Right Hook Bicycle Accidents

One of the most common causes of bicycle accidents is the right hook which happens when a car making a right turn collides into a bicyclist on its right in the process of making its turn. These accidents generally cause more serious injuries to bicyclists, who do not have the same protections as motorists. 

Injured bicycle victims often require extensive medical care and treatment. As such, it is important that if you or a loved one is injured in a bicycle accident to immediately consult with an experienced Los Angeles bike accident attorney to protect your legal rights and maximize the compensation that you are entitled to from the liable parties who caused the accident.

What is a “Right Hook” Bicycle Accident?

 A right hook accident happens when a motorist travels in the same direction as a bicyclist and suddenly turns right across the rider’s path. In these types of accidents, the bicyclist is either struck from the side as the car turns or is cut off and crashes head-on with the car. This is referred to as “being hooked.”

Generally, drivers can cause a right hook accident if they fail to properly estimate how fast a bicyclist is traveling, and subsequently overestimate how much time they have to make a right turn. These types of accidents typically happen at intersections, parking lot entrances, driveways, and private roads.

How to Avoid a Right Hook Accident

You can never fully avoid getting into an accident while riding your bike. However, there are certain steps that you can take to minimize the risk of involvement in a right hook bicycle accident. You should:

• Be as visible as possible by wearing bright or reflective clothing
• Be cognizant of your surroundings
• Use hand signals to make your actions known by motorists on the road
• Be prepared to break
• Avoid passing a car on your right at intersections
• Practice evasive maneuvers in order to avoid a crash with a right-turning motorist
• Pay attention to vehicles as they pass and approach you at intersections
• Use extra caution around large vehicles and trucks
• Make sure your bicycle is in good repair and is well-maintained before every ride

Although these steps will help reduce the risk of getting into an accident while on your bike, accidents can nevertheless happen. If and when you are injured in an accident, it is important that you immediately consult with a Los Angeles bicycle accident lawyer to protect your legal rights and maximize your compensation.

Common Injuries Suffered in Right Hook Bicycle Accidents

Bicyclists are at a much greater risk for suffering serious injuries in accidents than motorists because they don’t enjoy the same safety features as cars, such as seatbelts, airbags and steel frames. A right hook bicycle accident, specifically, can cause even greater injury or death to a bicyclist. 

Some common injuries bicycle accident victims can suffer in a right hook accident include:

• Skull fractures
• Head injuries, including a traumatic brain injury
• Broken or fractured bones
• Neck or back injuries
• Paralysis
• Road rash
• Cuts, scrapes, and bruising
• Internal organ injuries

Compensation for Right Hook Bicycle Accident Victims

Victims of any type of bicycle accident, including a right hook accident, are entitled to fair and just compensation from the party who caused the accident. Many factors must be considered in determining the fair compensation that you may be entitled to for your injuries. An experienced Los Angeles right hook bicycle accident attorney can help make sure that you get full money damages for:

• Past and future health care expenses
• Loss of income
• Loss of earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Any other out of pocket expenses you may have incurred as part of your accident

What To Do After a Right Hook Bike Accident

No one can totally prepare for a right hook bicycle accident. But you can take certain steps after the accident to protect your legal rights and get the full compensation that you deserve. Below are some important steps you should take immediately after your bike accident:

• Call 911. If the police do not come to the scene of the accident, you should call your local law enforcement agency and file a report.
• Seek immediate medical attention. This is an important step even if you think you are not injured. Symptoms of certain injuries may take days or even weeks to surface.
• Get the contact information for all parties involved. Without the information of the parties involved in the accident, it will be very difficult to hold them responsible for your injuries and seek the compensation that you deserve. You should also get the contact information for any witnesses to the accident.
• Take pictures of the scene of the accident. You should also take as many pictures as possible at the scene of the accident if you are able to do so. It is best to take pictures before you move your bicycle or the motorist that hit you moves his or her vehicle. This position of the vehicle(s) and your bicycle can be an important factor in determining fault if it is at issue.

Perhaps the most important step you should take after any type of bicycle accident, especially a right hook accident, is to immediately contact a bicycle accident attorney in Los Angeles. The insurance company for the responsible motorist will take every step possible to avoid paying out on your claim, especially if you are representing yourself without an attorney. The adjuster’s goal is to pay out as little as possible on each claim, as quickly as possible. 

As such, they will pull out every stop possible to “trick” claimants into settling their claims for as cheap as possible. However, when you have an experienced and aggressive bike accident lawyer on your side, you can be confident that you will receive the full compensation that you deserve for the injuries you have suffered.

Call an Experienced Los Angeles Right Hook Bicycle Accident Attorney Today!

If you or a loved one has suffered injuries in a right hook bicycle accident caused by the negligence of another party, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. You should immediately consult with an experienced Los Angeles bicycle accident attorney to help protect your legal rights and get you the full compensation that you deserve. 

For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation with a bicycle accident lawyer, please call the Law Offices of Samer Habbas & Associates at 888-848-5084.