Bicycle Accidents

15-year-old Tarzana Cyclist Killed When Stuck by Car on Easter Morning

April 4, 2018 | by Robert Walch

A 15-year-old Tarzana boy, and biking enthusiast, Sebastian Montero, was tragically killed when he was struck by a car while riding his bike in Woodland Hills, California. According to the Los Angeles Daily News, the Woodland Hills bicycle accident occurred when Montero was riding his bike with a friend on Easter morning. He followed his friend through an intersection when a white 2018 Infiniti entered the intersection and hit Montero, sending him flying into the car’s windshield.

The young boy was rushed to the hospital reportedly suffering from blunt force trauma. He was pronounced dead just a short time later. The driver was a 31-year-old Tarzana man. The driver stopped after the accident and the police determined that he was not driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

What to Do If You Are in a Los Angeles Bike Accident

March 20, 2018 | by Robert Walch

Los Angeles is known for its busy roads and good weather. These two things combined mean many people opt to ride a bicycle for transportation. While a bicycle can be a great option for getting around the city, it can also be dangerous—with so much traffic in the Los Angeles area, it means increased chances you could get hurt as a result of a bicycle accident.

Bicycle accidents can result in serious injuries. When the collision is with a car, there can be severe injuries that require medical attention and hospital stays. As result of a serious bike accident, you could be facing not only immediate medical expenses, but also expenses for physical therapy to assist in your recovery as well as loss of earnings if your injury requires you to miss work. You should be compensated for these expenses. An experienced California personal injury lawyer can help you maximize your recovery from the other party’s insurance or, if needed, help you file a Los Angeles personal injury lawsuit against the person who caused the accident. Continue Reading

Man Killed in Palm Springs Bicycle Accident

February 15, 2018 | by Robert Walch

Mark Kristofferson, a 49 year old man, was killed in a Palm Springs bicycle accident. According to the Desert Sun, Ronnie Huerta, Jr., from Desert Hot Springs, California, struck Kristofferson and another bicyclist, Alyson Lee Akers, from Huntington Beach, California, during the Tour de Palm Springs bicycling event.

Mr. Kristofferson tragically passed away as a result of this Palm Springs wrongful death accident and Ms. Akers suffered severe injuries and had to be airlifted to Desert Regional Medical Center. We wish a speedy recovery to Ms. Akers. Continue Reading

California’s Basic Speed Law

October 14, 2017 | by Robert Walch

In early October, a teenage girl was hit in an intersection in Imperial Beach, California, while riding her bike. A white car entered the intersection of Elm Avenue and 9th Street striking the girl on her bike, causing this California bike accident. This intersection in Imperial Beach is a rather busy intersection, and residents believe that something more needs to be done to prevent future incidents like this from happening in the future.

Thankfully, the teen was taken to the hospital and is expected to be okay. The problem is that residents of the community say that this is going to continue until the city steps up to do something to protect people at this intersection.

Do You Need a Bicycle Helmet? Yes! You do!

July 30, 2017 | by Robert Walch

Our California personal injury lawyers have seen many serious bicycle accident injuries over the years. In fact, we recently recovered over one million dollars for a client who was injured while riding his bicycle. Many people opt to not wear a bicycle helmet, and that can turn into a deadly decision. In fact, 800 people were killed while riding a bicycle with 515,000 people being injured in bicycle accidents that required a trip to the emergency room or doctor’s office back in 2010. One of the most common injuries that occur in bicycle accidents are head injuries. Neglecting to wear a bicycle helmet can increase your chances of death after a bicycle accident. There are a few other reasons that wearing a bicycle helmet is a must.

Visibility: Bicycle helmets are often brightly colored or have reflective features on them that make them more noticeable to drivers. Often, accidents happen when drivers are unable to see bicyclists that are traveling close to them. If your helmet doesn’t have reflective stripes, and you bike at night, you’ll want to consider adding some reflective tape to it.
Protection From the Weather: A bicycle helmet also protects your head from the weather. In addition, if you’re riding your bike and a storm happens, you’ll have protection from the rain and even hail. If you like to bike when it’s chilly outside, there are some helmets meant to help keep your head warmer.

LOS ANGELES CITY SETTLES BRAIN INJURY CASE BY BICYCLIST INJURED ON VICTORY BLOULEVARD IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY FOR $3 MILLION

September 29, 2016 | by Robert Walch

A bicyclist, who alleged permanent traumatic brain injury (often referred to as TBI) and memory loss will be paid three million ($3,000,000.00) dollars by the city of Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday, September 29, 2016.

The bicycle versus car collision occurred on Victory Boulevard, just east of the San Diego (405) freeway, in the San Fernando Valley, when Shelaim Furst, a rabbi, allegedly was hit from behind while driving his bicycle in a posted bicycle lane by a car driven by Antoine Shehata, who was attempting to change lanes to enter the freeway.

As a result of the impact, Rabbi Furst struck the car’s front windshield and was thrown approximately 27 feet onto the street. Rabbi Furst reportedly suffered multiple injuries, including permanent brain injury and memory loss, from this collision.

A basis of his lawsuit was reported to be that L.A. City allowed Victory Blvd. to become “dilapidated” which created a false sense of security since the city posted bike route signs. For more information on bicycle injury accidents, please see our Bicycle Accident injury page.

Bicyclist Killed in Los Angeles County Big Rig Truck Accident

October 28, 2015 | by Robert Walch

In a tragic and freak wrongful death accident yesterday, a big rig truck carrying a shipping container apparently struck a bridge, causing the container to fall off of the truck and crush and kill a nearby bicyclist. This wrongful death truck accident occurred close to where Carson borders Long Beach, in Los Angeles County, California.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the LA County Fire Department said that the truck collided with a railroad bridge, which knocked the shipping container off of the truck. LAist.com is reporting that the bicyclist was riding on the sidewalk when he was hit and crushed by the container.

LAist has verified the identity of the deceased bicyclist as Robert Castorena, a resident of the City of Long Beach, California. Mr. Castorena was 51 years old.

We highly recommend that Mr. Castorena’s family members immediately contact a Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer who is experienced in proving wrongful death damages. Here, the liability, or fault for the accident, most likely is on the trucking company, as the truck should not have been operating in an area with bridges low enough to knock the container off of the truck.

Police Looking for Suspect in Beverly Hills Bicycle Crash

April 24, 2013 | by Robert Walch

The Beverly Hills Police Department is looking for the suspect in a hit and run Beverly Hills car versus bicycle collision. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Beverly Hills bicycle crash occurred after a confrontation between the bicycle rider and the driver of a white 3 Series BMW. The bicyclist apparently punched the driver in the face prior to the bicycle crash.

The driver of the BMW then allegedly threatened to kill the bicyclist and crashed into him in an alley behind a restaurant. The car crushed the bicyclist against a steel trash bin, causing bicycle collision injuries to the bicyclist. The bicyclist was taken to the hospital for his injuries, but they were not life threatening.

Surveillance footage of the Beverly Hills bicycle collision can be found by clicking here, courtesy of the L.A. Times. The video shows the BMW swerving to the left, apparently to intentionally collide with the bicyclist, before driving off. The Beverly Hills auto v. bicycle collision occurred on April 3rd, 2013, but police still have not located the driver of the BMW.

Ventura Bicycle Accident Kills Bicyclist

February 18, 2013 | by Robert Walch

A 41 year old bicyclist was killed in a Ventura County bicycle accident on Sunday. The bike accident occurred in Piru, California, which is located in Ventura County. The victim of the bike accident was Jose Jimenez Cervantes, who is from Fillmore, California. According to the Ventura County Star, the victim was struck by a pick up truck driven by Alberto Velgara, who is from Piru.

The Ventura bike accident apparently occurred around 6:30pm on California Highway 126. The California Highway Patrol is investigating the cause of the bike crash. The CHP has said that the victim was not wearing protective lighting equipment or a helmet. The pickup struck Mr. Cervantes from behind, while he was riding on Highway 126. The highway had to be closed for about 90 minutes after the Piru bike accident, for the CHP to conduct its investigation. The findings of the investigation have not yet been released.

Man Killed in Calabasas Bicycle Accident

July 14, 2012 | by Robert Walch

A bicycle accident in Calabasas resulted in the death of a male bicyclist, who is believed to be about 45 years old. The Calabasas bicycle accident occurred this morning, at about 9:20am, in the Santa Monica Mountains. According to the Los Angeles Times, the bicyclist apparently veered off of the road and ended up falling down a ravine.

The cause of this Calabasas bicycle accident wrongful death is still under investigation by the California Highway Patrol. At this point, it is too early to determine why this bicycle accident death occurred. Authorities will investigate whether the bike accident was caused by the negligence of the bicyclist, or if the negligence of a vehicle possibly caused the bicyclist to veer off the road and down the ravine.

In order to determine the cause of this California bicycle accident, it will be necessary to look for any witnesses who may have seen the bicyclist prior to the incident, or if they saw any speeding or recklessly driven vehicles at around the time of the bike crash. Investigators will also look for skid marks or any other indication of a vehicle contributing to the cause of this wrongful death accident.