What Do You Do After a Bicycle Accident?
If you own a bike and love cycling, then chances are you have already been involved in an accident or are bound to get involved in one sooner or later. While this is a grim statement, it is true, and it would be prudent to know what steps are necessary after you have been involved in an accident. After all, they say to know is to understand.
One of the issues you stand to face after your accident is getting your insurance claim. A good bicycle accident attorney in Los Angeles will be in a better position to help you through the insurance claim rejection.
To ensure that your application for a claim will be approved, you need to follow these five critical steps:
Get Medical Assistance
Call 911 as soon as you can or ask someone to call them on your behalf. Make sure to get checked for a concussion or any internal bleeding. If you feel any pain, do not hesitate to let the medical professional attending to you. Have the doctor attending to you write a full report detailing all injuries sustained during the accident.
Call Law Enforcement
Call the police and explain your side of the story. Do not leave the accident scene before the police get there unless you are in critical need of medical assistance. This is to ensure that the police document all relevant details in the most accurate manner. This may come in handy, especially if you sustain life-altering injuries. Your insurance company will also require a copy of the police report before they can process the claim.
Contact an Injury Attorney
Talk to an injury attorney, especially if the person that caused the accident appears to be aggressive towards you and you may require legal assistance to handle the situation. Look for an attorney who specializes in accidents and injury claims so they would know the entire process.
Gather Evidence and Details
Make sure you get the details of the other parties that were part of the accident. Collect as much evidence from the accident as you can. This can be in the form of videos, photos, and a written report.
Call Your Insurance Provider
Fill out an insurance claim form and attach the doctor’s report, the police accident detailing report and the picture evidence of your accident and injuries. Make it as detailed as possible and get in touch with your insurer immediately to get started on the insurance compensation process. This could take a while, and it is better to start as soon as you can.
With that in mind, you need to ensure that you are focused and always check out for oncoming cars, cycle at a safe speed, be conscious of your surroundings at all times and always wear protective gear while cycling. This preventive measures will increase your chances of survival should you ever be in a bike accident.
Cycling is great hobby, but if you don’t follow safety measures, traffic rules and regulations, and even road signs, you might find yourself in a difficult health situation. Remember to stay safe when taking a ride on your bike so you won’t need to go to seek an insurance claim.
