Biking Injury: 9 Key Things to Do After a Bicycle Accident
Did you know that more than 18,000 adults and children were involved in bicycle accidents in 2016 alone? Around 100 of them were killed while the others were seriously injured. A biking injury is not something to joke about because it happens all the time on the streets all over the world.
But what happens if you’re involved in a biking accident? If it wasn’t your fault, what are the next steps to take to protect your rights and obtain compensation from the other party? It’s important to know what to do in case of a biking emergency, so you can be prepared for anything. Keep reading to learn more!
1. Move to A Safer Place First
Before anything else, it’s important to cater to your own safety and well-being, especially if you have been involved in a pretty serious accident. Make sure that you move to a safe place on the road where you can catch your breath and assess your injuries. Check your hands and legs to see if you have been cut or if you’re bleeding. If you’re biking fast, your body might be full of endorphins that act as pain killers, so you might not feel pain right away.
2. Call An Ambulance if Necessary
If you’re in serious pain and you suspect that you have fractured a leg or a hand, do your best to reach your mobile phone and call 911. Try to be as clear as possible when giving instructions related to your location. If you’re unable to call emergency services by yourself, scream for help and ask a passerby to do it for you. In most cases, people are willing to help and they can call an ambulance right away.
3. Call the Police As Well
Especially if the accident left you with injuries and a damaged bike, make sure that you also call the police. The police officers need to arrive at the scene of the accident to file a report. Again, if you’re unable to reach your phone or you’re severely injured, ask someone else to call the cops for you.
4. Take Lots of Pictures
Nowadays almost everyone has a good quality camera on their mobile phone. Use it to snap pictures of what happened. For example, make sure that you take photos of your damaged bike, the scene of the accident, the driver who hit you, his number plate, etc. If you have torn clothes or you’re bleeding, try to shoot pictures of these pieces of evidence as well. They’ll help you later on when trying to obtain compensation for your injuries.
5. Exchange Contact Information with the Driver and Witnesses
Once you have snapped pics of the scene of the accident, it’s important to also communicate with the driver of the car. There might be some strong emotions involved and this is a normal thing. However, try to refrain from having an argument or a shouting match. Just make sure that you obtain his/her contact information and also gather contact details from some of the witnesses who saw the accident.
6. Write Down As Many Details as Possible
If you are able to write (maybe making notes on your mobile phone), make sure that you jot down as many details related to the accident as possible. For example, describe what were your intentions, how bad the traffic was, what were the weather conditions, how many witnesses were present, what car was used by the driver who hit you, etc.
Why should you take all these notes? Because you might forget a lot of precious details very quickly and some of these details can help you obtain better compensation from your insurance agency.
7. Keep Your Evidence Safe
After you have taken photos of the accident and evidence, make sure that you transfer them to a computer as soon as possible. Also, it’s important to preserve the evidence untouched. For example, do not wash the clothes you wore when you were injured and don’t try to fix the bike that has been damaged. Keeping the evidence untouched will help the attorney when he is protecting your rights in the courtroom.
8. Contact An Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer
A personal injury lawyer is a law professional who can help people involved in different types of accidents, including bike accidents. Once you arrive home, make sure that you contact an attorney and schedule an appointment. It’s important to not discuss with people from insurance companies yet. Speak with an attorney first because anything you say to the insurance company can be used against you later on.
When meeting with the personal injury attorney, make sure that you ask as many questions as possible and put forward all the evidence you have gathered. In most cases, it’s not necessary to go to trial to obtain compensation for the damages and injuries caused to you. The attorney can make a simple phone call and discuss it with someone from the insurance agency to solve the case. You should get help here if you want to speak with an experienced injury lawyer right now.
9. Schedule A Thorough Medical Exam
You probably received appropriate medical attention immediately after you have been injured, but usually, this is not enough. Once you have discussed with your attorney and left the hard work in his hands, it’s time to take greater care of you, especially if you have lingering pains days after the accident.
It’s important to speak with your physician and schedule a thorough medical exam. The doctor will probably take a closer look at your injuries and will try to interpret your symptoms better. This is the right thing to do to prevent pinched nerves, twisted muscles or any type of injury that wasn’t discovered on the day of the accident.
Now You Know What to Do If You’ve Been Involved In A Biking Injury!
As mentioned earlier, a biking injury is not something to take lightly. Do your best to preserve your composure and not panic in such difficult moments. Call your family members and friends for comfort and don’t forget the aforementioned pieces of advice. A good attorney can always help you obtain the compensation you deserve.
Additionally, keep reading more articles from our blog to expand your knowledge when it comes to traffic accidents and injuries!
