By Joshua Perry
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1000 bicyclists die and over 130,000 are injured in crashes in the United States each year, with costs of those injuries and deaths exceeding $23 billion annually.
If you are injured while bicycling in Pennsylvania, it may be difficult to figure out what rights you have and available compensation for your damages. For assistance in navigating your bicycle injury, consider contacting O’Donnell Law Offices.
Different scenarios when coverage may be implicated
In general, if you are injured on a bicycle not involving a motor vehicle, you will not be able to recover for your injuries from your motor vehicle policy. There may be other insurance available to cover your injuries, such as homeowners insurance or property insurance, depending on what caused the bicycle accident. At the very least, your personal health insurance should cover the medical costs associated with the injury.
If you are injured in an incident involving a motor vehicle, but the vehicle is not able to be identified, you may be able to recover under your motor vehicle insurance. It is important that you file a police report and report the incident to your insurance company. Sometimes police will be able to identify the vehicle involved through their investigation of the incident.
If you are injured in an incident involving a known motor vehicle, you should be able to recover from that vehicle’s insurance. If the vehicle’s insurance is insufficient, you may also be able to recover from your own automobile insurance policy.
Some general considerations related to bicycle operation:
- Make sure you are abiding by traffic laws when operating your bicycle on the roadway. This will reduce your chance of becoming involved in an incident involving a vehicle.
- Be sure to always wear a helmet when operating your bicycle on the roadway.
- If you are injured while operating your bicycle, if possible remove yourself from the roadway to a safe place.
- If the injury involves another vehicle, be sure to file a police report and alert your automobile insurance company of the incident.
Finally, if you are injured while riding a bicycle, give O’Donnell Law Offices a call and allow us to evaluate your claim. We can help you navigate through the various possibilities of insurance coverage as well as help you understand what your legal rights are in obtaining that coverage.
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