California Injury Blog
A man suffered major leg injuries in a San Diego motorcycle accident the morning of June 11, 2009, 10news reports. The motorcycle crash occurred when the man riding the motorcycle crashed into a pickup truck that was backing up in an unincorporated portion of El Cajon in San Diego County. The collision happened on Pepper Drive near Mollison Avenue. Paramedics took the injured motorcyclist to an area hospital.
My heart goes out to this injured victim. I hope he makes a quick and complete recovery from his serious leg injuries. Please keep him in your prayers.
According to data from the California Highway Patrol’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Reporting System, there was one fatality and 29 injuries involving motorcycle accidents in El Cajon in 2007. In San Diego County as a whole, 50 deaths and 985 injuries were reported as a result of motorcycle accidents in 2007.
California Vehicle Code section 22106 states: “No person shall start a vehicle stopped, standing or parked on a highway, nor shall any person back a vehicle on a highway until such movement can be made with reasonable safety.”
Backing up can certainly become tricky – be it on your own driveway or on a busy street. It is the duty of the driver to do his due diligence in making sure that he is backing up his vehicle in a “reasonably safe” manner. In this case, it would be important to look into how the pickup was backing up and why the driver did not see the motorcyclist on the street. Was the driver distracted or driving recklessly? Were there too many items in the back of the pickup blocking the view of the street? Was there a dangerous condition on that driveway or public street that hampered the view of the driver who was backing up the truck?
These are all important issues that must be carefully investigated and examined. If the driver of the pickup is found to be at fault, he or she could be held liable for the motorcyclist’s severe personal injuries. The victim may be eligible to receive compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages and even physical therapy that may be required to rehabilitate his leg. The victim would be well-advised to contact experienced San Diego motorcycle accident attorneys to find out more information about his legal rights and options.