California Injury Blog
A 25-year-old man was injured in a San Francisco car accident when a car turned left in front of his motorcycle. According to a news report in The Press Democrat, the injury motorcycle accident occurred at Coffey and West Steele lanes in Santa Rosa the morning of May 11, 2011. The man was riding his Honda 1000 sport bike when a Hyundai SUV attempted a left turn ahead of him. The motorcyclist suffered a brain bleed when he was thrown onto the windshield of the SUV. Officials say the driver of the Hyundai was an unlicensed 16-year-old girl. The owner of the SUV was cited for permitting the juvenile to operate the vehicle and the young driver may face charges as well.
My thoughts and prayers are with the man injured in this Sonoma County motorcycle crash. I wish him the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.
Motorcycle Accident Statistics
According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), one person was killed and 49 were injured in Santa Rosa motorcycle accidents. During that same year, there were six fatalities and 166 injuries reported due to Sonoma County motorcycle accidents.
Unsafe Left Turn
It appears based on this news account that the young driver made an unsafe left turn in front of the motorcycle. California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety.”
Liability Issues
In such cases, seriously injured victims or their families would be well-advised to retain the services of an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer, who will stay abreast of the official investigation and make sure that the negligent parties are held liable for their actions. A skilled car accident lawyer will also be able to inform victims about how their own car insurance policy applies to an incident where the at-fault motorist is uninsured or underinsured.
Seriously injured in a San Francisco motorcycle accident? Want to know if you have a case? Want to know what your case is worth? Want compensation for your injuries? Want justice? Want to make sure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else?
Call your best friends in the legal industry after a Santa Rosa street intersection accident. Call 800-259-6373. The call is free. The advice may be priceless.
Call a Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys San Francisco personal injury lawyer for a free professional evaluation of your case by attorneys who have represented over 6,000 clients since 1978. You will experience award winning representation and outstanding personal service by a friendly law firm in a comfortable environment.