GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS: What are some general considerations of San Diego California motorists and bicyclists under California law?

A:

California motor vehicle operators must be attentive to all bicycle riders they encounter on the roadways. They must equate a bicycle with a motor vehicle and observe the same laws for these bicyclists. For example: if you are sharing the right lane with a bicyclist and you are planning to turn right at an intersection, you must yield to the bicyclist, under California law. You may not drive in a designated bike lane unless you have immediate intentions to turn off the road. Bike lanes are clearly marked and your duty as a motorist is to watch out for these markings at all times.  There are many "new" traffic laws concerning bicycles and ignorance of the laws will not protect you against negligence if you injure a bicyclist.  Also, the burden tends to fall on a motorist who is usually in the better position to negotiate or prevent serious injury when it comes to bicycle vs. motor vehicle accident.

Under California law, bicycle riders are also subject to the same traffic laws as motorists, and as such, they owe a duty of due care too. If you are riding a bicycle, you are also required to obey the traffic laws and you deserve the same protection by those laws as automobile drivers. Yet, as a bicyclists, you must be even more diligent since you have much less protection as a motorist inside a vehicle. There are many other types of negligence, such as product liability, defective products and negligent manufacturing or assembly, which can also cause serious bicycle accidents and injuries.  All of these situations can clearly lead one to consult an experienced pedestrian/bicycle injury lawyer.
 More Legal Questions About Pedestrian & Bicycle Accidents?

Do you have more legal questions about car & motorcycle accident cases?  Return to the Pedestrian & Bicycle Accidents in California Frequently Asked Legal Questions page. 

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