in

What to do if you have a cycling accident?

If you’re an avid cyclist, or just tend to pop out for groceries every now and again and can’t really be bothered to go on foot so you hop on yee trusty bike, you’re probably aware already of the many perils the two-wheeler ridin’, protective gear-wearing’ folk face in traffic.

Indeed, a busy urban street can be a scary place for a cyclist these days.

Fast cars zoom about you and then there’s that big, lumbering ice cream truck just waiting to make an unlikely stop in an inconvenient spot, so you can run into it or otherwise make a rushed stop to prevent a disaster.

Not all is bleak in the world of these amicable two-wheelers, of course, as wearing proper safety gear and sticking to your bike lane will dramatically decrease the chance of getting hit by a vehicle or colliding with other cyclists, slow-walking grannies, and also fast-walking but otherwise reckless grannies.

Be that as it may, in this article, we’ll give you a couple of tips that may come in handy in case you, God forbid, end up a part of a traffic accident as a cyclist.

Without further ado, here’s the deal.

Get out of the Harm’s Way ASAP

So, picture a scenario where you’ve been involved in an accident through no fault of your own and now you’re sitting in the middle of the street all disoriented, shook, and perhaps a little angry.The first thing you want to do if you’re still mobile after the accident is to get yourself to a safe spot such as the sidewalk or the side of the road with some grass on it or something like that. Unfortunately, it often happens that people who are involved in one accident often partake in another immediately afterward because they don’t evacuate on time, or are unable to.Therefore, to prevent any further harm to yourself, get yourself to somewhere safe where you can wait for an ambulance and the police to come. (If you can safely drag your bike with you, you can do that, as well. Just don’t push it if you’re injured, take care of yourself first!)

Seek Help

Now, depending on how bad the situation is, you might want to call for help immediately after the accident. (And by ‘calling for help’, we mean the people in your vicinity, not the ambulance. First aid is crucial and ambulances can take forever to come, so make sure to have someone help you right away.)If you’re injured and can’t move or don’t feel well in any other way, try to attract the attention of the nearby people. You can do this by waving, whistling, simply shouting, or using your phone if you’re a victim of a hit ‘n’ run and are in the middle of nowhere.After you’re safe and off the road, you can call the ambulance or your helpers will do it for you if you’re unable.

Try to Get the Details of the Culprit

While you should always exchange your contact information with the other party involved in an accident, no matter who’s responsible for it, it may be a good idea to write down their license plate number in case they decide to flee the scene. (Assuming you’ve been hit by a car.)Unfortunately, not everyone will be cooperative and some people might even not stop at all after they’ve hit you, so if you can, try to memorize at least their license plate and the other specifications regarding the vehicle itself. (Model, color, etc.)

Consider Hiring a Professional to Handle the Settlement

In the aftermath of the accident, you’ll have to take care of the legality issues connected with demanding some sort of compensation for your injuries as well as any potential damages to your bike.While this may not really be the most complicated process in the world, you can still get lost in tons of papers that you’ll be required to provide, fill out, and submit. Therefore, hiring a professional to help you out can be one of the solutions.If you live in Australia, one of the best accident lawyer firms to see would be the NSW Compensation Lawyers, for example.Bottom line, whatever accident lawyer company you decide to hire, getting a professional on board with the case can save you a lot of effort and work, so definitely consider this option in case of an accident.

Report

What do you think?

3 Comments