New York City is famous for many things, including its traffic. Lots of people try to avoid traffic by riding bikes around the city, but driver negligence might still lead to accidents and injuries.
Negligent drivers often cause bike accidents. For example, distracted driving is a major concern on the roads today. If parking lanes run alongside bike lanes, bike riders might be injured in dooring accidents. You also must consider the myriad of traffic violations that might lead to a bike accident. After a crash, you should get help, talk to the police, and speak to a lawyer about getting compensation. If you file a lawsuit, you must present evidence supporting your claims, including photos, videos, witness testimony, and records of your injuries.
Drivers have a bad reputation for disregarding bike riders, and bike riders might be injured because of this ignorance. Our Flushing bicycle accident lawyers can help you get compensation to get back on your feet. Call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083 for a free review of your case.
How Bicycle Accidents Happen in Flushing
Bike accidents are extremely dangerous for bike riders because they are not protected within enclosed vehicles and are at a very high risk of serious injuries. Unfortunately, many bike accidents are caused by negligent drivers. If you were hit by a car while riding your bike, our Flushing bicycle accident attorneys can work to get you compensation from the responsible driver.
Distracted driving is a huge problem on the road, and bike riders often fall victim to distracted drivers. Cell phones and other communication devices are commonplace, including in vehicles. It only takes a quick glance down at a cell phone for an accident to happen. Since bike riders are often in close proximity to cars and trucks, they are frequently victims of distracted driving accidents.
Dooring accidents might occur if bike lanes run next to parking lands. Such an arrangement is common, especially in big cities like New York City. Often, a negligent driver will park their car in a parking lane and throws their door open into the bike lane without checking for oncoming bike riders. In that case, the bike rider might crash into the open door and be badly hurt.
Traffic violations are sometimes brushed off as non-serious, but they often cause bad accidents and worse injuries. Running lights, speeding, ignoring signs, and other violations can easily lead to a collision with a nearby bike rider. In many cases, negligent drivers are issued citations from a police officer after the accident, and we can use the citation as evidence in your potential lawsuit.
What to Do After Being injured in a Flushing Bicycle Accident
Immediately after a bike accident, you or someone nearby who can assist you should call for emergency help. Even if you do not believe you are badly injured, you should call 911 and get emergency medical care as soon as possible.
While waiting for help to arrive, you can take steps to gather evidence and build up support for a possible insurance claim or lawsuit. One way to do this is to take photos of the accident scene. You should take as many photos as possible, including photos of the vehicle, the driver, your bike, and your injuries. These photos might preserve important details that will be lost after the police clear away the accident scene.
As mentioned, you should get medical attention even if you feel okay. This is important for two big reasons: you might have unseen injuries, and you need to establish a record of your injuries. In some cases, bike riders think they are fine but suffer from internal injuries they are unaware of. Getting to a hospital quickly is always in your best interest. Your doctors should also keep thorough records of your injuries and treatment that we can present to a jury as evidence of your injuries and medical expenses. Waiting to get medical attention might make these records less accurate and less reliable.
The police might arrive at the accident scene before emergency medical personnel. If you can, you should talk to the police about what happened so they can add your statement to their police report. If you are unable to speak to the police at the scene, our Flushing bicycle accident lawyers can help you make sure they get your statement for the report, which might be required in an insurance claim.
Finally, you should call a lawyer as soon as possible to discuss your legal options. Depending on the situation, you might need to file an insurance claim or a lawsuit to get your damages covered.
Evidence You Need to Recover Damages in a Flushing Bicycle Accident
If you file a lawsuit after a bike accident, you will need evidence to back up your claims and get compensation. As said before, photos from the accident scene are critically important and can be gathered quickly while you wait for help. Not only are these photos important in a possible insurance claim, but you can use them to show a jury what the scene looked like, who was there, the driver’s car, your injuries, and other important details about the crash.
In many bike accident cases, nearby security cameras record the collision, and video footage of the accident might be obtained. A video of the accident as it happened can be very powerful evidence, especially if it clearly depicts the driver’s act of negligence. Our Flushing bicycle accident lawyers will need to move quickly, as security camera footage may easily be deleted before we can get to it.
Witness testimony is sometimes dismissed as being unreliable, but the truth is that it can be extremely persuasive. Bike accidents are often in very busy, high-traffic areas, and numerous witnesses can testify about how they saw the defendant slam into you. Having multiple people back up your version of events may strengthen your case and help you get your damages covered.
Call Our Flushing Bicycle Accident Attorneys for Help Now
Bicycle accidents are often physically and mentally traumatic for bike riders. Negligent drivers should be held accountable for the harm they cause, and our Flushing bicycle accident lawyers can help you get justice. For a free case review, call The Carrion Law Firm at (718) 841-0083.