Have You Been Injured in a Florida Bicycle Accident?
Being involved in any type of accident is extremely scary. Being hit on your bicycle is even scarier and tragic. You’re bound to get injured and more likely to get severely injured.
A motor vehicle can do a lot of damage to you on your bicycle. You are out there exposed. You may still be in shock but it’s important to know what you need to do at the accident scene.
Before you go out on your bicycle, make sure you have your personal information on you, your cell phone, and your emergency contact info. This can help tremendously if you pass out because of the bicycle accident.
After you get into a bicycle accident, the first steps you take are crucial and are often timely. You should immediately call the police or ambulance or have someone else do this. When the police arrive, make sure that you take down the police officers information. He will make a police report and document things such as laws the driver may have violated or negligence of the driver.
This is crucial information that will help you in your case. Make sure you get the drivers information. Get information from other passengers as well as the driver’s insurance information.
You will need to get the contact information of any of the witnesses to the accident. At the very least, get their name, address, and phone number. They may be able to testify on your behalf. It is essential that you take pictures and/or videos of your injuries and the damages that happened to your bicycle. Visual evidence is very useful in court. Do not give a statement to your insurance company until you speak with your personal injury lawyer. You may not think it is a big deal but insurance companies can twist your words, resulting in you getting less compensation than you deserve.
Their goal is to spend the least amount of money possible.Try not to move your bicycle after the accident if possible. Police want to see the scene undisturbed. As mentioned previously, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. The doctor can help prove your injuries to the insurance company. You also may have unknown injuries at the moment and seeking medical treatment can help discover them. For example, you may think you are fine but you end up suffering head trauma a few days later. If you did not seek medical attention, then the insurance may try to say that you are faking your injuries. Or they may not quote you on these injuries because you never said them in the beginning.Life can come at you fast. Getting hit on your bicycle is a real tragedy. It can happen to any bicyclists.
5 Tips For a Safe Bicycle Ride | Bicycle Accident
When you want to enjoy a nice bicycle ride through Hollywood, Florida you likely aren’t thinking that you could wind up in the hospital. Even though this sounds a little over the top you need to be thinking about the possibility of this happening. There’s nothing out of the realm of possibility, which is why you must always have the safety on the mind when riding a bike. Our bicycle accident attorney offers the following five tips for a safe bicycle ride so you and your loved ones don’t wind up in an accident.
- Always Wear a Helmet – First and foremost, you should always wear a helmet. Many people don’t like to wear a helmet because they think it doesn’t look good. Well, when you wear a helmet it could very well save your life. Think about it, if you are hit by a car and your head slams onto the ground, the helmet will be your saving grace. The helmet might split in half, which has happened in bicycle accidents before, but it will save your life. Better to replace a helmet than for your family to wind up attending your funeral.
- Wear Appropriate Reflective Gear – Riding a bike does not have to be dangerous for you at any point throughout the day or night. This means you should always wear some sort of reflective gear both on your body and on the bike. The bike should have reflectors in the front and the rear. If riding at night, try to use a flashing light on both ends of the bike. For personal apparel, consider wearing a reflective vest, bright colored clothing, or a helmet with a light on it.
- Ride with Traffic – When it comes time to actually ride your bike you need to ride with traffic. Riding against traffic is a big no-no for bicycle riders. When you ride against traffic you make it difficult to handle turns and vehicles will have trouble turning as well. Riding with traffic ensures you will see pedestrians, stop at traffic lights, make the proper turns and adhere to all other traffic laws. Don’t forget that bicycles have to follow the same rules of the road that vehicles must follow.
- Avoid Riding at Night – Do your best to avoid riding at night. If you don’t have to ride at night you should refrain from doing so. Nighttime riding can be incredibly dangerous, even if you are wearing the proper reflective gear, have reflectors on your bicycle, are riding with traffic and have a helmet on your head. It’s more difficult to see someone on a bicycle at night because of the overall darkness.
- Ride with a Friend – Not every bike ride will occur with a group of people. It’s understandable that you might want to or have to ride alone. It’s a good idea to ride with a friend as often as possible. When you are riding with someone else they will be able to call 911 should you get injured in an accident or suffer a medical emergency.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a bicycle accident it’s important for you to seek legal help. Call the office of Neufeld, Kleinberg & Pinkiert, P.A. at 305-931-6666 to schedule a consultation today.
