When bicycle accidents happen, you want to make sure that you are able to fight for your legal rights. That means making the right decisions in order to get compensation when injured. This article will discuss what steps need to be taken in order to have a chance of winning your case against an insurance company for bicycle accident injuries.
Document The Scene Of The Accident
Bicycle accidents happen all the time and can be dangerous for you. If you’ve suffered an injury while riding your bike you have the right to compensation. That starts with documenting the scene of the accident in order to fight for your legal rights.
This is vital when you’ve been injured due to an accident with a car, truck, or motorcycle. Your bike might be damaged and it’s typically very difficult to remember details surrounding the incident right after it happens. That means having pictures taken immediately following the collision can help prove who was driving what vehicle if any disputes arise later on down the road.
Document Your Injuries
You will also have to document your bicycle accident injuries. The more information you have about the crash, the better your case will be if it goes to court. This includes documenting every detail of your bicycle accident, no matter how small, and taking photos or a video of any scrapes, bruises, or other damage that happened as a result of the crash.
In many cases, bicyclists who are injured in an accident aren’t able to take time off work due to their injuries so they make up for lost wages for themselves by filing a lawsuit against whoever was responsible for injuring them on their bike ride home after work.
It’s important to document bicycle accident injuries so you have specific details about the pain and suffering involved with your bicycle crash case. Documenting bicycle accident injuries is one of the first steps you’ll want to take if you are injured in a bicycle accident because it will give your lawyer more information about filing for compensation after an injury on your bike ride.
Get Information From The Other Party
You’ll need information from the other party involved in your bicycle accident. You’ll need their name, address and phone number in order to contact them about the accident. In addition to getting information from the other party, you should also get a full report of what happened. Ask for any witness names as well as if there was video footage that recorded it all.
Here’s what information you’ll need:
- Name
- Address
- Phone number
- Insurance information
- Dashcam footage (if there is one)
Get Information From The Witnesses
To get compensated, you’ll also need witnesses to testify in court about the bicycle accident. The more information you can get, the better your chances are of winning when it comes to compensation for your bicycle injury case.
The best thing to do is speak with witnesses immediately after an accident has occurred. If they don’t want to talk at that time, take down their contact info and let them know that you’ll follow up with them.
If a bicycle accident is serious, the police will be called to the scene and they should take down witness information as well. This can help you establish who was at fault for your bicycle injury case in addition to getting more information about what happened during the bicycle accident.
Get A Copy Of The Police Report
You have the right to get a copy of the police report after a bicycle accident. If you do not get one, you can ask your attorney to request it. Be sure that there is no charge by getting this document because that means they are required to release one upon your lawyer’s request.
If such reports were taken and yet cannot be found, then something might have gone wrong with their process so always remember to check back with them if ever the case was dismissed or already settled out of court without any knowledge on your part about what really happened during the incident itself. This should also be done when dealing with insurance companies especially those who will try everything just to avoid compensating victims like you.
Be Truthful During Your Testimony
It’s essential to be truthful during the testimony when injured in a bicycle accident. With so many people involved and having to recall multiple details, it can be easy for some facts to get mixed up or forgotten entirely. However, if you intentionally give false information then you may face serious consequences such as perjury charges which could lead to fines and jail time.
The best thing that you can do is to be truthful and provide accurate information. It’s understandable that you may wish to downplay or forget some details, but if they are important then it will come back up later on in the case which could lead to greater consequences for you.
When you’re injured in a bicycle accident you have the right to be compensated. You’ll need proof, so document the scene, your injuries, and gather witnesses. Get the information from the other party and a copy of a police report. Most importantly, be truthful when you take the stand. Good luck getting what you deserve!