Southern Nevada is a wonderful place to be a bicyclist. First, there are plenty of territories to explore. Clark County offers 28 different trails that sprawl 176 miles. Second, the bicyclist community organizes a couple of fun races; the Tour de Summerlin is a 20-year tradition and Las Vegas hosts the Honor Ride. However, with many bicyclists on trails and roads comes the possibility of a bicycle v. bicycle accident. If you are injured and your property is damaged, pursuing compensation is What’s Right. Many believe the accident claim will be similar to a bicycle accident with a car. But there are important differences you should know.
What to Do After a Bicycle-on-Bicycle Accident
A bicycle v. bicycle claim begins the same as a car accident claim. Documenting the accident and getting medical treatment is similar for both kinds of accidents. Sam & Ash Injury Law recommends you:
- Photograph the scene of the accident, your injuries, and property damage. Include a picture of the serial numbers on each bicycle frame.
- Exchange information with the other bicyclist. You need a name and contact information to later explore different compensation strategies.
- Seek immediate medical treatment. It is a mistake is to minimize injuries caused by another bicyclist. Many common bicycle-on-bicycle injuries develop in time.
What’s Different about a Bicycle-on-Bicycle Accident?
The first difference is where you pursue compensation. Generally, after an accident, insurance compensates for any losses. Car insurance is a legal requirement to drive in Nevada. So if a driver hits a bicyclist, the driver’s car insurance will most likely pay for damages.
However, car insurance does not compensate for bicycle-on-bicycle claims, because a car was not involved in the accident. Furthermore, Nevada law does not require bicyclists to carry liability insurance to ride a bicycle. Bicycle liability insurance is only optional, so it might not be available for your claim.
The hardworking bicycle accident lawyers at Sam & Ash Injury Law explore all options for compensation. When our clients are injured in a bicycle v. bicycle accident, we investigate potential resources like:
- Optional bicycle insurance
- Homeowners insurance
- Renters insurance
- The at-fault bicyclist’s personal assets
Second, handling repairs is different. Don’t repair your bicycle immediately. Insurance companies generally insist on inspecting the damaged bicycle for themselves. This is because the damage will help indicate who was at fault. We advise many clients to retain a bicycle accident reconstruction expert for our own liability determination, too.
Negligent Bicycling
Proving liability in an accident with a car is usually easy, because of the car’s larger size and the ability of a driver to better avoid the accident. But most personal injury claims against another bicyclist do not present an immediate case for fault.
When our clients are injured by another bicyclist, we commonly see the following indications of negligence:
- Failing to signal while turning
- Following too closely
- Stopping suddenly
- Running a stop sign or a red light
- Riding on the wrong side of the path
- Failing to yield the right-of-way to other cyclists
- Distracting themselves with cell phones
Property Losses You Can Claim
As personal injury professionals, we are dedicated to ensuring your physical well-being improves after an accident. We work to have that fully compensated. But we believe our clients deserve to recover their lost property, too. We seek compensation for property losses that may include:
- The repair or replacement of your bicycle
- Helmet and other protective gear
- Bicycling apparel like a jersey and shorts
- Personal effects such as a cell phone, a watch, and sunglasses
- A saddlebag or backpack
Personal Injury Lawyers, You Can Trust
Sam & Ash Injury Law is a law firm dedicated to improving the lives of persons injured in an accident. Not all cases need a lawyer’s help, but after an accident, you should get an experienced attorney’s advice. We are available 24/7 to offer our opinion, and if necessary, a plan to compensate for your losses. Call for your consultation at 1 (800) 304-2000, because you deserve What’s Right.
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