The weather in Tampa, Florida is beautiful, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that so many people enjoy riding their bikes – whether it’s for pleasure, exercise, or their commute to work. Due to a large number of bicyclists on the roadways, the number of car accidents involving bicyclists has been on the rise for some time now, therefore raising the Bicycle Safety Concerns in Florida as well.
However, when you get on your bike, you don’t plan on getting into an accident, so most people are unaware of the steps they should take to protect themselves medically, financially, and legally.
Safety First
According to statistics, 818 bicyclists died in 2015, the most recent year of available data. In fact, the largest number of fatalities in 2015 occurred in Florida with 150, making it one of the deadliest states for bicyclists. To put things into perspective, Florida had 7.4 cyclist deaths per million residents in 2015. That same year, California, with nearly twice as many residents, had 3.3 deaths per million residents.
What to Do If Someone Hits You on Your Bike?
While every bike accident is unique and the steps might vary, there are universal things that apply to most situations. Here’s what you need to know.
Stay calm and move out of the street. This will ensure you get out of the moving traffic and avoid getting seriously injured by other vehicles. If you’ve been knocked over, you will be harder to spot on the pavement, and bicyclists are already less visible than vehicles on the roadways.
Call 911 request police and EMS to the scene. Even though you might not feel injured at the scene of the accident, it’s advisable to seek medical attention. While some car accident injuries such as back pain, neck pain, and whiplash will be immediately obvious at the scene of the accident, other injuries might go unnoticed, such as brain injuries, as the symptoms can take up to 48 hours to appear.
Not only that but having a medical professional check you up will provide you with a medical report that you can use as evidence during your personal injury compensation claim. Conversely, calling law enforcement will help you make sure there’s an actual car accident report that can also be used later on.
Take pictures of the scene. In order to make your personal injury claim settlement process go as smoothly as possible, you’ll want to have as much evidence as possible. That’s why it’s critical you take as many photos of the scene of the accident as possible. Also, take photos of any damages, both on your bike and the vehicle involved.
Gather witness information. Look for potential witnesses that might have seen the accident. Get their names, addresses, and phone numbers.
Do not make a statement to anyone except the police. The insurance company of the driver at fault will reach out to you and ask for a statement. However, you’re not required by Florida laws to talk to them. Instead, schedule a free consultation or hire a Tampa personal injury attorney to handle that for you to make sure you don’t say something that might end up being used against you.