How To Claim Insurance After a Bike Accident in California

If you are injured in a bicycle accident caused by the careless actions of another driver, you should be able to recover compensation for what happened. However, securing compensation after a bike crash can be challenging. Yes, you can file an insurance claim against the at-fault driver. Doing so often requires patience and a level of resources that injury victims may not have on their own. Here, our Orange County injury lawyers want to discuss the bicycle accident insurance claim process as well as whether or not you may need an attorney to help with your case.

After the Crash is Over – Filing the Insurance Claim

For the purposes of this article, we need to assume that the bicycle accident is over and that you have already sought medical care (and continue to receive medical care for any ongoing injuries). Many people do not actually believe it when they are told that filing an insurance claim after a bicycle accident is similar to the claims process after a traditional vehicle accident.  

When a bicycle versus vehicle accident occurs, it is important for the bicyclist to get various types of information from the other driver. This includes:

• The driver’s name and contact information
• Their insurance company and policy number
• Their driver’s license number
• The make, model, and year of their vehicle
• The vehicle identification number (VIN)
• Their license plate number

Steps to Take to Help With the Claim

In order to properly file a claim, you need to be able to prove compensable damages. To do this, there are various steps that you can take to build your case in the days and weeks following the crash:

1. Keep all doctor appointments. You need to go to every medical appointment necessary to get back to full health. Failing to do so could be used as evidence against you to show that you were not badly injured.
2. Save every receipt. You need to keep everything related to the accident, including medical bills, bicycle repair bills, and receipts showing out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, if you are unable to work while you recover from your injuries, you need to keep documentation of the time you missed so that you can recover compensation for your lost income.
3. Do not trust early insurance settlement offers. Early settlement offers are always going to be well below the total dollar amount that they should be. Even though a quick settlement may be tempting to take, particularly if you have incoming bills, you are likely giving money away if you agree to quick payment.
4. Stay quiet about your case. It can be tempting to post pictures or information about your accident on social media, but you need to refrain from doing so. Anything you post online can be misconstrued and used against you to argue that you are not as badly injured as you claim.

Will You Need a Bicycle Accident Lawyer?

In general, you will call your personal auto insurance carrier and file a claim. Your insurance carrier will handle the back and forth with the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier. However, if you do not have an insurance carrier, or if you are not comfortable handling the claim on your own with your personal carrier, we strongly suggest contacting a skilled bicycle accident attorney who can handle every aspect of your claim.

A bicycle accident attorney in Orange County will be able to handle your bicycle accident claim, including conducting an investigation into the incident to determine liability, ensuring you are properly evaluated by trusted medical and economic experts, and negotiating with the insurance carrier.