Lawsuit filed after Sacramento pedestrian-bicycle collision
We often write about how seriously bicyclists can be injured when they are hit by vehicles. That’s because a person on a bike is no match for an automobile. Along those same lines, pedestrians who are hit by bicyclists can also be left seriously injured because of the speed at which bicycles travel.
An accident that occurred in Sacramento last spring is an example of this. A woman was on a sidewalk near Capitol and 15th and was struck from behind by a bicyclist riding on the sidewalk. Now the woman is filing a lawsuit against the city, charging that its rules are putting pedestrians at risk.
The woman said in an interview that she spend two weeks in the hospital and has had several surgeries following the accident, which also left her permanently dependent on a cane to walk. The woman is still in need of additional procedures and she said her insurance money is running out.
Typically, bicyclists are forbidden from riding on sidewalks, but in Sacramento bicyclists are allowed on sidewalks in “residence districts or where a sidewalk is designated as part of an established bicycle route.” The woman says her accident did not occur in a residential district or on an established bicycle route and the man who hit her was never identified.
The woman maintains that the city doesn’t do enough to enforce its rules for bicyclists and pedestrians are put at risk as a result. She hopes her lawsuit against the city will force the city to take action to keep pedestrians out of harm’s way so an accident like hers doesn’t happen again.
Following a serious accident, sometimes there is more than one party responsible. Not only can the negligent actor be liable for damages caused by the accident, but the city or state can also be blamed for putting the public at risk.
An experienced personal injury attorney in Sacramento can help identify all of the parties whose negligence may have contributed to pedestrian accidents, bicycle accidents, commercial vehicle accidents or motor vehicle accidents.
Source: KFBK, “Veteran Journalist Hit by Cyclist Files $3.5 Million Claim,” Oct. 7, 2014