Bike or Pedestrian Accidents

Bike riders and pedestrians are quite vulnerable to be hurt due to their lack of visibility and protection. It has been reported that a bicyclist is killed every six hours and that nearly one million children are injured in bike accidents every year, 33 percent involving cars.  The major cause for bike and pedestrian accidents is the inattention and carelessness of automobile drivers.  

Common causes of Bike and Pedestrian accidents are:

• Motorists failing to notice pedestrians or bicyclists in crosswalks.
• Motorists not noticing bicyclists in bike lanes.
• Motorists coming out of a driveway and not observing a crossing pedestrian or bicyclist.
• Motorists swinging a car door out in front of a bicyclist.

What To Do after a Bike or Pedestrian Accident

After you have been involved in such an accident, there are several things you should do.

Immediately after the accident:  to the extent you are able, check on your surroundings and seek out help from a third party witness if possible.   If the accident is serious, meaning someone has been injured or there has been property damage, someone should call for police help.  Thereafter either you or a good Samaritan should collect information from the driver of the automobile.  You will want to obtain the other driver's name, address, phone number, license plate number, name of insurance company and driver's license number.  If there are witnesses, you should try to gather their names, addresses and phone numbers. 

Shortly after the car accident:  you should seek medical treatment.  You may think that you are fine, but you will want to have a medical professional examine your body for things like concussions or internal injuries.  Make sure that your doctor takes notes on any diagnosis and/or treatment that he/she has provided.  After you have received medical treatment, you may want to meet with an experienced personal injury lawyer.  This is especially true if the car accident and your injuries were caused by third party negligence.

If you or a family member has been hurt in a bike accident or pedestrian accident, call the lawyers at Amyx Merrill, LLP.