There are more bikes on the road than ever before. People are using them as a great way to go green on their commute. Even more riders are just out to enjoy life at a slower pace that a bike provides. No matter what your motivation for going for a bicycle ride, the fact is that even with more bikes on the road, there are drivers who don’t notice them.
There are distracted drivers that are eating, texting, and generally doing everything except watching the road. And other drivers are just aggressive and always in a rush. This has led to an increase in bike crashes.
Chances are that at some point you will also be in a bike crash. In which case you need to know how to deal with it to avoid any problems later on. In this article, i will go over what you need to do when you find yourself in a bike crash.
Get medical help
You should always carry a cell phone with you when bicycling as if you find yourself in a wreck you can get medical attention right away. Even if you feel like you are not injured you should get care.
In a crash, your adrenaline level is very high which can cause you to not feel pain. You may have a serious injury and not even realize it. And as the Lamber Goodnow Tucson Injury lawyers can tell you, if you refuse medical care at the time it will be harder to settle a claim against an insurance company. A good defense lawyer will likely be successful in getting a judge to dismiss a case if you go to a doctor with injuries later on.
Make sure to document when you get the medical care and how it happened. If it is done by an EMT and you don’t end up in the hospital then get their information as they will likely be a witness.
Call the police
Having a detailed report by the police is essential if you need to bring a case against somebody if they are at fault. Call the police to report the accident as soon as it happens so they can come. They will hopefully be an arbitrator at the scene and will put in the report who seems to be at fault.
Also, get some witnesses to the accident to provide their contact information and a statement if they can’t be there when the police arrive. They will need to be contacted by the police or your insurance company for a statement at some point.
Take lots of pictures
When it’s your word against theirs then this can go either way in front of a judge. Let the pictures tell your side of the story by taking lots of them. Get their license plate, the location of the accident, and any damage to your bike and injuries.
If your phone was damaged from the accident then hopefully somebody there can take pictures for you and send them to you so you have a detailed record. Don’t be afraid to ask somebody.
