What To Do After A Bicycle Accident In Aurora

Depending on the specific situation surrounding the bicycle accident in Aurora, it is important that the individual first call the police and seek medical treatment immediately. Those are two very important decisions to make. After those are taken care of, it is important to think about consulting an attorney as well.

If you have been involved in an accident and are curious about what to do following your bicycle accident in Aurora, be sure to consult with an experienced Aurora bicycle accident attorney as soon as possible.

Initial Steps

In Aurora, after a bicycle accident, it is incredibly important to call the police and have someone respond to the scene of the accident. The police can issue a citation to the at-fault party if necessary and prepare a police report.

It is extremely important to seek medical attention right away for injuries sustained after a bicycle accident in Aurora. Health care coverage would be provided by the injured cyclist’s health insurance as well as their car insurance policies which may provide medical payments coverage (Medpay), and/or UM/UIM (Uninsured/Underinsured Motorists Coverage), depending on the scenario. For example, if there is a hit and run, a person would want Uninsured Motorist Coverage.

It is important to have authorities present at the scene to document what happened while the accident is still fresh in everyone’s mind and while witnesses may be present. This is very important to do immediately, as well as obtaining the at-fault party’s insurance information.

Contacting the Insurance Company

The insurance company should be contacted the same day as the accident or as soon as humanly possible after a bicycle accident in Aurora. Obviously, if someone has to present to the emergency room or is hospitalized, they cannot do that.

The main focus is to take care of the injuries sustained after the Aurora bicycle accident. Reporting the accident to the insurance company as soon as possible is recommended.

Lack of Insurance

If an injured party, who is not at fault, does not have insurance, they definitely need to contact the at-fault party’s insurance company. Otherwise, it is important to consider what other insurance policies are available. That is where the concept of resident relative comes in.

If the injured person lives with a relative who does have insurance, it might be an option to go under that insurance policy if there is no other insurance available. In that particular situation concerning insurance coverage, it would be recommended to contact an attorney in Aurora for assistance.

Mistakes to Avoid

Insurance adjusters are trained to manipulate a situation. They appear friendly at first, but will use anything a person says against them. A person never wants to give a recorded statement to an insurance adjuster.

The general public is often unaware of their rights regarding personal injury cases and cyclists are, often more so than others, taken advantage of in the context of comparative negligence. A certain portion of fault can then be asserted against them when they had nothing to do with causing the accident.

When a cyclist is not using a motor vehicle or a car, they often do not make a claim with their own insurance company even if it is applicable because they do not know that they can. They do not really have anyone fighting for their interest.

If there are two motor vehicles involved, a person always makes a claim with their own insurance company, regardless of fault. The person lets them know that the accident happened and their insurance company is behind them so that they do not have to pay out. When a bicyclist does not make a claim with their own insurance company, they do not have anyone fighting for them unless they hire a lawyer.

Benefit of Legal Representation

Attorneys can look at all possible insurance policies under which to make a claim that many people would not otherwise know are available. An attorney in Aurora can connect the injured person with the proper medical care, even if they do not have health insurance. People who are injured and do not have health insurance automatically assume there is no way they can receive medical care.

Lawyers have relationships with different medical clinics and doctors who are willing to work on a lien (the basis of being provided compensation via settlement at the end of the case) and will provide necessary treatment up front. This would only be accomplished with the assistance of an experienced attorney so the medical doctors would have an agreement to ensure that they will be paid.

It is also important for people to know that if there is a gap in treatment from the date of the accident, insurance companies use this to either devalue or deny a claim totally. Attorneys can keep everything rolling, and organizing the necessary care and treatment for the injured person, as well as deal with the insurance companies after a bicycle accident in Aurora.

Contacting an Attorney

An individual should contact a lawyer as soon as possible after an Aurora bicycle accident. If the at-fault insurance company is denying the claim, the injured person should contact an attorney sooner as opposed to later. A lawyer will assist the injured person in understanding their rights and keep them from making mistakes. If too much time goes by, it could be a detriment to their case.

Without representation by an attorney, many injured persons speak directly to insurance adjusters, provide recorded statements, offer up damaging information, or say the wrong thing which will inevitably be used against them in some way.

It is also important to understand the Statute of Limitations in a person’s case and the necessity for medical care. Attorneys can provide all of the legal information, help with medical decisions, and insurance companies.