What Should You Do After A Bicycle Accident?

Many people use a bike to help the environment, save money, and stay in shape. Biking comes with many benefits to an individual’s health and wallet. Unfortunately, there can be risks to biking as well. Each year, many cyclists end up in crashes with motor vehicles, and these crashes often lead to severe injuries. In many cases, when a car crashes into a biker, it can even lead to death. As, Benjamin Sansone, a wrongful death attorney in St. Louis explains, even if bikers are wearing helmets, death is often the result of a biker being hit by a vehicle.

Bikers injured in car crashes often end up with piles of medical bills and slow healing injuries that may prevent them from working.

Bikers generally do their best to follow the rules of the road and be as safe as possible. As Robert Ruloff, a personal injury attorney in Virginia Beach explains, the scary reality is that no matter how careful a cyclist is, a dangerous collision with a vehicle can occur. And even if the crash was the fault of the driver of the car, the biker can still be left with painful injuries, piles of medical bills, and the inability to work while healing.

There are a few thing cyclists need to keep in mind in order to prevent a situation like the one described above from occurring. If you’re a cyclist and find yourself in an accident

Get out of the road.

If you land in the road, you need to get out of it and get to a safe spot as soon as you can. Oncoming motorists may not see you, and you could be hit.

See if you’re injured.

Many injuries are obvious right away, but other injuries, like concussions, can be hard to spot at first. Check for any bleeding, bruising, or pain.

Contact emergency services.

Dial 9-1-1 as soon as you can and inform the operator of your location and the nature of your accident. Even if no one is hurt, you need the police there to document the crash.

Document everything you can.

You need to get all of the evidence you can from the scene of the crash. As Tim Tate, a lawyer who helps clients who have suffered from bodily injuries from car accidents explains, if you have been injured and end up seeking compensation, you will need extensive documentation of the crash. Take photos of everything. If you are injured, take photos of any injuries. Take photos of the car and of your bike. Get statements from any eyewitnesses. You’ll also want the name and number of the driver of the car.

Get medical attention.

Even if you don’t think you’re badly hurt, you need to get medical attention. As, Demas, a Bicycle Accident Lawyer in Sacramento, CA explains, some injuries don’t show up until later, but in order to file a personal injury claim, you need evidence that your injuries were actually caused by the accident. Go for a medical checkup right away and keep any records of the appointment and diagnoses.

Get some legal counsel.                                     

If you do end up with a costly and painful injury, you’ll want to get some legal advice as soon as possible. A good attorney can help you understand whether or not you have a case and the best way to go about pursuing a personal injury claim.

As a cyclist, do your best to stay safe. Always wear a helmet and obey the rules of the road. And if you are injured at no fault of your own, make sure you get medical and legal help right away.