When a bike and car accident occurs, knowing the right steps to take is crucial for protecting your health and securing your legal rights. This essential guide will walk you through the necessary actions to ensure your safety, gather evidence, and navigate the aftermath of the incident effectively:
Take Pictures
It is normal for one to be nervous immediately after an accident. There, an account on how painful it is to be hit by a car comes up: It is a lot to take in and you could be stressed. Preparation of proper documents are important when it comes to filing a claim because when filing a claim, the litigant should be in a position to support the claim.
Which is why if you can, you must ensure that you capture as many photographs of the scene as possible. One is always left to forget most of it, but with pictures, every event can be well captured. If possible, try and photograph the following things at the scene:
- Weather conditions
- Obeyed traffic signals, signs
- The behavior that relates to the subject matter of the communication includes the extent of damage done to the vehicle
- Thus, the license plate of the car
- Any visible injuries
- Insurance and contact details of the driver
- Witnesses’ contact information
Seek Medical Attention
Do not assume that it is alright not to see a physician. Some individuals engage in this when they are not in severe pain after an car accident, but they may be in severe pain several hours later. Delayed treatment is dangerous, so if you did not get a checkup from a doctor immediately after the accident, do so as soon as you can after the incident.
In most cases, the mentioned occurrences result to a serious cycling accident. Yes, it is true that when a cyclists put on his safety equipment, he is way more exposed than a driver in a car. Some injuries a cyclist may suffer after being hit by a car include:
- Another area that may be reflecting deteriorating health is the appendicular skeleton which is manifested in fractures and broken bones
- Bruising
- Traumatic head injury or simpler still, concussion
- Cuts and lacerations
The earlier one has to report the case to a doctor, the faster one will heal and the more believable is the case. If you fail to go to a physician, the driver you lodged a complaint against may claim that you sustained the injury after the accident.
Contact An Experienced Attorney
It is not surprising if after the car accident the negligent driver’s insurance company will call you to pay you a visit and offer you a quick payout. They may give you a small sum of money that can hardly cater for your bills in the hospital.
This means there is some solace consumers have when they want to seek justice after they were riding a bike and then they are hit by a car. As soon as possible, you need to turn to a qualified car accident lawyer, ideally right after the accident.
If you report the matter to them, they can handle the insurance company of your behalf and also tell you that other legal procedures you can undertake. Usually, you have one year from the date of the accident to seek compensation, so do not procrastinate.
This question isn’t easy to answer, considering that both cars and bikes are modes of transportation. Bicyclists have the same rights and duties as motorists. Unlike other car mishaps, bicycle car accidents are slightly complex and, in most instances, the driver of the vehicle is always to blame. Some examples where a driver may be found at fault include:
- a driver is parked along a street and suddenly opens their door wide by which the cyclist comes face to face with the door.
- A driver emerges into an intersection without giving precedence to the cyclist and ends up knocking him/her down.
- A driver overtakes a car and knocks down a cyclist
- A driver is preoccupied with something besides the road and gets too close to the bike and eliminates the cyclist
For such cases, it is clear that the driver is to be blamed due to the fact that they are driving carelessly. Where such circumstances occur, the cyclist has the option of suing the driver for any resulting harm.
Damages You May Claim
The compensation that is available to you will in one way or the other lie in the specifics of the accident that you had. Every time bicycle and car incidence happen, they stand out as different from any other typical accident. To secure the compensation you deserve, choose an experienced attorney. You may qualify to collect any of the following damages:
- medical costs now and in the future
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Reduction on quality of life
- Skin injuries compatible with scarring and disfigurement such as road rash make contact with a professional attorney
If you are this man, and you were knocked down by a car while cycling, you might be having a severe injury. As if negotiating with the insurance company would be enough, you now have to do it all by yourself. Seeing the complexity of the legal system you should have a competent lawyer representing you.