Bicycle and Pedestrian Injuries

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About Bicycle and Pedestrian Injury Accidents

The six most frequent sources of bicyclist, scooter, skateboarder injury are:

• Hit by car
• Fell
• Door opening into rider
• Driver roadrage towards cyclist
• Roadway/walkway not in good repair
• Rider error/not paying attention
• Crashed/collision
• Dog ran out

The six most frequent sources of pedestrian injury are:

• Tripped on an uneven/cracked sidewalk
• Tripped/fell
• Hit by a car
• Wildlife/pets involved
• Tripped on stone
• Stepped in a hole

What you need to know

Whether you’re hit by a car while walking or on your bike, scooter or skateboard, always make sure you call the police, get witness information and if possible, photographic evidence of the scene.

Your first reaction might be to forgive a motorist for hitting you, especially when it’s clear they’re really sorry. Remember: in nine out of ten bicycle accident claims, the driver won’t have to reimburse the injured cyclist themselves. Instead, personal injury compensation comes from their insurance company.

Whenever possible, you should provide a lawyer with any documents that might be relevant to your case. These include:

• Police reports
• Copies of medical reports and bills from doctors and hospitals
• Information about the insurer of the person who caused your injury
• Any photographs you have of the accident scene, your property damage, and your injuries
• Receipts for any personal items (such as bicycle gear) you had to replace due to the accident

Every state has certain time limits called “statutes of limitations,†which govern the amount of time you have to file a personal injury lawsuit. In some states, you may have as little as one year to file a lawsuit for a car accident. If you miss the deadline for filing your case, your claims can be dismissed. For this reason, make sure you talk with a lawyer as soon as you receive or discover an injury.