The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has noted an upward trend in bicycle accidents and fatalities. This connects to the growing prevalence of bicycles and e-bikes in congested regions, such as Miami-Dade and its surrounding communities.
Knowing what to do after a bicycle accident in Aventura and in other parts of the southern state will give you a better opportunity to recover damages, particularly if you suffered injuries. The bicycle accident attorneys at our firm, Kaire & Heffernan, will help you understand what you can do to protect your right to collect the compensation you deserve.
Regardless of whether you are on a busy road or a lightly traveled path, what you should do first after an Aventura bicycle accident is to make sure you are safe. Check your injuries, get your bike and gear off the street, and call local law enforcement to report the accident. Prompt medical attention is critical, even if you believe your injuries are minor. A doctor can diagnose concussions or other internal injuries that might not be immediately apparent. Further, the doctor’s report will establish the date and time of your injuries and the state of your health after the accident, which can rebut a negligent motorist’s argument that some event other than the car-bike collision caused your injuries.
If you ask the Aventura attorneys Kaire & Heffernan what to do next after a bicycle accident, we will recommend that you gather evidence to establish that a negligent motorist was at fault, and that the accident was the direct and proximate cause of your injuries. That evidence might include:
Do not discard any clothing or gear that the accident might have damaged, and review any video footage or data you may have from a GoPro or Garmin. We will use those to illustrate the impact of the accident and the extent of your injuries.
Another common recommendation for what to do after a car-bicycle collision in Aventura is to seek prompt medical treatment for your injuries. You should also comply with all follow-up medical treatments, including taking prescription medications, attending subsequent appointments and therapy, and allowing injuries to heal before resuming any cycling activities. Injured cyclists can limit their damages recovery if their post-accident activities imply that their injuries were not serious.
You should also hire an experienced attorney to pursue your claims against all negligent parties and to protect you from aggressive insurance company efforts to settle your claims for low or inadequate compensation. When you tell insurers that a lawyer represents you, all subsequent communications will go through your lawyer, who will pursue a larger settlement offer or take your case to trial if settlements are not reasonable.
If you are wondering what to do after a bicycle accident in Aventura, please call Kaire & Heffernan for a no-fee consultation. We will fight tirelessly for the compensation you deserve.
