BICYCLE INSURANCE BLOG

What to do if you’re involved in a Bicycle Accident with a motor vehicle.

If you are out riding your bike and happen to be involved in an accident with a motorist, here are some simple steps to remember on what you need to do.

Take notes. Few bicycles riders injured in a bicycle accident will be carrying a pen and blank paper with them. Most cell phones, smart phones like Blackberry’s & Apple iPhones can be used for simple note taking or sending an e-mail with all the details to yourself. Take a deep breath and remember to take notes. If your phone has a camera function, take photos of any damage to your bicycle, the car and importantly yourself.

Depending on the severity of the accident and injuries, make a note of the name, address, phone number, and the insurance information of the person driving the car involved in the accident. Make sure you take down the registration number and make of the car being driven.

It’s possible that the automobile drivers will not want to give you this information. Many may argue that only two cars involved in an accident can make an insurance claim. This is not true. Even in accidents where one person is on a bicycle, insurance companies will likely treat this the same way as a two-vehicle collision. A bicycle is still considered a vehicle in many jurisdictions. Whilst a vehicle is different to a motor vehicle it still must adhere to the appropriate road laws and be treated the same.

Regardless of whether you feel injured, get medical attention immediately. Trained medical professionals are in the best position to tell you whether what you experienced was just a little dizziness or something much worse. Many injuries, particularly head injuries, are not immediately obvious after an accident.

If you are coherent enough to do so, take down the names, addresses, and phone numbers of anybody who might have witnessed the accident. Again, use your cell phone etc if you need to capture this information for use later.

Finally, consider talking to a personal injury lawyer with experience specifically in bicycle accidents. There are many laws specific to bicycle accidents that only an attorney who has seen similar cases is likely to know about.

Does anyone really need Bicycle Insurance?

Why would anyone need bicycle insurance? Many people have never considered the need to insure a bicycle. Either they do not ride often enough or they don’t consider a bike would have its own form of protective insurance. Interestingly, many of us never consider insuring ourselves while out riding. If your on the road and have an accident – are you covered? What if the other party has no insurance and your bike is destroyed. What do you do then for recompense? Most, serious cyclists and commuter bike riders recognize a need for such a plan.

Fortunately, there are options that insure bicycles, including expensive bikes. Unless rider’s find appropriate coverage, purchasing and riding an expensive bicycle without insurance cover on the road is a bit foolish. In many cases they are protecting themselves from the actions of other road users by having bicycle liability cover.

The first thing to consider is the value of your bike and the frequency of its use. If the bike is of low value, or is ridden infrequently, the rider might be satisfied to write his or her bike into a homeowner’s or renters policy. The limitations for placing bikes under this type of insurance is easy to see, but if a bike spends most of its time in or near your home, this level of coverage will most likely be adequate. A valid concern, for riders who go out often, with placing a bike under a homeowner’s or renter’s policy, is that the bike will be stolen or broken away from your house. If that is the case, homeowner’s / renters insurance may not cover the loss.

Bicycle theft is the number one cause of bicycle loss. Not surprisingly, accidents are the second most common. Often, cyclists are hit by drivers who have only crept into a crosswalk. The cyclist is tipped over and usually sustains no bodily injury, but the bike, upon hard impact, ends up with a bent frame or wheel. Theft and accidents will be covered by adequate insurance. If you sustain injury as a result the time off work can be devastating in some cases. Adequate bicycle insurance can cover these costs.

There are a few caveats to consider when purchasing insurance for bicycles. If the rider isn’t careful, he or she can easily not comply with the conditions of the policy. Riders need to read the PDS or ‘Product Disclosure Statement of your insurance policy carefully. For example, if cyclists do not have an approved lock for their bike, they will not be covered in the event of theft. Who wants to find this one out the hard way?

To ensure coverage for theft, talk with your insurance representative and to find out what locks are approved by the company. Once an approved lock is purchased, cyclists might be wise to send proof of purchase to the insurance company so that if a need to file arises, they cannot dispute that the lock had been purchased before the event and that it was of an approved brand.

Bicycle insurance may be an extra bill, but the peace of mind that comes from knowing your bicycle is protected is worth the insurance rate for peace of mind.

If riders are unsure, as to whether they need coverage it is easy enough to consider the pros and cons of riding without it. If the cyclist can say that his or her bike would be too expensive to replace with money out of pocket, it is smart to have coverage. If the cyclist rides an expensive cycle more than twice a week, it would be foolish not to have it covered. Bikes are among the easiest targets to steal. Even with a hefty lock, chances are good that a cyclist will have his or her bike stolen at least once in his or her riding career.

Throughout this site, you can find more information about Bicycle Insurers and where to get the right Bicycle Insurance to meet your needs.