Riding a bicycle is fun. You can ride it any time and needn’t worry about fueling up. Moreover, cycling is good for your health and makes it easy to run errands. But with all the good comes the bad – bicycle accidents. Like any other vehicle, bicycles, too, can cause crashes or collisions. That is why before you go out on a bicycle you must know what to do in case of a bicycle collision.
Here two scenarios may arise
- Collision with other bicycles
- Collision with bigger vehicles
Let’s discuss both scenarios in details:
1. Collision with other bicycles
Many people have taken to cycling in recent years because of its many benefits. Naturally, the number of cyclists increases every year. The lanes for cyclists are getting more crowded by the day and this has pumped up the number of bicycle collisions through the country. Moreover, people remain distracted more often than before for a variety of reasons. Distracted bicyclists are a major cause of accidents. So, you may get caught up in a bicycle accident at any time. When that happens, you have to be very calm and handle the situation carefully. This simple checklist will help you:
- First, check for bruises and injuries. Unless the cyclist has hit you too hard, there shouldn’t be many injuries. However, make sure that you have not broken a bone or had a concussion.
- If the injuries aren’t serious, you can call the police and first responders.
- Check if any of your possessions were damaged.
- Next, you should click a series of pictures of the accident site. Try to as elaborate as possible when you click the pictures.
- Click a picture of even the finest details like the position of other cyclists, condition of their bicycles, any broken or damaged property, and so on. These pictures will later help you in your claim.
- Next, you should check on the other cyclist(s) involved in the accident. They may be at fault but they are still humans. See if they need any help.
- You can also try to talk with witnesses of the accident and note down their names and addresses. This will help in the investigation.
- Never argue with others involved in the crash. Heated arguments can make things difficult for you when you make a claim.
- Do not accept or negate your role in the fault. Whatever you say may be held against you. So, do not make any statement about your fault in the accident.
2. Collision with bigger vehicles
Bicyclists may also be in a collision with other bigger vehicles like motorcycles, cars, trucks, etc. Such accidents are usually more serious for cyclists owing to the size and speed of the other vehicles. Since cyclists have practically no protection a hit from a car or a run over by a truck can cause fatal injuries in many cases. That is why in such a situation, you need to do the following:
- If the injuries are minor, you can call the first responders after you have checked the injuries that you have sustained.
- However, if the injuries are serious do not move. Try to call the police without moving much. You may harm yourself more.
- If possible, photograph the accident scene from your position. Do not move about.
- Wait for the ambulance to arrive.
Get in touch with an experienced lawyer
If you have been in a bicycle accident, you must contact a lawyer. You should do this as soon as possible. If your injuries are minor, you can call a lawyer after you have talked with the police and received first aid. If, however, you are seriously injured, you will have to wait till you are taken to the hospital. Once you are fit to talk with other people, you can call in a lawyer. You can also ask your family or friend to hire a lawyer for you.
It may not seem important to many but getting a lawyer for yourself is essential if you have been in an accident. If you have sustained injuries or incurred losses because of the fault of others, you can claim compensation. You can do it on your own, but the chances are that you will get peanuts as a settlement. Insurance companies are no fools and they will use their best lawyers to play your case down.
That is why you need a bicycle accident attorney who will not only adequately represent you in court, but also look after the claim. He will use his best resources to build a strong case that will help establish your claim. He will help prove how the fault of other cyclists was the cause of the accident and how you suffered because of the fault of others.
