In Los Angeles, motorcyclists face high risks of suffering injuries from unsafe left turn motorcycle accidents. The motorcyclists don't have protections like the other motor vehicles. Due to the lack of protection, they are at a high risk of sustaining severe injuries from an accident. Unsafe left turn motorcycles accidents are caused by numerous factors like distracted driving, overtaking, or driver's failure to notice the motorcycles, especially when they turn in an intersection.

Motorcycle accidents are devastating, especially when the riders ride at high speed. In case you are involved in a motorcycle accident, you need to seek legal assistance from an experienced attorney. The lawyer will help you in claiming compensation for the injuries you suffer. At the Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney, we have a team of committed attorneys who will help you attain your fair compensation.

What is an Unsafe Left Turn Motorcycle Accident?

An unsafe left turn motorcycle accident may occur when a driver fails to notice a motorcyclist while they are making the left turn. Therefore the motorcycle may hit the turning car as it passes through the intersection. A driver should be aware that a rider on an intersection or passing through a green light has the right of way.

California laws clearly outline guidelines about how motorcyclists should make a safe left turn. Additionally, the state has other guidelines for all other road users to approach an intersection. For example, a car driver on a multiple lane road will be safer to enter a left lane as they try to yield the left turn and turn only when secure. Before you make the turn, have a check on the traffic. When the road has several riders, you should first yield and make the left turn safe.

Notably, unsafe turns are dangerous for both the motorcyclist and other road users. Motorcyclists don't have protection like other vehicles. They don't have safety measures that may minimize the severity of the injuries. Therefore motorcyclists face a higher risk of sustaining severe injuries when motorcycle accidents happen. The accidents may lead to the motorcyclist struggling with life-threatening injuries like traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, and abdominal wounds.

What Are The Potential Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in a Left Turn?

In Los Angeles, several factors result in unsafe left-turn accidents. Notably, most left-turn motorcycle accidents are triggered by the motorist's and driver's negligence, while others may be bad weather. The causes of motorcycle accidents are:

  • Distracted Driving

Distracted driving is the most leading cause of motorcycle accidents today. Most motorists lose their focus, especially when they cycle their motorcycles over long distances. Nowadays, most distractions are a result of mobile phones, eating while driving, among others. Notably, a little disturbance from the mobile phones may result in accidents with the involved victims sustaining severe injuries and damages.

When making a left turn, the motorist or driver should be more careful and concentrate on the road only. A little distraction will hinder the driver/motorist from noticing an incoming vehicle on time. Therefore chatting or talking on your phone while making a left turn may cause a severe accident.

  • Driver’s failure to Recognize The Riders on Time

A motorcycle is small compared with other vehicles. Therefore spotting them on time might be challenging. Since the motorcycles aren’t easily visible, drivers may fail to spot them as they turn, specifically when they are careless quickly. A driver making a turn without looking at the road may crash a motorcyclist at the intersection. The accident might be severe depending on the speed of the motorist. Therefore as a motorcyclist, you need to be more attentive when making a turn to avoid unsafe turn accidents.

  • Illegally Entering Uncontrolled Intersection

The California law is clear on the traffic rule to motorcyclists and other road users. However, several motorists breach those rules, thus risking their lives and the lives of the common road users. A motorist may illegally enter an intersection even without considering the traffic lights. Unlawful entry in the intersection may cause a devastating accident to them or harm other road users.

  • Disobeying The Red Light

Rushing through an intersection is among the common causes of road accidents. As the driver tries to beat the red light, they may fail to recognize a legally going motorist through the intersection. If a driver and a motorcyclist simultaneously meet at the intersection, they would crash and cause a catastrophic accident, majorly when driving at high speeds. Additionally, motorcyclist's miscalculations for the time they go through the intersection may lead to an accident.

  • Overtaking

Several motorists feel happy when they overtake other vehicles. Therefore, an overtaking car's driver may concentrate more on the car they are overtaking and ignore road users like motorcyclists. By doing so, the driver may end up crashing a motorist and causing an inevitable accident in an intersection.

Types of Injuries Sustained in Unsafe Left Turn Motorbike Accidents

A motorist doesn't have an outer body like other vehicles, which protects them and their passengers. Therefore a road crash involving a motorcycle is severe and most injuries suffered are fatal. Additionally, a road turn is more devastating when the involved vehicle was at a very high speed. The damages caused by the left turn vary from minor to severe based on the accident's nature. The following are the common injuries a motorcyclist suffer from the unsafe turn:

Fracture and Broken Bones

Broken bones are the most common injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. Some broken bones may be quickly treated, while others may take a long period to recover. The severity of a bone fracture depends on the nature of the motorist accident. For instance, when a motorcyclist crashes with a car at high speed, the motorist would fall or even hit objects like metals on the roadsides. Additionally, the motorist's body may land in unnatural positions resulting in severe injuries.

The nature and the position of the motorist's affected part are crucial in determining the severity of the suffered injuries. For example, the motorist may suffer a rib fracture, which may take either short or extensive periods to treat. Motorists' body parts that may suffer a fracture or broken bones include legs, harms, or ribs.

TBI

Traumatic brain injuries are among the fatal injuries you may obtain from an unsafe turn motorcycle accident. If the motorist's skull is wounded, they may suffer brain injuries. The injuries happen when the motorist's brain functioning is interrupted. For instance, the injury may happen when objects hit the motorcyclists on their heads.

Moreover, when the motorcyclist's head is much shaken backward and forth due to the accident, they may suffer brain injuries. Traumatic brain injuries are the fatal injuries obtained in unsafe left turn accidents. Notably, the injuries are more severe when the motorcyclists had no protective helmet when the accident occurred. The injuries come in hand with the effects of other body parts like emotions, cognitive aptitude, and physical abilities. Traumatic brain injury may last for an extended period depending on the severity of the accident.

Spinal Cord Injuries

A spinal cord is very sensitive. Therefore a single injury may alter your entire life. Notably, spinal cord injuries affect the spinal column and the surrounding nerves. Once the column and the nerves are disturbed, the spinal cord's normal functioning is affected. For instance, if, during the accident, the motorcyclist landed on sharp objects on his/her back or neck, the sustained spinal cord injuries may be fatal.

Severe spinal cord injuries are very complicated and may result in paralysis. The paralysis may occur from the injury point down to the legs. Alternatively, when the motorist's spinal cord is partially injured, they may suffer partial paralysis. Treatment for the spinal cord may take extensive time or even an entire life.

Road Burn

Road burn is another form of injury obtained from unsafe left turn motorcycle accidents. The injury occurs when the motorist's body drags on the road surface. Since the motorcyclist’s body isn't protected like other motor vehicles, its body comes in touch with the road surface when an accident occurs. When the body drags on the road surface, the injuries may be severe or minor, depending on the accident's nature.

In most left-turn accidents, motorcyclists are hit by their bikes. They don't have a particular body part, which causes injuries. They may suffer injuries on their legs, arms, back, or face. The road rash is painful, and the victim may experience the pain until the wound completely heals. The injuries requiring surgical intervention are costly to treat.

Internal Injuries

The type of injuries occurs to the internal body parts and affects body parts like the intestines. Internal injuries and bleeding result from something hard-hitting the motorcyclist's body but doesn't break the skin. The injuries are common, and the severity depends on the nature of the  accident.

Compensation Damages Available in Motorcycle Accidents

The California law has clear guidelines on the handling of personal injury cases. If you are a motorcyclist involved in a motorcycle accident, you should hire a personal injury attorney to create a compensatory damages list. You will come up with a record of compensable damages depending on the type of motorcycle accident. If you sustained severe injuries, you would seek huge compensation rates. Alternatively, if the suffered injuries were minor, you seek less amount of compensation. In California, the available compensable damages for motorcycle accidents are:

Medical Expenses

After sustaining motorcycle accidents, the first attention is seeking medication for your health. Therefore you will require transportation costs to and from the hospital. Additionally, you will need costs for medical bills and treatments. Moreover, if the accident was fatal, you may undergo surgery. Furthermore, you may be required to purchase support tools like a wheelchair.

Therefore, you will include all the medical expenses you have faced, past, present, and future expenses when claiming your compensation. The California law expects the party at fault to pay for your compensation. Even when you were partially involved in the accident, you will still receive some medical expenses compensation.

Lost Wages and Earning Capacity

You may be the primary provider for your family or relatives. When you face an accident, the family or relatives will have no one to provide for their basic needs. After facing severe injuries, you may miss your work for a certain period. You will add the lost wages in your compensation claim. Therefore you will receive compensation for the amount of money you haven't made during the recovery time. Notably, the compensation will cater to your daily needs before you go back to your work.

Additionally, various injuries may claim extended periods before they heal. You may need someone to nurse you throughout the recovery period. With that kind of injury, you won't be as effective as before the motorcycle accident. Therefore you will end up losing your earning capacity and sometimes take low-paying jobs for your survival. So the liable party will compensate for the lost earning capacity.

Punitive Sufferings

Apart from obtaining non-monetary and monetary compensatory damages, the court may award you punitive damages. Notably, punitive damages are awarded to punish the reckless motorists and warn other drivers of the negligent behavior of endangering road users. The amount of money is determined by the civil court.

Pain and Suffering

Several injuries are too painful for the accident victims. For instance, injuries like road rash are excruciating and may exist for an extended period. The pain suffered may bring psychological and mental issues like depression and distress. Several injuries may take long before they heal, meaning the victim will experience a prolonged period of pain. Therefore, California law allows victims of unsafe turn motorcycle accidents to receive compensation for the pain suffered during and after the motorcycle accident.

Who is Held Responsible for Unsafe Left Turn Motorcycle Accidents?

The process of determining the at-fault party is an essential exercise while pursuing compensation for your injuries. The process begins with establishing the accident's cause and determining whether the liable party's breach of traffic laws caused the accident. Mostly, left turn accidents result from driver's negligent and reckless behaviors. The essential thing would be establishing whether the driver was negligent and if the driver's negligence caused the alleged motorcycle accident. The California traffic laws expect motorists to adhere to all road rules to ensure their safety and other road users' safety. The parties that may be held liable in unsafe left turn motorcycle accidents are:

The Driver of The Involved Vehicle

Motorcycle accidents involve two or more parties. A driver of the vehicle involved in the motorcycle accident may be held responsible for the accidents. Notably, if the driver breached a certain road measure that caused the accident may be held accountable. The behavior, which indicates the driver's negligence, includes overspeeding or talking and texting while driving. Therefore if the overspeeding driver crashes a motorcyclist as they make a left turn, they may obtain severe injuries. In an intersection, a motorist has the right of way. Thus the driver should slow down and allow the motorcyclists to pass safely. If the driver drives carefully, he/she will protect both themselves and their passengers.

Motorcyclist

A motorist may be partially held liable for the accident. When a motorist does something they are not required to do while riding, they display negligent behavior. For instance, a motorist is texting or talking on the phone while in an intersection. Under California law, a motorist is partially responsible for an accident when:

  • They ride faster than the legally allowed and fail to give other motorists enough time to react. The speed may have caused the accident.
  • Speeding down at the intersection when motorists are on the wait at the junction to take a left turn.
  • Riding on the wrong lanes, the motorcyclist may suffer injuries when the road is majorly meant for the drivers taking a left turn. The motorist may crash you since they were not expecting a motorcyclist to be riding in the wrong lane.

Notably, if you engage a competent personal injury attorney, you may have a smooth time determining the accident's actual cause. A competent attorney may even involve other professionals like accident reconstruction experts to determine what happens. Once the at-fault party is determined, you will decide the next step in recovery for your compensation.

Find a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney Near Me

As a victim of an unsafe left turn motorcycle accident, you may find it challenging to obtain compensation for your injuries and damages. However, if you have confidence that the other person's negligent behavior caused your injuries, seek assistance from an aggressive personal injury lawyer. The lawyer will play a key role in the compensation process by framing the best compensation claim. Our lawyers at the Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney depend on their experience, skills, and knowledge in tackling injury cases. Reach us at 424-231-2013 if you have been injured in or around Los Angeles and have our lawyers begin working on your case.