Bakersfield drivers can proceed with a left-hand turn that puts oncoming motorcyclists in grave danger. After a collision, careless drivers can be responsible for the cost of care for injured riders and in helping them support their families while victims can’t work.
Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield offers a free, no-obligation consultation for all motorcycle accident victims in Kern County. It’s a chance to determine the value of your case and find out how to force car insurance companies to accept accountability.
Left-Turn Mistakes that Put Motorcyclists at Risk
Reckless drivers put local motorcyclists in plenty of dangerous situations. Experienced riders have come to anticipate bad driver-hazards and can often steer clear of them. Unfortunately, some mistakes made by motorists happen quickly and are harder to avoid. This is especially true when drivers are trying to make rushed left turns.
For some reason, left turns stress many drivers out. And for motorcyclists, this can mean that an already careless motorist becomes even more dangerous.
The trouble mostly arises when drivers monitor oncoming traffic, but get nervous and start to skip important safety checks.
These are a few of the issues that endanger motorcyclists:
- Drivers Missing the Smaller Profile of a Motorcyclist: Generally, the risk is with the approaching motorcyclist, who might not be seen by a driver in a rush. The driver focused on several lanes of approaching traffic, and pedestrians in crosswalks can miss spotting a motorcyclist coming directly at them.
- Drivers Jump in Front of an Oncoming Rider: Motorists can see other cars and SUVs pass and perceive an opening. They gun it, only to end up in front of the rider they didn’t spot.
- Slow Turns: It doesn’t help that vehicles may need a long time to accelerate and turn across several lanes. Even if they turn in a break in traffic, a motorcyclist could still have trouble stopping when a vehicle hasn’t totally completed a turn.
- Large Vehicles and Walls of Metal: Another factor in some motorcycle collisions involves large SUVs and trucks. As they turn, their full broadsides can block five or six lanes of traffic. If a forgotten motorcyclist is nearing, the rider can have no chance to go around to avoid a frightening impact.
Left Turn Motorcycle Accident and Injury Dangers
Riders can end up colliding with the sides of vehicles or even find themselves sliding under a vehicle. Victims might even ditch the bike and risk terrible injuries in an impact with the road surface.
Riders can endure broken legs and arms. A fracture in the hip joint or knee might cause lifelong pain. This damage might even reduce mobility, making all future motorcycle rides uncomfortable.
Victims might go to the emergency room at Mercy Hospital-Southwest with a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The Mayo Clinic reports that TBIs might induce weakness and numbness in the extremities. Problems with vision and sensitivity can also affect riders as they try to return to the road.
Victims could require skin grafts for any road rash they walk away with. Permanent scars and disfigurement are a real possibility with any skin damage.
These injuries can be challenges for a few weeks, a few months, or even across years. A skilled attorney works with doctors to determine how long victims will require support. Then your Maison Law Accident & Injury representative gets aggressive to make sure the victim has the support necessary to never have to worry about the costs of future care.
The Support Motorcyclists Should Be Able to Count on from Car Insurance Companies
If you end up with serious injuries, you will need to secure the most support possible to feel protected. You’ll need this reassurance because you may face months or years on your recovery journey. Unfortunately, insurance adjusters are trained to keep settlement checks as small as possible.
Your lawyer fully investigates your accident. This might include the use of an accident reconstruction team to prove a turning driver’s mistake. The powerful evidence that’s collected is used against insurers to force them to accept financial responsibility.
From a strong negotiating position, your lawyer demands these and other benefits on your behalf:
- Coverage for all medical care for as long as it takes for you to heal and return to your motorcycle rides
- The cost of long-term care when riders suffer a permanent physical disability
- Money for motorcycle repairs or replacement
- Travel costs when visiting doctors and specialists
- Support for the income and benefits that injured riders lose while unable to perform job duties
- Support for pain and suffering, including emotional trauma caused by a frightening crash and by a difficult recovery
- Support for the loss of enjoyment of life, including having to avoid their favorite hobbies and being unable to participate in family activities
- Wrongful death support for families if a rider is tragically killed by a driver’s left-hand turn mistake
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Who Builds Your Case with Powerful Evidence and Fights to Earn You More
If you have a serious injury, and a careless driver caused your accident, contact Maison Law Accident & Injury Lawyers of Bakersfield to schedule a free consultation. It’s a confidential, no-obligation review of your case with a real Kern County Motorcycle accident attorney.
Your full recovery becomes our number one mission. We don’t stop fighting until you are back on your motorcycle and enjoying rides around the city.
We also realize that right after an accident and lost time at work, you may not have the money to hire a lawyer. That’s okay. If you hire us, our lawyers don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then, our fee comes out of the settlement check you earn from an insurer.