It was an unusually bright sunny February day in Portland; I was on a ride and had a tailwind, so I

It was an unusually bright sunny February day in Portland; I was on a ride and had a tailwind, so I was moving along pretty well. Suddenly, without warning or signaling, a driver car rental north vancouver bc made a right turn in front of me—a classic "right hook."
I had a moment where I saw what was happening, and attempted to turn right along the trajectory of the car, but just before impact I had to accept that I was not going to make it. She stopped car rental north vancouver bc mid-turn and I t-boned her right front quarter panel. I did a long flying aerial car rental north vancouver bc somersault car rental north vancouver bc and landed flat on my back and back of my head.
After paramedics checked me for head and spine injuries, car rental north vancouver bc I went to emergency for x-rays. I was "lucky"; when my head hit the pavement, my jaw snapped shut, and I "only" broke my front teeth, dislocated my shoulder, and had my hips slammed into the pavement.
As every cyclist knows, any ride can bring a host of near-misses with inattentive drivers, aggressive drivers, or just plain clueless drivers—and it doesn't take much to go from near-miss to tragedy. It can happen in the blink of an eye.
You can make your own riding as safe as possible, and you can take precautions to help drivers be more careful, but what if you're involved in a crash anyway, despite taking precautions? There are some things you can do there too, before and after the crash, car rental north vancouver bc to protect yourself, and make things a little bit easier.
There are a few things you need to take care of before you ride. You should be sure that you are fully insured on your auto, health, and homeowner's or renter's insurance policies. If you have an automobile insurance policy, make sure that you have the highest amount of UM/UIM ("Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist") coverage available. This is extremely important car rental north vancouver bc coverage for cyclists, but unfortunately, it's only available if you have an automobile. The good news is, that may change soon—stay tuned!
In that same vein, you should always carry some form of identification with you when you ride. This can be any form of government-issued ID, such as a driver's license, state I.D., military I.D., or passport. Alternatively, Road ID is one company that makes identification bracelets for cyclists, with information about the cyclist, and who to contact.
I recommend carrying a cell phone when you ride, too. If you're injured and alone, you can use it to call for help. One of my clients did just that—he was badly injured, and would likely have died, but he saved his own life by calling his wife, who was on speed dial. Another reason to carry your cell phone while you ride is because you can use it to take photos and record information in the event of a crash.
Suppose car rental north vancouver bc a careless driver car rental north vancouver bc collides with you. Now what? There are some things that you need to know right away, and there are some things you will need to do, preferably in the immediate aftermath of the crash, or as soon as you are able afterwords.
First, DO NOT discuss any aspect of the crash, including who might be at fault, with the driver, and DO NOT attempt to negotiate with the driver. From the moment of impact, the driver's insurance company becomes your adversary, and anything you say about the crash from that moment forward will be evaluated by the driver's insurance company for its potential as evidence against you. Even if it seems obvious to you that the driver is at fault, the driver's insurance company car rental north vancouver bc will attempt to turn your words and actions against you if it can. The claims adjuster's job is to minimize the amount they pay out on claims. Their job is NOT about being fair to you.
However, car rental north vancouver bc you won't want to remain silent after the crash. If a law enforcement officer is on the scene asking questions about the crash, make sure you give the officer your account of what happened, along with providing your name and address.
Try to remember everything the driver says; drivers will often apologize for causing the accident immediately after the crash, only to later deny that they admitted fault. Some drivers will not only deny causing the crash, they will even deny that they were there.
DO NOT let the driver leave the scene without providing you with his or her driver's license and proof of insurance. Insist on seeing the actual driver's license and proof of insurance. car rental north vancouver bc If the driver refuses to provide these, call the police immediately.
Collect the names and contact information of any witnesses to the accident. If you are injured and cannot car rental north vancouver bc get the names of witnesses, and the driver's information, ask a witness to do it for you. If police respond to the accident scene, they should collect this information, but there's no guarantee that the responding officer will do a good job, so if you're not too seriously injured, make sure that the police have the information before the driver leaves.
However, don't assume that the police car rental north vancouver bc have prepared or will prepare an accident report. These reports are only completed if the police investigate car rental north vancouver bc an accident, and policies on accident reports will vary from one law enforcement agency to another. If an accident report car rental north vancouver bc is prepared, make sure that it is accurate. It is not uncommon for police to interview the driver, and fail to interview the cyclist, particularly if the cyclist has been injured. These one-sided accounts of what happened typically shift the blame for the accident to the injured cyclist.
While the facts are still fresh, commit to memory everything you can about the accident—a description of the driver, the driver's vehicle, and your best recollection of what happened. Write it all down, as soon after the crash as you are able.
After the crash, you may decide that you want to make a claim with the driver's insurance company. However, DO NOT discuss the accident car rental north vancouver bc with the driver's insurance company before consulting with an attorney. Again, the driver's insurance company car rental north vancouver bc is NOT your friend. Insurance companies are highly skilled at fighting car rental north vancouver bc claims, so do not discuss the accident or your claim until you have consulted with an attorney.
Great information and entirely correct from my experience. I was hit by a FedEx truck in November and dealing with the insurance companies was much more painful than surgery, therapy and recovery. The battle continues still. I suggest that anyone involved in an accident takes the sage advice so well articulated in this article.
That s a lot of info to gather. Especially if I am injured. I think I will be more diligent about taking my iphone. I can take pictures of drivers licenses, make and model of the car, and record conversations with the driver. I certainly don t want to leave anything to chance.
Even if it seems obvious to you that the driver is at fault, the driver's car rental north vancouver bc insurance company will attempt to turn your words and actions against you if it can. The claims adjuster's job is to minimize the amount they pay out on claims. Their job is NOT about being fair to you.
While I cannot speak for all companies out there, I would recommend that the author take more care in not taking the broad-brush approach with this type of commentary. No doubt, car rental north vancouver bc there are bad experiences out there when dealing with an insurance claim. These experiences have historically driven a general poor public perception of insurance companies. Every personal injury attorney out there would like you to believe car rental north vancouver bc this. It brings more business in their doors.
We all pay insurance premiums and the vast majority of us will never have a claim filed against our policy. The money you and I pay has to be managed carefully and is used to pay for claims that other policyholders are having. Answer this question honestly Do you want your insurance company paying other peoples claims without asking questions and conducting some type of investigation?
Believe it or not, but insurance fraud is a real problem one that impacts your premium by an average of $300 $400 per year. The questions / investigation car rental north vancouver bc after any accident are a necessity to ensure that fraudsters aren t trying car rental north vancouver bc to steal the money you ve invested car rental north vancouver bc in your insurance company. It has NOTHING car rental north vancouver bc to do with a sinister company policy derived to rip you off.
By the way, you can consult an attorney at any point during the course of your insurance claim. There are some good ones out there. Start with a friend before signing on with innumerable number of personal injury car rental north vancouver bc attorney s who would gladly accept your case.
Thanks for another great article, Bob. I think I fear the scenario you described more than any other. car rental north vancouver bc Despite the comment from @BurkeTweet, I have to say, based on my professional dealings with insurers regarding a host of claims, always keep your mouth shut, let your insurer/attorney advise you. As they say, anything you do or say can will be used against you.
[...] Mionske offers his usual great advice on how to avoid collisions, and what to do if you have one; seriously, take notes — I failed car rental north vancouver bc this test in real life. Bicycling offers a revue of stylish [...]
BurkeTweet: Go to any bicycle lawyer s office and ask them about ANY of the MAJOR insurance carriers and their no pay policy when dealing with bicycle accidents. car rental north vancouver bc You will get an earful and then more. I know of one such incident where the bicyclist car rental north vancouver bc was riding on the shoulder of the road in an area known to be used by bicyclists. The bicyclist was struck from the rear, and tossed. Luckily, all he ended up with was a broken helmet, broken collarbone and a lot of road rash. The driver stopped, rendered aid and gave information. The bicyclist HAD to get a lawyer just to be paid for his bicycle, E.R. and other medical car rental north vancouver bc costs. car rental north vancouver bc The insurance company SWORE that the bicyclist was on the travelled car rental north vancouver bc portion of the road . Even the PD report stated he was in the bike lane. Wait until you have your collision .
Oh, one comment: Never, ever talk to the driver of the vehicle EXCEPT to exchange information. DO NOT get into a discussion with them. Get their Operator s Permit #, insurance information. Give them only identifying information such as your name and phone number. D