Legal Tips and Resources

For all the potential benefits of riding a bicycle, you also face an increased risk of accidents in which you collide with a fixed object, another bicycle, a pedestrian, or (perhaps scariest of all) a car or truck. The choices you make immediately after a bike accident could affect your health, your future, and your ability to recover compensation for damages resulting from the crash. Therefore, there are several important steps that you need to take in the immediate aftermath.

1. See to Your Own Safety

In other words, get yourself out of the road, sit down, and start checking yourself for injuries. Be aware that, due to the initial adrenaline rush, you may not experience pain or symptoms right away. You should get medical attention as soon as possible.

2. Call for Help

After a bicycle accident, particularly one between your bicycle and a motor vehicle, you should call the police. They can help you get medical attention if necessary and file an accident report that may be of use to you later.

3. Document Evidence

When the police arrive, make sure you tell them what happened in as much detail as you can so that your account can be included in the report. Be assertive (but not aggressive) in persuading them to listen to you if it seems they are only interested in talking to the motorist.

It is also extremely helpful to write down your own account of what happened when you get the chance and to take pictures of the scene, if possible. If you see a doctor or go to the emergency room, you should try to obtain copies of any records related to injuries from your bike accident. These include reports, X-ray images, etc.

4. Be Wary in Talking With the Insurance Company

An adjuster from the other party’s insurance company may call you up and try to have a conversation. However, the real objective is to get you to say something that will hurt your case. It is a good idea to avoid talking to the insurance company at all until you speak with an attorney, but if you must, keep the conversation brief and do not volunteer any information.

5. Have a Professional Look at Your Bike

A bike accident could result in subtle damage that is not easily observable but could put you at risk for further accidents. A specialist in bicycle repair should have a look to see whether the bike is still safe to ride when you are ready.

It may be possible to recover damages after a bike accident. An auto accident lawyer in Canoga Park, CA may be able to help. Contact a law office for more information.

Thanks to Barry P. Goldberg for their insight into personal injury claims and steps to take after a bicycle accident.