Crash Resources

At the scene of the crash

1. Move off the road to a safe location.

2. Communicate with the driver. Usually, a driver will know when they’ve hit a cyclist. If they don’t realize it, make an effort to stop them. Indicate whether you are injured or not — either way, let them know.

3. Call 911 and ask for a police officer to be sent to the scene. Some cities will only send police to a crash scene if there are injuries or an ambulance is requested. These policies vary from city to city. Tell the operator that you were hit by a car and want a police office to come to the scene. You may need to be insistent. Don’t be shy about asserting yourself.

4. File a police report. If 911 dispatches a police officer to the crash scene, he or she will file a report and should give you a case number. If police are not dispatched to the crash scene, you will need to file a “walk-in” report at the nearest police station. In this case you should try to get as much information from the driver as possible, including name, DOB, phone number, vehicle tag, vehicle color, etc.  Also snap some pictures of the scene.

5. Documentation

    • Get a case number from the police officer, as well as the officer’s name and badge number.
    • Take note of vehicle details: license plate, make, model, driver description.

    • Make sure your statement is taken. In some instances, police officers will neglect to take the cyclist’s statement. If not able to immediately make a statement, indicate so to the police officer. If you aren’t lucid, you may give a disjointed or inaccurate report of what happened and this may hurt your case if fault is assigned to you . If you aren’t able to give a coherent statement, ask the officer to contact you later to take it down.

    • Get witnesses’ statements taken. If you are able, ask that they give a statement to police and/or take down their contact info

6. Get medical attention — At the crash scene, don’t refuse the attention of a firefighter or paramedic even if you feel unhurt, as many injuries will only show up later. They will likely insist you go to the hospital. They are the professionals here — defer to their expertise for a clean bill of health. Also, getting attention up front will help create a paper trail that may be needed for insurance claims/litigation later on.

After the crash

Insurance

    • If other party was at fault, they are legally responsible for compensating you for expenses relating to injuries or damage to your bicycle. Their auto insurance may pay for it (or homeowners’??). If neither, you may need to pursue a claim in court. For this, you should at least consult an attorney.

    • If you are at fault, you are responsible for the same. You should contact your automobile insurance company. If you do not drive, consider bicycle-only insurance and liability coverage. As of March 2013, only the Better World Club offers such service nationwide.

Police report 

    • Be sure to get a copy of the police report, which is usually available within 1-3 weeks after the crash. You can usually get this report in person at the police station, but the procedure can vary in each city.

Your bike

If you want to pursue compensation for damage to your bike

    • Document damage to it. Take photos and get a mechanic’s estimate for repair costs

    • Don’t have it repaired immediately

    • If you replace it, keep all receipts

Medical

    • If you receive treatment for injuries related to the crash, keep all receipts

Before you get riding again

  • Replace your helmet. One crash is enough to create microscopic cracks that will cause the helmet to fail if you have a future crash.

  • Have your bicycle checked out by a professional mechanic at your local bike shop