Crary and Domanico, P.S. has helped bicycle accident victims in Spokane since 1948. One of the most common types of bicycle accidents you could find yourself in is a left-turn accident. Like any bicycle accident, you could be facing serious injuries. Our team of Spokane bicycle accident lawyers will be there to help you. Contact us today for a free consultation to talk about your case.
When Do You Need a Lawyer?
You don’t technically need a lawyer for a bicycle accident claim in Spokane. But whether or not you should get one depends on your circumstances. A minor accident or injuries probably means you won’t need to worry about the legal process, but most bicycle accidents are going to leave you facing rather serious injuries.
This makes everything more difficult, and usually means you’ll need all the help you can get. That’s where our team comes in. With our experience and resources, we can give you the legal support and guidance you need for a successful claim. Better yet, we work on a contingency-fee basis, which means there’s no upfront cost for our services.
Who’s Liable For a Left Turn Bicycle Accident?
After you decide you want to take action after your accident, one of the first things you’ll need to do is figure out liability–or the legal responsibility for the accident and its resulting damage. Generally speaking, the legal standard for liability is “negligence,” which means:
- Some person, agency, or company violated their “duty of care” to keep you and others safe, which in turn caused the accident and your injuries.
While this is a fairly straightforward definition, it doesn’t always work that way in real-world application, even when there’s a left turn accident. While the driver that turns left into you is probably going to carry most of the liability, others could, and usually are, involved like:
In a typical left turn accident, the driver who hit you will usually be mostly at fault. However, other parties might also share some responsibility depending on the circumstances:
- Another driver – If another driver’s actions contributed to the accident, they might share some of the blame.
- Passengers and pedestrians – If passengers or pedestrians distracted the driver or caused the driver to swerve, they might also be partially responsible.
- Vehicle manufacturer – If a part of the vehicle, like brakes or steering, malfunctioned and caused the accident, the manufacturer of those parts could be liable.
- Bicycle manufacturer – If your bicycle had a defect that contributed to the accident, the bike manufacturer might share responsibility.
- Spokane city or county government – If poor road conditions or faulty traffic signals played a role in the accident, the government agency responsible for maintaining the roads could be held accountable.
As you can see, multiple parties could potentially share liability for your accident. This makes the legal process a bit more complicated, but ultimately means that you have a greater chance at recovering damages because you can file a claim against all the parties that are liable. Plus, our team can support you throughout the process.
What’s the Claims Process After a Left Turn Bicycle Accident?
In legal terms, the claims process isn’t going to differ in a left-turn bicycle accident. As an injury victim, you have the legal right to file an injury claim against whoever is responsible. Usually, you do this by:
- Filing an insurance claim
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit
The actual process for both options is fairly similar, with the main difference being that an insurance claim happens outside of court. That means it’s much less formal, and usually resolves quicker. However, insurance companies will try to offer you as little as they can. While a lawsuit takes longer, it gives you a better chance at getting fair damages like:
- Medical expenses – This includes paying for both current and future medical bills resulting from the accident.
- Lost income – These damages cover any income you lose due to the accident, as well as potential future earnings.
- Pain and suffering – These address both the physical and mental pain caused by the accident. You can also recover separate damages for emotional distress, which are closely related.
- Permanent injury – These are designed to cover any lasting changes to your appearance or abilities caused by the accident, and will also factor into lost income from not being able to work.
- Loss of quality of life – These damages cover changes that make it harder to enjoy life after the accident.
- Funeral expenses – If you or a loved one died due to the accident, this covers significant costs associated with funeral arrangements.
As with any injury claim in Washington, you have three years from the date of your accident to file your claim. If you miss the statute of limitations, you won’t be able to even file a claim and recover damages.
Can You Make Your Claim Stronger?
The relative strength of your bicycle accident claim is going to rest on evidence and how hurt you are. Every accident–even ones with similar types like left turn accidents–is going to be unique and have its own circumstances that impact the outcome. That said, you still have some control over the situation. Namely, you can do certain things to strengthen your claim. So, when you’re in one of these accidents, here’s what you need to do:
- Get to safety – First and foremost, get out of traffic if you’re able to. If you’re seriously injured, you may have to rely on a bystander for help. Regardless, you’ll want to get out of the way of other cars to avoid another collision.
- Call an ambulance – Next, you’ll want to call an ambulance to take care of any injuries. Paramedics on the scene can stabilize you, then take you for further care if you need.
- Call the police – You’ll also want to inform local police about the accident. Usually, this means calling the Spokane Police Department or the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, they’ll come to the scene and help you with gathering information.
- Collect evidence and information – If your phone still works, use it to document the scene. Get pictures and videos of your bicycle, the vehicle, and any damage to your property. Also, take pictures of your injuries.
- Keep up with your treatment – When you get further medical care with a doctor, make sure to follow up on their treatment plan. This also means going to follow up appointments and keeping any records and bills.
Again, while these steps are important, you might not be able to do them if you’re more seriously injured. That’s another area where our team can step in and help. We can help you get much of this information from numerous sources.
What Causes Left Turn Bicycle Accidents in Spokane?
Even though riding your bike is usually an enjoyable experience in Spokane, the reality is that there’s numerous things that can lead to an accident–specifically a left turn accident. And as you might expect, many of these causes rest on drivers of larger vehicles. Given the nature of a left turn bicycle accident, where a driver either misjudges its own speed when turning left or simply doesn’t account for you, these accidents can leave you facing serious injuries. Here are a few of the more common causes:
- The driver turned or made a U-turn in front of you without watching for you.
- The driver didn’t check if it was safe before turning.
- The driver misjudged your actions or speed.
- The driver couldn’t see well because of hills, trees, or buildings.
- The driver suddenly changed lanes and turned without noticing you on your bike.
- The driver made an illegal turn or U-turn.
- The driver didn’t let you go first when turning.
- The vehicle had malfunctioning brakes or other parts.
- Road signs weren’t working properly or at all.
- There were problems with the road that made you go into the way of a turning vehicle.
Obviously, being in one of these accidents as a bicyclist is very frustrating. Not only does it leave you with injuries, but in many cases, it was probably preventable if the driver would have simply done what they should have. With our team of Spokane bicycle accident lawyers on your side, we can help you hold them and anyone else that’s responsible accountable.
Contact CCD Law After a Left Turn Bicycle Accident in Spokane
When you’re hurt in a left turn bicycle accident in Spokane, it can be totally overwhelming. Not only do you have to worry about your injuries, but the long-term effects the accident might have on you and your family. At CCD Law, we can give you everything you need to put together a strong claim for damages. Contact us today for a free consultation to learn more.
