Bicycle Accidents: 5 Crucial Steps to Take Right Away

When you’re on the road, whether you’re driving, walking, or on a bicycle, you expect to make it to your destination safely. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Accidents happen on the road each and every day — in 2018 alone, 3,651 people were killed by motor vehicles in California. And the risk of sustaining severe injuries increases greatly when you’re on a bicycle and hit by a car. So let’s take a look at a few important steps to take if you’re involved in a bicycle accident.

Seek medical attention: First and foremost, you need to take care of yourself. If you’ve been hit by a car, there’s a good chance you have some sort of injury. And even if you don’t have any obvious injuries, a medical professional should check for internal concerns. Seeking medical attention is important for your wellbeing and personal injury cases.

Stay at the scene: Unless you have to immediately be taken to a hospital, you should stay at the scene until the police arrive. You should move out of the way of traffic if needed, but otherwise, stay right where the accident happened. This will ensure evidence is preserved as best as possible and will allow you to give your account of the accident to the police.

Get the driver’s information: Along with talking to the police, you should also personally get the information of the driver and any other people involved. Get their name, contact information, and insurance information. These details will be important if you decide to file a personal injury case and for insurance purposes.

Document the accident: Evidence is crucial in bicycle accident cases — so if possible, try to take pictures of the scene, including any damage done to the vehicle, your bike, and the surrounding areas. Also, take pictures of any injuries and ensure you keep any and all medical records.

Call an attorney: Last but certainly not least, you need to call a personal injury lawyer. If you sustained serious injuries, you may be entitled to compensation. Deciding which evidence is important, proving fault, and determining a fair level of compensation are all tasks that should be done by an experienced attorney.

Being in a bicycle accident can be really scary and overwhelming, making it difficult to figure out what to do next. So hopefully, this list will be helpful in determining which steps to take following an accident.