The instinct for victims can be to throw out their hands and arms to cushion a fall. That decision can lead to broken hand and wrist bones. The two bones that make up the lower arm, the radius and the ulna, can shatter. There’s enough force to fracture the larger bone, the humerus, that makes up the upper arm. Injuries to the elbow and shoulder joints are also common.
- Broken Legs – Victims can land on a knee to fracture a kneecap. They might break a lower leg bone. They can fracture a bone in the ankle joint or the hip joint. These are key areas needed by cyclists to power a bike.
- Face and Mouth Injuries – Victims can break their noses or cheekbones. They can suffer an orbital fracture to the bones around the eye and across the brow. Cyclists might walk away with permanent disfigurement. The Cleveland Clinic notes that patients may require facial reconstructive surgery to restore the ability to chew, swallow, and breathe through the nose.
- Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) – Victims can strike their heads. Even with a helmet, victims might suffer severe concussions. They could experience a loss of cognitive ability, suffer seizures, and even deal with memory loss.
- Road Rash – The skin of the victim is also at risk when sent over rough pavement. A skin graft may be necessary.
These injuries and others can require weeks or months of medical care and then weeks of physical therapy. When the rider can return to a bike may be the least of the concerns for a while.
Victims struck by careless drivers should be supported for as long as necessary to restore their lives and function back to normal. A settlement check that only covers an emergency room visit and a week of physical therapy may only cover the very start of a cyclist’s true recovery. A Bakersfield bike accident lawyer would fight to get everything necessary to protect the rider’s health and financial security. This back and forth with unhelpful insurance companies would happen while giving the victim as much time to heal in peace as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should my bicycle accident settlement check cover?
Your settlement check needs to cover your expenses until you are medically cleared and have no more doctor appointments to attend. The support should cover every week of physical therapy you need to return to your normal routine. The income you’ve lost while you must be absent from work should also be returned to you. Non-economic damages, such as the pain you endure months after a dooring accident, should be compensated. The emotional distress you are left with after a frightening collision and a demoralizing recovery should also factor into the size of your settlement. Your attorney would make sure these and other damages were considered in any settlement offer.
How long should I wait to speak to a lawyer after a bicycle accident?
You should consult with a lawyer as soon as you can. Waiting can mean valuable evidence vanishes and witnesses become harder to track down. The sooner you file your claim, the sooner you can hopefully receive a settlement check. California allows victims up to two years to file a personal injury claim, but waiting months or years can hurt a case.
What if I can’t afford to pay a lawyer to represent my case?
We know that most bicycle accident victims aren’t left in a great financial spot after a devastating crash. It’s why you don’t need any money to hire a Bakersfield bike accident attorney. If you need us, we will sign a contingency agreement with you. It means we cover all upfront case costs. We also don’t earn anything unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money that a car insurance company must fork over.
Contact a Bicycle Accident Attorney Who Builds Your Case with Powerful Evidence and Fights to Earn You More
If you come away from a bicycle dooring accident with a serious injury, an attorney may be able to help protect your case and earn you more. Contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield to schedule a confidential, no-obligation review of your case.
Your full recovery becomes our number one mission. We don’t stop fighting until you are back on your bike and enjoying rides around the city again.
