We rarely think of what would follow if we are involved in a bicycling accident. While there is a lot known about car accidents, there is hardly any interest by cyclists to know what they should do once they are involved in an accident. It certainly isn’t wishful to be in an accident, but it helps a big deal to know what and how to deal with the situation once it happens.
- Get out of danger: this is the first thing to do. Get to safety or if you are not able to move ensure that you are visible to other motorists.
- Seek medical help: if you are injured, you have to get help. Call for help or have someone do it for you.
- Find witnesses: it is very critical to get at least 2 independent witnesses. You have to act fast before those who saw what happened move on. Get their contacts to make it easy to track them later. You will need them to vouch for your story if this goes to court.
- Get details of the other motorist: color, registration number, make and insurance details of the driver are very important. Have a grasp of them before you leave the scene.
- Do not accept any liability: it is not in your place to accept liability; leave that to your insurance. Keep it the Shaggy way: it wasn’t me.
- Collect your evidence: if you can place a CCTV on the scene, take note of this. You can also use your phone to take as many photos as possible. Gather as much as you can and leave no room for anything. Take photos of your bike showing the damage, the other driver and anything in the vicinity that can prove your argument.
- Keep a record of everything: before you give your recorded evidence to the police, ensure you have a copy with you. You should also ask for a copy of the police and ambulance reports. Make sure you have details about the police officers who show up. Have their names, badge numbers, phone numbers and anything you need for the aftermath.
- Keep receipts of all your bills. Bicycle repair and any medical bills need to be proven. Your receipts and doctor reports have to be shown before you can get any compensation.
- Needless to say, do not move your bike from the accident scene before everything is recorded. This will help you with the case. Remember to have your temper under control since a flare up can mess up the case for you.
