Cycling is a hobby, a way to exercise and also a very cost-effective form of personal transportation. Individuals in Texas may bike occasionally for fun or almost daily for travel and household obligations. Unless someone limits themselves to only biking on dedicated paths far from motor vehicle traffic, every ride weathers an individual at risk of injury. According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 1,000 people die each year in crashes between cars and bicycles, and more than 130,000 people incur significant injuries in such crashes.
Cyclists are often very cautious on the road in the hopes of avoiding a collision. Despite their best efforts, they may end up struck, and many such crashes are caused by someone in a motor vehicle. What happens after a cyclist gets hit by a driver?
THEY LIKELY REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION
Cyclists tend to bear the brunt of negative consequences when they collide with motor vehicles. The vehicle may not even have any noticeable cosmetic damage, while the cyclist could end up in the hospital. Seeking medical evaluation is necessary even if someone doesn’t seem obviously injured, as they could have internal bleeding or brain injury that could cause worse symptoms if they don’t get a diagnosis promptly.
THEY MAY NEED TO SEEK COMPENSATION
Drivers have to carry insurance to protect them from liability. Cyclists do not generally need an insurance policy, although they may have some supplemental coverage available to them through their motor vehicle policy. Generally, a cyclist injured in the crash would make a claim against the policy carried by the driver at fault for the wreck. When drivers don’t have insurance or have very small policies, the cyclists that they injure may need to take the case to civil court. A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit can result in more thorough compensation than an insurance claim, which would be subject to policy limits that cap how much reimbursement someone receives.
Cyclists should not have to absorb financial losses caused by someone else’s bad behavior. Understanding what typically happens after a cycling crash may help someone better respond if they get hit in traffic.