Commuting by bicycle is becoming an increasingly popular option thanks to the affordability, as well as the benefits to your health and the planet. However, with more and more bicycles on the road, there are more accidents and collisions. You may have wondered what you should do if you’re ever in an accident. Read on to learn exactly what you should consider if you’re ever in a bicycle accident.
1. Work with the Police
The first thing you’ll want to do after making sure everyone is ok and assessing your own health is to call the police or request someone on scene that they call 911. In the heat of the moment, if you’re feeling uninjured and embarrassed, your first thought might be to shrug it off and try to get home or away from the scene as there may be some bystanders around. However, it’s much more important to remain calm and stick around after a bike collision until police arrive so that you can help in filing an official police report and provide as many details and as much information as possible. Even if you feel “fine,” it might be that you get home and realize you have more serious injuries than you first thought, and even minor injuries or sprains can have a negative impact on your long-term health in the form of a chronic injury or chronic pain.
So while you may want to put the incident behind you or shrug it off, you should instead remain calm, remain on the scene, and work with the police once they get there to help them do their job. It may be tempting to yell or apologize to the other driver or person involved, but it will ultimately be the police that will help determine what took place and the final results of the incident.
2. Determine if You Need a Lawyer
If you have suffered serious personal injuries or lost a loved one in wrongful death, you absolutely need an experienced bike accident lawyer because of a bicycle accident.
However, many lawyers recommend you don’t talk to the driver’s insurance company because everything you tell the insurance company will be used against you. Instead, you will want to let your bicycle accident attorney, like the ones from Pocrass & De Los Reyes, handle everything for you. If you have had a minor bike accident, meaning few if any injuries and a bent bicycle, you can probably handle it with the insurance company yourself.
3. Collect Information
Police can only do this properly if they have your full information and side of the story. Try and remember everything you can, even smaller details, and relay them to the officers for the official report. Think back on what exactly happened, when, and how. Recall which direction you were going, where you were headed, where on the road you were driving. The conditions of the traffic, weather, and how dry or wet the pavement where are all helpful details.
Again, try to remain calm and clear, reporting all your injuries no matter how insignificant they may seem. If you can, even take out your phone and take pictures of the scene, the way your bike ended up, your injuries, etc. It may not be long and a bruise or cut will heal or look vastly different a week or two later from what you experienced immediately following the collision.
Like a car versus car accident, make sure to exchange information with the other driver, including name, address, phone number, and any insurance information you can. If there were any witnesses on the scene that were quick to stop and see if everyone was ok, make sure to get their information too, and even check if your understanding of the collision or incident seems to be in line with what they saw or heard.
4. Reduce the Risk of Injury in the Future
After an accident, you may be highly motivated to prevent a collision from happening ever again. While you can’t g100 percent prevent or guarantee you’ll never get in an accident short of never leaving the house, there are some helpful tips you’ll want to keep in mind or even want to share with others now that you know nobody is immune to a collision. You’ll want to keep your bike in good working order, ensuring your tires have enough air and are inflated to the recommended psi range (35-65). Before you leave, you’ll also want to make sure your brakes are working well and the tension on the brake cable is just right. You’ll have to check your drivetrain as well, ensuring nothing is cracked or dented. Wearing a helmet and bright-colored clothing or reflectors are also incredibly helpful, and you may also want to consider a bell or a light on your bike.
In the end, you never leave your home thinking you may get into a collision on your bike. But even if you do, be prepared to act thoughtfully afterward. Having a plan will help tremendously and follow the basics of bike care and personal safety to make sure you’re ready for anything.
