One of the common types of car-bicycle accidents in San Francisco occurs when the driver of a car opens his door without making sure that there are no upcoming bicycles coming his way, causing the coming bicyclist run into the door of his car and either be violently thrown back from the bike or fly forward. In many such cases, the bicyclist suffers serious injuries, including arm/leg fractures, knee injuries, and various back injuries, including bulging or protruding discs and contusions. Many such injuries take months or longer to heal, and often the deeper pain never goes away, despite lengthy chiropractic treatment and many sessions of physical therapy, among other kinds of treatment.
Generally, the driver of the car in this case would be liable for the injuries caused to the bicyclist. However, the insurance companies sometimes like to argue that the bicyclist was in part or in whole responsible for the collision, and therefore should not be compensated or should be compensated only partially for the injuries suffered. They make the same two arguments over and over: (1) the bicyclist was going too fast and therefore didn't have the opportunity to stop when he saw the car door open; and (2) the bicyclist should not have been going that close to the right to avoid the risk of running into a car door. An experienced injury lawyer will know how to deal with these arguments and how to prove that the driver is at fault for the accident, and not the bicyclist.
Generally, the driver of the car in this case would be liable for the injuries caused to the bicyclist. However, the insurance companies sometimes like to argue that the bicyclist was in part or in whole responsible for the collision, and therefore should not be compensated or should be compensated only partially for the injuries suffered. They make the same two arguments over and over: (1) the bicyclist was going too fast and therefore didn't have the opportunity to stop when he saw the car door open; and (2) the bicyclist should not have been going that close to the right to avoid the risk of running into a car door. An experienced injury lawyer will know how to deal with these arguments and how to prove that the driver is at fault for the accident, and not the bicyclist.
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