Motorists Convicted in Two Separate Bicycle Accidents in California
In two separate but significant legal developments this week, two motorists – a Huntington Beach man who was texting while driving, and a Los Angeles doctor who injured two bicyclists in a fit of road rage – have been convicted. Huntington Beach-resident Jeffrey Francis Woods was driving the pickup truck that struck 14-year-old Danny Oates in 2007. Danny was on his way to pick up his schedule in preparation for the first day of school after summer on his bicycle. He was wearing a helmet, when the pickup struck his bicycle. Danny was thrown nearly 100 feet. He died of multiple blunt force trauma injuries. Court documents show that Woods suddenly swerved the pickup truck into oncoming traffic, and ended up in the bike lane in the opposite direction, crashing into Danny. Woods has now been convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter. He will be sentenced on the 11 th of December, and faces up to 10 years in prison. He had been charged with erratic driving, and following other vehicles too closely. The accident had shaken up the Huntington Beach community, and sparked outrage against Woods’ distracted driving. The other important legal development this week was the conviction of Los Angeles doctor Christopher Thomas Thomson, who was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon and other charges. Thomson was driving in Brentwood last year when he tried to pass two bicyclists. There was a minor altercation between the motorist and the bicyclists, and Thomas apparently pulled out in front of the two cyclists. One of them was thrown through the rear window of his car, while the other was thrown several feet away. The two cyclists were seriously injured, and required hospital treatment. Thomson has now been found guilty. Going against Thomson’s favor was a police officer at the scene who said that Thomson told him he pulled out in front of the two cyclists to “teach them a lesson”. Thomson’s attorney blamed the two cyclists for the accident, saying they yelled at him and provoked him. Both these accidents had received plenty of media space, and have focused attention on bicyclist rights. Thomson’s trial in particular had been eagerly followed by California bicycle accident lawyers , bicycling enthusiasts and safety groups in California. The trail focused attention on the kind of hostility bicyclists seem to increasingly face, as more and more of them join motorists on our roads. Nationwide, and in California, there has a massive increase in the number of people who have taken to bicycling to get around. According to bicycle safety groups more numbers of bicyclists can actually mean a lower crash rate. When motorists see more and more bicyclist on the roads, they slowly evolve their diving behaviors to accommodate bicyclists and their rights. Earlier this month, a study showed that bicycle accident injuries are becoming increasingly severe. The rates of chest and abdominal injuries in the crashes have increased significantly. The study had led to calls for improved infrastructure for bicyclists in the form of more bike lanes, and better helmet awareness. The Reeves Law Group is a law firm with offices throughout California dedicated exclusively to the representation of personal injury victims, including victims of bicycle accidents . Please visit our website at trlglaw.com . If you desire a free consultation on a personal injury matter, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or email us . The Reeves Law Group is not acting as legal counsel for any party in the matters discussed in this posting.
Read the rest here:
Motorists Convicted in Two Separate Bicycle Accidents in California