5 Ways To Deal With A Bike Accident

Sometimes things just don’t go as planned. You get on your bike to ride it from your house to the nearest coffee shop when you suddenly slip off, slam into a tree, and break your toe. Or you hire a bike while travelling, fall off and crack a rib or two. Ouch! Now what? If you’ve recently hit the pavement on your bike and want to know how to deal with it after recovery, here’s what you should do.

5 Things To Do After Bike Accident

Bike accidents happen to everyone. Here are five things to do after a crash.

Note everything down

After an accident, it can be hard to remember every detail of what happened. As soon as possible after the accident, write down everything you can remember about how the crash happened. Remember to include what the conditions were like at the time of the accident. Include details like the weather, road conditions and anything else that might be important. You may need this later on when you’re filing a claim. Or if you choose to pursue legal action against another person who caused an accident with your bike.

Consult with a bicycle accident lawyer

During this difficult time, it can be hard to deal with insurance companies and other parties. You may need to take care of your medical bills (depending on where you are in the world). Together with any repairs that you will need to do on your bike.

There are times when insurance companies won’t pay. Or they might offer you a settlement that is much lower than what you deserve. This is the reason why having bicycle accident lawyers on your side is important. They will help you get compensation to cover all of your expenses.

It can be hard to think about legal proceedings when you are injured and in pain. With the help of a lawyer who specialises in bike accidents, you don’t have to worry about dealing with insurance companies or anything else related to your accident.

Check for injuries

If you do not have serious injuries, check yourself and, if possible, the other rider(s). Make sure to check the wrists and hands carefully. Also, wiggle all of your fingers to make sure they are moving. Common injuries in bike crashes happen to hands and wrists. If you or the other rider is unconscious or cannot move, seek immediate medical attention.

It is also important to check for a concussion after a bike accident. The most obvious signs of a concussion are loss of consciousness or memory, a headache and confusion. But you can also suffer temporary memory loss, nausea, vomiting and even emotional changes. Symptoms can vary widely depending on the severity of the injury. However, most people will get better within a week or two.

The guidelines suggest that you should take anyone who suffers from a head injury that knocks them out for more than five minutes to the hospital. This is because they could have suffered significant brain damage. You should keep anyone who has lost consciousness for less than five minutes under observation for at least four hours, particularly if their symptoms worsen.

Those who lose consciousness and suffer ongoing symptoms such as slurred speech or difficulty walking should also be taken to the hospital immediately.

Call for help

Call the emergency services immediately if someone is seriously injured. If there aren’t any major injuries, you need to decide if you should call the police to file a report or not. If there was significant property damage or injuries it’s probably a good idea to call the police. However, if it was a minor fall with no injuries call them only if you believe it will help your insurance claim later on.

Get checked by a doctor asap

The second thing is to get checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. As bike riders, we are more prone to injuries like concussions, head injuries and broken bones because of the speeds at which we ride. Don’t ignore even minor symptoms like headaches or dizziness. Go see your doctor just to be on the safe side.

If you have multiple cracked ribs, don’t worry about how long they take to heal — just wait until they heal completely before riding again. I always tell my patients that there is nothing wrong with taking two weeks off work if they have cracked ribs!

Conclusion

After a bike crash, your first responsibility is to yourself. If you feel alright and there isn’t an emergency, it’s better to wait for a moment before getting off the ground and operating the bike. The last thing you need is another injury after already hitting the ground of a previous crash. Listen to your body, stay safe, and make smart decisions.

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