Every day, more than 13,000 Washington DC residents bike to work, with approximately 1,200 new cyclists hitting the streets each year.
While there are so many bikers on the roads, Washington DC has enacted biker safety laws and tips to reduce the occurrence of accidents. Unfortunately, they still occur. If you are ever involved in this type of accident, knowing what to do can be invaluable.
If you are ever involved in a bike accident, try to remain calm, take care of yourself and any injuries you have and gather as much information related to the crash as you can. Use the other information here to ensure that you do everything necessary to protect your right to receive compensation after being involved in a bicycle accident.
What to Do Immediately After a Crash
Remain calm and assess yourself. If you suspect a serious injury, you should remain as still as possible and wait to be examined by an EMT or a doctor. Remember, situations involving high stress – such as a bicycle accident – can spike your adrenaline and your endorphin levels. This often results in you feeling no pain. You may be more hurt than you think, so be sure to proceed with caution.
Don’t ever ride away from the scene. You may not even realize how severe your injuries are until you have left the crash site.
What to Do if You are Physically Fine?
If no one else has, you should contact the authorities – even if everything seems to be fine. An officer will be able to help you create an objective account of what happened, which is extremely important if you happen to develop injuries later on, or if insurance companies become involved.
Also, to ensure that WABA (Washington Area Bicyclist Association” can continue working to make cycling safer, you need to report a crash as accurately as possible. When you report your crash, you may be helping to save lives in the future. Even crashes without property damage or injuries will at least be reported as occurring, even if no official crash document is created.
What Information to Give/Get from the Police
You need to gather information to make sure you aren’t being taken advantage of after a bicycle accident occurs. Some information to gather or give the police includes:
- The driver’s license numbers, names, phone numbers, addresses and any other personal information of anyone involved.
- Insurance policy numbers and company names.
- Vehicle information – license plate number, make and model of the vehicle.
- Witness contact information.
- The police report number and information of at least one officer who responded to the accident.
What You Can Do After Being Involved in a Bicycle Accident
If you have not suffered serious injuries, and you are able to move, then you should take pictures of the scene, damages and injuries with your camera/phone. If you have to fight to receive compensation, then having documentation of the scene can be invaluable.
Once you have done all of the above, you should contact a bicycle accident attorney. They can provide further assistance regarding your case and situation to help you recover the compensation you deserve after being involved in a bicycle accident that was not your fault.
If you need additional information or the help of an experienced bicycle accident attorney, contact the lawyers at Washington DC Car Accident Lawyer by calling (415) 988-2070.