No matter how careful people are when riding bicycles, accidents involving people, motor vehicles, motors, as well as other bikes do happen. These cases usually result in moderate to severe injuries or even death. Here is our list of the most common types of bicycle accidents according to the Woodland Hills bicycle accident attorney:
1. Right Side Cross Accidents – as you know, bicycles are viewed as any other vehicle that you can find on the road. A right-side cross accident happens when a person riding a bike in traffic and a vehicle appears out of a lane or driveway on the right side. If this occurs, the motorist will most likely hit the person on the bicycle or will pull out close to them, causing the person to crash with the vehicle.
2. A Left Side Cross Accident – although you may think this is the same as the previous accident we mention, it isn’t. According to the Woodland Hills bicycle accident attorney, a left-side cross accident happens when a person is riding the bicycle in traffic and an oncoming driver takes a left turn directly in front of the bike. This type of incident is quite typical, but it doesn’t cause serious injuries, mostly because the person on the bike travels at a low speed.
3. A Right Hook Accident – if a person is riding on the right side and a vehicle passes them on the left side without any issues, but then takes a sharp turn to the right, straight in front of the person on the bicycle. In most circumstances, the person operating the car neglects to remember that the cyclist is in their blind spot or they simply think that they won’t pose a threat to the driver in the back of them, thus, causing an incident.
4. Collisions With Doors – though a lot of people don’t realize it, according to the Woodland Hills bicycle accident attorney, collisions with doors happen more often than we know. This can occur when a person is riding their bike on the right side, but there are parked vehicles. While the cyclist is riding, a person opens their doors and slams it into the individual on the bicycle, causing them to, in most cases, fall over to the side.
5. Trying to Overtake The Cyclist – approximately 1.5 percent of accidents occur because a person operating a vehicle tries to overtake the rides on the left. In most situations, they end up colliding or sideswiping the individual. Various statistics reports conclude that these mishaps most commonly happen during the evening and night when bicycles are generally harder to see and notice. Also, over 50% of these mishaps end up in severe injuries or even death.
Conclusion
Bicycle accidents are quite frequent and if you have been involved in one, you should know that you’ll want to hire an attorney, mostly because they can help you get the settlement you deserve, but more importantly, they can take over your case while you recover from the injuries you’ve sustained.
