What to Do After a Bicycle Accident in San Bernardino

Traffic accidents of any kind are intensely stressful experiences, but getting in a wreck with a motor vehicle when you are on a bicycle can be especially harrowing. After such an incident, it is crucial to remain calm and be as proactive as possible. The actions you take right after the crash may have a significant impact on your future legal options and even on the rest of your life.

If you need emergency medical attention after a bike accident, your top priority should be a visit to an emergency room or urgent care clinic. If you do not need emergency care, you should still get a professional checkup as soon as possible after a crash. There are several other important steps you should also take. Call the experienced attorneys at Valero Law Group to discuss what to do after a bicycle accident in San Bernardino to make it easier to seek compensation for damages when you are ready to do so.

Move Out of the Flow of Traffic, and Check on Others Involved

An important thing to understand about bicycle wrecks is that bike riders must obey the same laws prohibiting hit-and-run behavior that apply to motor vehicle drivers on public roads. With that in mind, the first thing a cyclist should do after a San Bernardino bike crash if they have not suffered serious physical harm is move themselves and their bicycle out of the flow of traffic. Then, they should see if anyone else involved in the incident needs emergency medical care and call 911 for them if necessary.

Why Is It Important To Call the Police?

Regardless of whether anyone involved in the San Bernardino traffic collision needs emergency medical care, a helpful thing for the bicyclist to do is to contact the local police department. The officers will come to the accident scene and take statements from everyone who is there. Those statements and the responding officers’ notes about the circumstances leading up to the wreck can serve as evidence during settlement talks or a civil court trial.

Get Contact Information From Everyone Nearby

A crucial requirement the bike rider must fulfill to avoid a hit-and-run charge is the exchange of contact and insurance information with everyone else involved in the collision. Another important step for the cyclist to take after the San Bernardino vehicle wreck is to obtain contact information from eyewitnesses who were not directly involved in the accident but could later provide court-admissible statements about it.

After a bike crash, an attorney can handle any further communications with the eyewitnesses. Call Valero Law Group to find out more about how attorneys gather evidence to prepare accident claims.

Make Note of or Create Photo and Video Evidence

An additional thing the San Bernardino bike crash victim should do is take photos with their phone or any other available camera. The pictures should show the damage that all the vehicles in the crash sustained, the injuries the cyclist suffered, and nearby traffic patterns.

If possible, the bike rider should look for surveillance or traffic cameras and ask whether anyone’s cars have dashboard cameras that may have recorded the accident. An attorney can review the footage at a later date.

Call Valero Law Group’s San Bernardino Attorneys To Discuss What To Do After a Bike Crash

Knowing what to do after a bicycle accident in San Bernardino is not something that comes naturally—especially not right after the crash, when you are very emotional and your injuries may be extremely painful. However, by following the steps listed above, you can potentially improve your chances of avoiding long-term harm and obtaining fair financial restitution for your crash-related losses.

If you have questions about how to approach your bike accident claim, call Valero Law Group today to schedule a confidential consultation. An attorney from the firm can review your options with you in detail.