Los Angeles Injury Attorney Blog

A 19-year-old Fontana man was tragically killed Sunday evening in a motorcycle crash in Rancho Cucamonga, the Press-Enterprise reported. The accident occurred at 7:16 p.m. at the intersection of Milliken Avenue and Church Street. The victim, Timothy Neil Denzler Jr. was riding a 1996 Suzuki motorcycle that collided with a 2009 Toyota Corolla. According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner, Denzler was riding northbound on Milliken. As he entered the intersection to Church Street, the 2009 Toyota Corolla turned left from southbound Milliken Avenue toward eastbound Church Street, and collided with his motorcycle. Denzler was flown to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton where he died of his injuries shortly after 8:30 p.m.

Cause of the Rancho Cucamonga Motorcycle Accident

The cause of the accident remains under investigation by the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. However, if news reports are accurate, it appears that this collision was likely caused by the driver of the Toyota making an unsafe left-turn into the path of the motorcycle. The law pertaining to left turns is stated in California Vehicle Code Section 21801: "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." Investigators will surely look at the speed of both vehicles and other factors in determining exactly what happened and why.

Motorcycle Accident Wrongful Death Liability

If it is determined that the driver of the Toyota caused this collision, he or she may be financially liable for the death of the motorcyclist. In situations such as this accident in San Bernardino County, where another driver is potentially responsible for causing a fatal accident, the family members of the victim may benefit from consulting with an experienced and knowledgeable San Bernardino motorcycle accident lawyer. An experienced attorney can review the facts of the incident and help the family understand who is responsible for their devastating and unexpected loss. If negligence of the driver caused the crash, the family may be entitled to compensation for their loss in a wrongful death claim, including damages for final medical expenses, funeral and burial expenses, anticipated future lifetime earnings and benefits, and loss of love, care and companionship.