Many people take frequent excursions on their motorcycles along the highways to see the coast and other scenic destinations. Unfortunately, these motorists sometimes get into serious accidents, which can result in devastating injuries and even fatalities.
Lane splitting is the practice of riding a motorcycle between two lanes of traffic, such as riding on the dotted traffic line. Lane splitting allows motorcycle riders to pass slower moving traffic by traveling between two lanes. In almost every other state, lane splitting for motorcycles is illegal because it puts motorcycles in drivers’ blind spots and does not allow sufficient distance between bikes and cars, thus raising the risk of accidents.
However, to reduce traffic congestion on already busy roads and highways, the law in Sunnyvale allows motorcycles to share lanes with other vehicles. By allowing motorcycles to travel between lanes of stopped or moving traffic, lane splitting reduces the number of vehicles taking up space on crowded freeways.
California Vehicle Code § 21658.1 regulates the practice of lane splitting and requires motorcycle riders to operate in “safe and prudent manner” when sharing lanes. Lane splitting is not permitted on the shoulder of a highway. While splitting lanes, riders must obey all other traffic laws. For example, they cannot speed, drive recklessly, drive distractedly, or drive drunk. They also cannot weave between lanes.
A qualified team of attorneys could explain how lane splitting might potentially affect a claim.
After a motorcycle crash, the resulting injuries are often severe. An injured rider or passenger could pursue recovery of all their losses from the accident, including the following:
To obtain damages, an injured person must prove that another motorist’s negligent driving led to the accident. However, that driver could argue that the motorcycle rider in Sunnyvale contributed to the accident by violating a traffic law, such as by lane splitting, in an unsafe manner.
Suppose the other driver could prove that the motorcyclist weaved in and out of lanes. In that case, a court might determine that they bear partial responsibility for the accident, which could reduce the amount of recoverable damages in proportion to their degree of fault.
A determined legal team could perform a detailed investigation of the accident and work with reconstruction specialists to better understand what went wrong. These experts could help an injured rider maximize their recovery of damages by proving they were not to blame for the crash.
Motorcycle crashes often result in life-altering injuries. When you suffer these injuries, you deserve fair compensation for them, as they will be costly. Our knowledgeable local lawyers could help you understand how Sunnyvale motorcycle traffic laws could affect your recovery of damages after an accident.
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