Bike accidents are riddled with legal issues that can hamper your ability to recover monetary damages. If you or a family member was seriously injured while riding a bike, your actions can help or harm your legal position.
The Phillips & Pelly law firm encourages you to follow the guidelines below and contact our attorneys at the earliest opportunity so that we can proactively protect your interests. We have represented victims of bicycle accidents in the San Diego area and throughout the county from Imperial to Oceanside and beyond, including victims of hit-and-run accidents.
What To Do After a Bicycle Accident
Call 911, especially if your riding companion is unconscious, disoriented, bleeding or in obvious distress.
If you were hurt but did not require an ambulance, you should still seek medical treatment as soon as possible. You could have fractures, internal injuries or soft tissue damage without realizing it. It is also important to establish medical records for your personal injury claims. Remember to take photographs of your bruises, cuts, road rash and clothing, as well as the bicycle and the accident site.
If it was a car-bike accident, you or someone at the scene should get the driver's full information:
- Name, address and phone number
- Driver's license information
- Insurance company name and policy number
- License plate number, description of the vehicle, and vehicle identification number (VIN)
If possible, get contact information for any witnesses. Do your best to control your emotions and stay calm, and do not discuss the accident with the driver of the car or witnesses.
The responding police officer will collect information regarding injuries, vehicle damage, weather, road conditions and evidence such as skid marks. In giving a statement to police, answer honestly but don't volunteer more information than necessary. Any misconstrued comments or admissions of comparative fault could wind up in the officer's accident report.
We strongly advise you to talk to an attorney first before contacting the adverse insurance company. If the other driver's liability insurance does not fully cover your losses, you may later have to bring an underinsured motorist claim under your own auto policy, if the correct actions were taken immediately after the accident. Any statements you make about your injuries or your actions leading up to the accident could be used against you to deny, delay or minimize your compensation.
We Handle Everything. We Help With Everything.
The team at Phillips & Pelly will deal with the insurance companies on your behalf to fight for the compensation you deserve. Once we accept a case and investigate liability and insurance, we also help clients with access to medical care and other immediate problems created by an injury accident. Call 858-345-5929 or contact us online for a free case evaluation with an experienced lawyer. There are no fees unless we recover compensation.
Related Content: San Diego Bicycle Accident Lawyers | Injury Bicycle Accidents in San Diego
