Dealing with insurance can be confusing and stressful when involved in a bicycle accident. Knowing how insurance plays a role in these accidents is crucial for anyone who rides a bike.
Insurance can help cover medical costs and bike repairs, but understanding automobile insurance details is key to fully protecting you. At Tulekyan Law, we can explain how different types of insurance apply to bicycle accidents.
When a bicycle accident occurs, many people first think about their insurance representative for their bike's damage and injuries. However, the role of insurance goes beyond just covering your initial doctor's visit. It can involve multiple insurance companies and different types of policies.
Each step of the way, you need to know which insurance to claim from and how to deal with insurance adjusters.
Understanding Car Insurance Might Impact a Bicycle Accident
If a car hits you while on your bicycle, the driver's car insurance might cover your catastrophic injuries and damages. This is because many auto insurance policies include liability insurance, which covers the driver for damages they cause to others.
Your car insurance might also help if it includes uninsured motorist coverage and you're hit by a driver or motor vehicle who doesn't have insurance. Sometimes, the driver's car insurance might not be enough to cover all your medical bills and bike repairs.
In these cases, you might need to use your own health insurance or personal injury protection if you have it. Understanding how these different insurance coverages work together can be tricky, but ensuring all your costs are covered is important.
Health Insurance Coverage for Bicycle Accident Injuries
After a bicycle accident, your health insurance can play a big role in covering your medical expenses. Health insurance can help pay for hospital visits, treatments, and ongoing medical care. Knowing what your health insurance covers is important because medical bills can add up quickly.
Sometimes, health insurance only covers part of the costs, or there are high deductibles that you have to meet first. It would help to examine your health insurance policy to understand what is covered and your financial responsibility to cover costs.
If your injuries are severe, these costs can be substantial, and knowing your coverage can help you plan your finances after an accident.
Common Injuries Sustained in Bike Accidents
- Broken bones: Falling off a bike or being hit by a car can easily break bones. Bone fractures can be painful and often require weeks or months to heal properly.
- Head injuries: Even with a helmet, cyclists can suffer head injuries. These can include everything from mild concussions to serious traumatic brain injuries.
- Road rash: Sliding across the pavement can scrape away layers of skin. This painful injury is common in bike accidents.
- Spinal injuries: Impact from a bike accident can injure your spine. Spinal injuries can sometimes lead to long-term mobility issues.
- Internal injuries: The force of a bike crash can cause internal bleeding or damage to organs. These catastrophic injuries are often emergencies and require immediate medical attention.
- Facial and dental injuries: Hitting your face during a bike accident can break teeth or cause severe facial injuries. These injuries may require surgeries and can lead to long-term disfigurement.
- Muscle and ligament injuries: Tearing or straining muscles and ligaments during accidents is common. These injuries might require physical therapy and extended time away from physical activities.
Whose Insurance Policy Covers Your Bike Crash?
Determining whose insurance covers your bike accident depends on the situation. If another driver is at fault, their auto insurance should cover your injuries and damages. If you were at fault, your health insurance or personal injury protection might be needed to cover medical expenses.
Sometimes, homeowners' or renters' insurance policies can cover accidents near your home or property damage involving your property. If the driver who hit you does not have enough car insurance to cover them, your uninsured motorist coverage can kick in. This is part of your auto insurance policy if you have one.
Understanding all the potential sources of insurance coverage is crucial to ensuring you're fully compensated for your injuries and losses.
Challenges in Dealing with Insurance Companies
- Lowball offers: Insurance companies often push to settle claims quickly with lowball offers. They count on accident victims not knowing the full value of their claim.
- Requesting unnecessary information: Some insurers request excessive documentation or medical records to delay processing your claim. This tactic can be frustrating and time-consuming.
- Denying legitimate claims: Insurance companies sometimes deny claims without a valid reason. They might claim that the policy does not cover certain accidents or injuries.
- Blaming the cyclist: Insurers might try to reduce their payout by blaming the cyclist for the accident. They often argue that the cyclist was not following traffic rules or was riding recklessly.
- Delay tactics: Insurers commonly delay the claims process. They hope the claimant will give up or accept a lower settlement because of financial pressure.
Common Tactics Used by Insurance Adjusters
- Immediate contact: Adjusters often contact victims soon after a collision to settle the claim quickly before the full extent of injuries is known.
- Recorded statements: They may ask for a statement, hoping to get you to say something that could hurt your claim. Always consult with a lawyer before giving any statements.
- Medical release requests: Adjusters frequently ask for access to your medical records. Providing them without restrictions can allow them to scrutinize unrelated medical issues to argue your injuries were pre-existing.
- Quick settlement offers: Quick offers are usually much less than the claim is worth. Adjusters make these offers to close cases cost-effectively, which means you may not recover compensation that truly reflects the severity of your accident.
- Using your words against you: Adjusters will carefully analyze anything you say about the accident or your injuries. They look for inconsistencies or statements that can reduce their responsibility to pay.
Issues a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Can Help You With
Handling a bicycle accident claim can be complex, and having a skilled personal injury attorney can make a significant difference. A lawyer can help you with the bicycle insurance and claims process, deal with adjusters, and ensure you receive fair compensation for your injuries and damages.
Disputes Over Fault and Liability
Fault and liability are often disputed in bicycle accident cases. Insurance companies might claim the cyclist was at fault to avoid paying a claim. A personal injury attorney can help gather evidence to prove the other party was at fault and ensure that liability claim insurance is assigned correctly.
Dealing with Delayed or Denied Claims
If your insurance claim is delayed or denied, a lawyer can help. They can push the insurance company to process your claim more quickly.
If a claim is denied, they can also help you appeal the decision or take necessary legal action. Count on a lawyer to handle everything from liability coverage issues to personal injury claims to comprehensive insurance claims.
How Tulekyan Law Can Assist with Bicycle Accident Insurance Claims
At Tulekyan Law, we understand the challenges of bicycle accident claims. Our skilled personal injury attorneys can fight for your rights from start to finish. We'll help you understand your rights, deal with insurers, seek compensation and fight for the compensation you need.
Our law office is committed to supporting you throughout your case. We take the time to understand the specifics of your accident and tailor our approach accordingly. Our law firm and office aims to make the claims process as stress-free as possible and maximize your recovery.
Contact Our Burbank Bicycle Accident Lawyer for a Free Case Consultation
If you've been involved in a bicycle accident, don't hesitate to contact Tulekyan Law for help. We understand that bicycle accident insurance coverage can be complicated. We can negotiate your insurance claim and pursue the at-fault driver to ensure you recover a fair settlement. Let our team advocate for your rights.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Burbank bicycle accident lawyer.
