What to do after a bicycle accident starts with protecting your health and preserving what happened. If you’ve been hit by a vehicle or injured in a bike crash, call 911 so medical professionals can evaluate you and police can document the scene. Even injuries that seem minor at first can worsen in the hours or days that follow.
An official police report helps record key details, including contact and insurance information for everyone involved. Working with an experienced New Hampshire bicycle accident lawyer can help you protect your rights and pursue full compensation.
In New Hampshire and Maine, drivers have to properly share the road with cyclists and can be held financially responsible when their negligence causes injury. Taking these early steps can protect both your recovery and any personal injury claim that may follow.
What should you do immediately after a bicycle accident?
After a bicycle accident, focus on your safety first. Call 911, get medical care, and make sure the police document what happened. From there, you can take steps to protect your legal rights.
Stay at the scene
Wait for the police to arrive, and an ambulance to make sure that you get safely to the hospital. While you wait for help to arrive, take mental notes, or photos if you have your phone, of the accident scene, your injuries, and the vehicle of the other party involved.
Check for injuries and get medical attention
Take a moment to evaluate yourself. Your injuries may be obvious, like a broken bone or painful road rash, so you know you need medical attention right away. Other injuries can be just as serious, but do not present noticeable symptoms right away. Internal organ damage and internal bleeding, a concussion or traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord damage don’t always present symptoms right away.
Call the police
When you call 911, you’ll get the immediate medical attention you need, plus law enforcement who can review the incident, document the scene, and issue citations if appropriate.
Answer the officer’s questions honestly, but briefly. Don’t speculate about how the accident happened or admit fault.
The responding officer creates an official police report, which contains the information your lawyer needs to begin building your case, including details of the scene, witnesses, and an officer’s narrative of how they believe the accident happened.
The officer can also facilitate the exchange of contact information between you and the other party.
Take photos and a video
Document as much of the accident scene, your injuries, your damaged bike, and the overall area. Take photos of the other party’s car (or scooter, or bike), too, preserving as much evidence as you can. Once you get to the hospital, take photos of your injuries, or a video if you can, so that the insurance company (and possibly a jury) can see just how badly you’re hurt.
Alert your insurer
You may have to give the doctor your own insurance card to be treated, but as soon as you can, contact your health insurance company (or cycling insurer, if you have one) to report the accident. Your health insurer may seek reimbursement from any settlement you receive.
Either way, your lawyer needs to know what the insurer said, so they can account for it when valuing your settlement.
Contact a New Hampshire bicycle accident attorney
Even following these steps precisely, and even if the evidence clearly shows the other party’s negligence, it’s hard to pursue a legal claim when you’re seriously injured. The defendant’s insurance company may offer a small settlement, hoping that you’ll agree to less than the true value of your claim. An attorney can evaluate your claim and explain your options
Talk to a New Hampshire bicycle accident attorney
Bicycle accidents can lead to significant injuries, especially when a motor vehicle is involved. Some people face weeks or months of recovery, while others experience long-term limitations that affect their ability to work or manage daily activities. When those injuries were caused by someone else’s negligence, the personal injury attorneys at Shaheen & Gordon can help you pursue compensation for your medical expenses, lost income, and other related losses.
Call Shaheen & Gordon at (800) 451-1002 to request a free consultation about your bicycle accident case.
