| What you need to know about Los Angeles | | | | * Use hand signals when you want to turn left |
| Bicycle accidents is that there are many ways | | | | and right. |
| you could get killed. The purpose of this | | | | |
| article is to educate the consumer and | | | | * Stay in your bike lane when it is to be |
| protect injured victims in Los Angeles, | | | | there. |
| California from future bicycle injuries. The | | | | |
| scenario goes: A large truck turns left into | | | | * Don't weave in and out of cars and trucks |
| your bike's path as you ride your bicycle | | | | in traffic and keep your eyes open for |
| down to Venice Beach, Redondo Beach, or HB, | | | | opening car doors. |
| Huntington Beach. To make it worse, the truck | | | | |
| driver making the left in front of you didn't | | | | * If no bike lane was even provided, ride to |
| look. The driver was chatting on his cellular | | | | the right side of all cars, trucks and |
| phone at the time of impact. | | | | motorcycles. |
| | | | |
| According to personal injury lawyers in Los | | | | * Do not share a narrow lane and simply take |
| Angeles, this is call a "T-bone." In Los | | | | it over and ride in the center. Otherwise you |
| Angeles County every year, at least 34 | | | | could get crushed. |
| bicyclists suffer wrongful death every year | | | | |
| in car crash collisions. At least 2,900 Los | | | | Bicycle Accident Statistics: |
| Angeles cyclists are seriously injured every | | | | |
| year. Many motor vehicle operators don't know | | | | * The first car crash in the United States |
| or don't care that bicyclists have the same | | | | happened in 1896 and was a car running over a |
| rights under the California Vehicle Code | | | | bicyclist. |
| ("CVC") as motor vehicles like cars, trucks | | | | |
| and motorcycles. | | | | * The fatality rates for bicyclists from the |
| | | | ages of 5 to 15 years old is almost double |
| One important step for all bikers is getting | | | | that of adults who ride bikes. For every |
| an approved bicycle safety helmet. This can | | | | youngster killed on a bike, at least 100 or |
| go a long way to preventing traumatic head | | | | more were harmed physically. |
| injuries and wrongful death on a bicycle. The | | | | |
| California Highway Patrol statistics show | | | | * Alcohol use by bikers and not just car |
| that only two of the 28 cyclists killed in LA | | | | operators is a statistical fact involving |
| in 1999 had actually worn their bicycle | | | | almost 1/3rd or more of bicyclists wrongful |
| helmets. Bicycles are used for | | | | deaths. |
| transportation, recreation, and necessity. | | | | |
| | | | * 112 bicycle riders were wrongfully killed |
| A recent study of Los Angeles bicycle | | | | in California back in 1999. |
| accidents appears to purport that children | | | | |
| from 5 years old to 14 have the highest | | | | * At least 64 percent of all bikers |
| totals of deaths in LA and they are not | | | | wrongfully killed by cars in California were |
| wearing their helmets! This is true even | | | | riding bikes while riding in their |
| though parents have a duty to make sure their | | | | neighborhoods. |
| children abide by the law in California for | | | | |
| bicyclists under the of 18 mandating them to | | | | * From 1986 and 1995 cars in Los Angeles |
| wear bicycle helmets. | | | | County killed at least 340 bicyclists, and |
| | | | out of that, 29,920 were injured in motor |
| Safe Bicycling Information | | | | vehicle accidents involving a bicycle. |
| | | | |
| * Wear your helmet approved for bicyclists by | | | | What you need to know about Los Angeles |
| the state of California. | | | | Bicycle accidents is basically that you need |
| | | | to be extra careful so you are not another |
| * Ride with the safe flow of traffic. | | | | statistic. When you are harmed by the |
| | | | negligence of another, don't get caught |
| * Obey street signs and all traffic signals. | | | | without the legal body armor of an aggressive |
| | | | bike crash lawyer. |