Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
I have been riding for years and I take pride in my rider skill level. I do all of the right stuff, all of the time. I wear a helmet. I maintain a buffer zone around me, never riding side by side with any cars and so on.
It was a beautiful Sunday morning as I rode along Auburn Boulevard here in Sacramento, California. This stretch of Auburn Boulevard is four lanes, two in each direction, posted speed limit 35 mph, and the road is tree lined residential with businesses and apartments dotting the roadside.
My Harley was running great; the air was warm and sweet with the summer smells of gardens and pine. I was in the left lane doing about 40 mph with a slower car on my right side in the slow lane. I had seen this car from about a half mile behind and it was riding along straight and true, no problem. I intended to just continue on past it and continue my ride.
Without warning, another can changed lanes from the slow lane into my lane. It was doing 50 or 55 mph and never hesitated as it roared into my right side.
The way accidents happen on a motorcycle is that they happen right now. I mean right now! You make a decision and go with it right now. Making no decision or a slow decision is not an option.
I decided to veer off to my left before the car pushed me off to the left. Crossing over the double yellow line into the oncoming traffic I was suddenly facing an oncoming car traveling towards me at about 40 mph and a head-on crash was imminent. I elected to continue veering harder to my left to miss this car and I could see the next coming at me in the slow lane.
I continued on across both oncoming lanes and into the curb on the opposite side of the street.
I got lucky as my trajectory, still moving at about 40 mph, took me directly into a driveway break in the curb and then there was plenty of beautiful green grass waiting for me to come to a safe stop.
Whew! No hit, no foul!
There could have been a number of alternate, ugly endings to this event and most of them were very serious.
I blame myself for losing focus. I should have been frequently checking my mirrors and never been surprised by the errant car. I had lost my focus, a mortal sin for motorcycle riders.
Sitting there on the Harley, still running, stopped on the grass, I watched the errant car continue down Auburn Boulevard without ever looking back. I had lost my focus but not my life. The other driver was responsible for the entire event.
Here at the offices of Moseley Collins (Sacramento, California), we believe that you have the right to an experienced attorney who will fight for the compensation you deserve. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident and need help, please call 916.444.4444. There is never a fee until we win your case.