Some perspective by a cyclist who was hit by a car on his bike
In a bike accident, it’s possible you will suffer serious injuries, like Rodrigo’s brain injury. Or it may be just a smattering of injuries and a major hassle, as it was for Ray Maker, also known as DC Rainmaker.
What to do?
Get medical attention – even if you don’t think you need it
Regardless if you think you are ‘ok’ or not, you should get to the emergency room immediately. You could be hurt and not know it.
And sometimes, the doctor who sees you won’t catch the injury. You have to advocate for yourself. Ray tells of how went to the ER immediately, and the doctors handed him a bottle of Advil and sent him on his way.
Two weeks later, he was still having severe pain in his leg. An MRI was done, and lo behold, he had micro-fractures in his femur. He strongly advises bike accident victims to speak up if they feel their injuries are not being addressed.
Keep careful medical records
It’s important to keep track of every medical visit after the bike accident, and to note the times of each. This can be super important for getting the insurance company to reimburse you for lost work time.
There are plenty of other benefits to maintaining a post-accident journal.
Post-Accident Journal Form
Sample accident journal/diary to help you document the effect on your daily life
Download in PDF format
Many people throw all their receipts into an envelope for their attorney. Ray, who didn’t hire an attorney, kept himself organized very nicely in a spreadsheet.
See when you need an attorney and when you don’t.
Hold your ground with insurance companies
As far as getting medical bills paid, normally you would use your health insurance, and the company is reimbursed later by the driver’s insurance company. But your health insurance may say that your auto insurance should cover it, and your auto insurance may say you weren’t driving so THEY won’t cover it!
You may have to fight both to get them to cover your bills. Or, tell the medical providers to wait until they get reimbursed from the at-fault driver’s insurance policy.
Learn about other options for covering medical expenses after an accident.
Have a read of Ray’s blog post “What I learned after getting hit by a car while cycling”
Check out our complete guide to your case after a bicycle accident.