November 18, 2017
JML Law

Our bicycle accident attorneys at JML Law have reviewed a bizarre bicycle accident that took place in Riverside this summer: who should be held accountable for the severe injuries sustained by a cyclist who was chased down by a dog and ended up crashing into a moving truck?

The July 23 bicycle accident in Riverside made national headlines within hours, with the Riverside police immediately starting to look for the owner of the German shepherd that may have caused the accident.

Here at JML Law, our bicycle accident attorneys have navigated hundreds of bike accidents in the past 35 years, helping our clients obtain compensation for their injuries in six- to eight-figure settlements and verdicts.

But the Riverside bike accident involving the dog stands out from the crowd as there could be multiple parties at fault for the accident.

There are lots of theories surrounding the bizarre bicycle accident in Riverside, and our bicycle accident attorney at JML Law has looked into each one of them to determine liability.

  1. Should the owner of the dog that was running off-leash in a state where walking the dog off-leash is banned be held liable?
  2. Or was it the truck driver who failed to react and stop his vehicle before the cyclist smashed into it? (Perhaps the driver was intoxicated or distracted while driving and texting? Or the driver may have violated traffic rules).
  3. Or was it the cyclist’s fault? Did he provoke the dog into chasing him down in the first place? (Though the owner of the dog would still be penalized for letting the dog run lose).
  4. Or was Riverside at fault for the bike accident? Perhaps local authorities had been warned about stray dogs in the area prior to the accident, but the city failed to address the issue.

How do determine liability for bicycle accidents?

In Riverside and elsewhere in California, it is illegal to let your dog run loose without a leash (there are, however, dog parks that allow dog owners to walk their pets off-leash).

Unless the victim of the Riverside bicycle accident provoked or bullied the dog (which caused the German shepherd, a 2-year-old female, to run after the cyclist) and unless the truck driver violated traffic rules, the dog owner may have been the only party responsible for the bike accident.

As seen in the surveillance video, there is no dog owner in sight, as the dog is seen freely chasing down the cyclist – and this footage could become sufficient evidence to prove the dog owner’s liability in the incident, our bicycle accident attorney at JML Law explains.

Since the truck-bicycle collision wasn’t caught on camera, it’s unclear whether or not the truck driver violated any traffic rules. Also, it’s unclear if the driver was intoxicated or texting, or otherwise distracted at the time of the collision, as the media has kept the bizarre bicycle accident under wraps.

It’s also unclear if the owner of the dog has been found by Riverside County animal control officers.

Are you a cyclist who has gotten into a bicycle accident in Riverside? Don’t do anything (except seek medical help, if necessary) before you consult a Riverside bicycle accident attorney to launch an independent investigation that will maximize your compensation.

Here at JML Law, our finest attorneys evaluate the full value of damages in your best interests. Call our Riverside offices at 818-610-8800 or send an email to schedule a free initial consultation.

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