Huntington Beach Car Accident Kills Motorcyclist

A motorcyclist who was fatally injured in a Huntington Beach car accident has been identified as 58-year-old Richard Ciancone. The Orange County Register reports that the fatal motorcycle accident occurred the morning of February 7, 2010. Ciancone was westbound on Heil Avenue near Bradbury Lane, when 19-year-old Nathan Bower who was driving a Honda Element turned left in front of the motorcycle. Ciancone was thrown off the motorcycle and died from his critical injuries.

I offer my heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of Richard Ciancone for their terrible and untimely loss. Please keep this family in your prayers during their time of grief.

Motorcycle Accidents

There were no deaths but 55 injuries occurred involving motorcycle accidents in Huntington Beach in 2007, according to California Highway Patrol's Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS). Countywide, motorcycle accidents claimed 24 lives and injured 752 people during the same year.

California Code Relating to Left Turns

If the details of this news report are accurate, it seems to me that the young driver of the Honda Element, Nathan Bower, may have been at-fault for failing to yield right-of-way to an oncoming vehicle, in this case, the motorcyclist. Under California Vehicle Code Section 21801 (a): "The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left or to complete a U-turn upon a highway, or to turn left into public or private property, or an alley, shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching from the opposite direction which are close enough to constitute a hazard at any time during the turning movement, and shall continue to yield the right-of-way to the approaching vehicles until the left turn or U-turn can be made with reasonable safety."

Claim for Compensation

An experienced Huntington Beach personal injury lawyer will be able to determine whether any negligence or wrongdoing was involved here. If this accident was caused by a dangerous condition on the roadway or intersection, the governmental agency responsible for maintaining that roadway could be held liable. According to California Governmental Code section 911.2, any claim against a governmental entity must be filed within six months of the accident or injury.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.