Getting into an accident while on your bicycle can be very dangerous, especially in the Greenville area. It can be shocking and nerve-wracking for you. Your injuries might be more severe because your body isn’t as protected while on your bicycle. Let’s take a look at what you should do after the accident, so you can be better prepared if it happens to you.
1. Check yourself for any injuries.
One of the first things you should always do after getting into an accident is to check yourself for any injuries. When you get into an accident on a bicycle, you will get more serious injuries since you are not as well protected as you would be in a motor vehicle. Because of the shock of getting into an accident on the forefront of your mind as well, you might not realize you have injuries at first.
That is why you should take a few moments to check over your body more closely than you might normally do otherwise. Make sure you feel strong enough to move out of the roadway before moving yourself out of harm’s way. If you feel that you are too hurt to move out of the road, make sure you get someone’s attention and tell them as much.
2. Call 9-1-1 and get medical attention.
Before calling 9-1-1, make sure you know your location, so you can tell the dispatcher. Take mental note of any landmarks you can find along with street names if you can find them. The quicker the first responders get to your accident, the less time you spend at the scene. You can spend more time recovering from your injuries, which could be pretty bad depending on how you landed on the road.
The more you know about your location, the less time you’ll have to spend there before going to the hospital to be looked over by a medical professional. You’ll need medical attention as quickly as you can get it, especially if your injuries are severe.
3. Make sure you get the accident report from the police officer.
You’ll also need to get the accident report from the police officer who responded to the scene. Your lawyer, should you hire one, will ask to see it along with any insurance representatives you come into contact with about the accident. This is especially true if you call your health insurance to see if they cover the injuries you got from this accident.
You might not have any type of insurance on your bicycle but that doesn’t mean that your medical bills won’t be covered. Your lawyer will try to get the other driver’s auto insurance to cover your medical bills or perhaps even get your medical insurance to pay them. You are not out of options just because you were on your bicycle when the accident happened.
4. Call a lawyer to help with your case.
One of the best things you can do in this situation is to get a lawyer to help you. The lawyer will be able to tell you about your next steps along with how best to move along with a case. The situation can be rather tricky since you wouldn’t normally think about having vehicle insurance with a bicycle.
The lawyer will be able to tell you what steps are best for your case or if there is a case against the other driver at all. Make sure to listen carefully to anything the lawyer has to say about the case so you can take your next steps carefully.
Greenville, NC Bicycle Accident Attorneys
I’m Brian Ricci, a Bicycle Accident Lawyer serving Greenville, NC and the surrounding areas. If you have suffered a personal injury, please call me anytime at (252) 777-2222 or 800-387-6406 for free, friendly advice.
I am a longtime member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.
Take a look at the excellent results our Greenville, NC injury attorneys have obtained on our Past Verdicts and Settlements page and our many Testimonials.