Bakersfield drivers can get anxious when waiting to make a U-turn. They might jump out when the coast seems clear, only to realize they overlooked an approaching motorcyclist. Collisions can be impossible to avoid, and riders might suffer severe injuries.
Victims are empowered to seek help with their medical expenses. Riders should also get assistance with staying afloat financially while they can’t work. But sometimes car insurance companies stand in the way of compensation.
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 what your injury is worth and find out how to force car insurance companies to accept responsibility for a driver’s mistake.
U-Turn Collision Dangers for Motorcyclists
Left-hand turns make drivers jumpy for many reasons, and a U-turn is very much like a left turn. Safety relies on the driver’s judgment, which can be put to the test on fast-moving local streets. Unfortunately, these nervous turns often put vulnerable motorcyclists at the most risk.
Drivers facing off against the rush of oncoming traffic, waiting to jump at the first opening, can make mistakes. It’s possible even if the motorist is paying full attention. Yet, local drivers can also be looking at cellphones or dealing with their children in the backseat, not monitoring those traveling on a motorcycle.
There’s also the split attention that’s required with a U-Turn. Drivers are asked to monitor many directions at a busy intersection like Brundage Lane and Chester Avenue.
These are just a few of the necessary checks for each driver making a turn:
- Monitoring oncoming traffic even as some cars switch lanes.
- Monitoring turning cars in lanes to the driver’s left, often having to yield to the vehicles before making a U-Turn.
- Checking crosswalks for pedestrians before turning.
- Checking bike lanes for cyclists before turning. They may have to yield to a car making a right-hand turn.
Of course, during all these glances, unfocused drivers can miss spotting a nearing motorcyclist. They can turn out in front of a rider, forcing them into a head-on collision, a T-bone impact, or a rear-end crash, depending on where the car is in the U-turn when the crash happens.
Time and Length of U-Turns: Motorcyclists are also endangered by the wide, slow turn that many U-turns end up becoming. An SUV or Truck may expose its full broadside across multiple lanes as it turns, making it hard for even experienced riders to dodge a vehicle.
Support for Motorcyclists Hurt in U-Turn Accidents By Reckless Drivers
Any collision between a car, truck, or SUV could have devastating consequences for riders. The outcomes rarely end up being just a few scratches and bruises. Victims can be stuck in bed with severe back and neck pain.
Injured motorcyclists may have broken bones that require surgery, with surgeons installing screws and plates to secure the fractures. They may have head injuries, like a Traumatic Brain Injury, that affect brain function, making motorcycle trips dangerous.
The medical bills will be enormous with any serious injury, and the bills may not stop for months or years.
A skilled Bakersfield motorcycle accident lawyer would be demanding this and other support on the rider’s behalf:
- Support to cover all of your medical bills, your physical therapy costs, and all medical equipment for as long as care is necessary.
- Support for a lifetime if your injuries result in a permanent disability.
- Support for the pain you experience and that you may suffer with for months or years.
- Support for the emotional trauma you experience after a frightening collision, especially when faced with months without motorcycle rides.
- Support for PTSD therapy when your mind keeps flashing back to the moment of seeing a car turning in front of you and the impact.
- Support to replace the job income and benefits you have to go without while you are in injury recovery.
- Support to cover the costs of travel to make doctor’s appointments and to see out-of-town specialists.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Who Builds Your Case with Powerful Evidence and Fights to Earn You More
If you come away from a collision with only minor bumps and scrapes or just motorcycle damage, you may not need a lawyer for your case. But if your injuries are serious, and a careless driver caused your accident, you should 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 with your 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 win from an at-fault driver’s insurance.