When you have been riding your bike for months or years, you may come to expect that a bad situation can happen. Perhaps you bike over a bumpy road and fall off your bike. On the other hand, someone may be exiting their car and open their car door on you as you are riding by. Or, someone driving their car may cut you off or veer into your lane causing you to get hit or forcing you off the road. While bicyclists know it is important to look out for these situations, it is also important to know that just because these things happen does not make it okay. In fact, if you begin the claims process for an injury you sustained riding your bike, an insurance company may make you feel like you are exaggerating your injuries. After all, aren’t accidents on a bike par for the course? Absolutely not and they can be avoided if others on the road take better care.
Why You Should File a Bicycle Accident Claim
It is imperative that you do not let an insurance company make you feel like you are doing the wrong thing by filing a claim. Just because accidents are more common on bicycles does not mean that they should happen. When a car driver, pedestrian, or other cyclist is not taking care on the road and they cause you to get into an accident that injures you, you should feel confident in filing a claim with the help of a lawyer, like a Los Angeles bicycle accident attorney from a law firm like Glotzer & Leib, LLP.
Why is it important to hire a bicycle accident attorney?
When you are suffering from injuries that you sustained from a bicycle accident, it is important that you hold the negligent party accountable. Bicycle accident cases can be tricky, especially when the other party’s insurance is pointing the finger back at you. The insurance agent will likely try to shift part of the blame on you, get you to say something in a recorded conversation that they can use against you, or claim that your injuries are not as bad as you are saying they are.
Can I explain to the insurance agent that I’m severely injured?
A lawyer will not recommend that you try to explain your side of things to an insurance company. Even if you believe that you have indisputable proof that the other party injured you in your bicycle accident, the insurance agent went through training to learn how to use what you say against you and to learn what to pick out from your conversation that will benefit their argument. It is best to bring your evidence to a lawyer you can count on and let them handle the insurance agent.
Who should I call?
When you are ready to move forward with a bicycle accident claim, do not feel that you should go through this legal process alone. Instead, reach out to a local law firm to see what they can do for you while you are recovering.