Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents In Salem
What Causes Bike Accidents in Salem?
- Negligent drivers: By far the most common cause of accidents involving bicycles are negligent drivers. Motorists who speed, fail to yield to bicyclists, tailgate, text while driving, or drive impaired all put cyclists on the road at risk. Unfortunately, these are just a few careless acts on the parts of drivers that cause bicycle accidents.
- Faulty road conditions: Even though the infrastructure throughout the city has been modified to better accommodate cyclists, there are still times when negligent or faulty road conditions can cause a crash. Bicycles are not as stable as vehicles on four wheels and so uneven road surfaces, potholes, gravel roads, and a failure to install traffic signals and traffic lights can all result in a devastating bicycle accident.
- Accidents involving fixed objects: It may sound as though accidents with fixed objects are the cyclist’s fault, but that is not usually the case. Improperly maintained roads and debris on roadways can cause cyclists to swerve unexpectedly, which can cause an accident with a fixed object. Dooring, which occurs when a driver of a parked vehicle opens their door into the path of an oncoming cyclist, is another common type of bicycle accident that involves a fixed object.
Steps to Take After a Bicycle Accident in Salem
Any bicycle accident is likely going to result in serious injuries. It is natural to feel shocked and confused afterward, and you may not know what to do. The steps you take after any crash, though, are not only important for your health and safety, but also to protect any future injury claim you may file. The most important steps to take after a bicycle accident are as follows:
- Seek immediate medical attention for your injuries, even if you do not think you sustained serious injuries.
- Report the accident to law enforcement immediately so they can visit the accident scene and write and file a report.
- Write down a description of the motorist who hit you, a description of the vehicle, and the time, place, and date the accident occurred.
- If you can, take pictures and video footage of the accident scene, damage to your bicycle and any other vehicles involved, and your injuries.
- Obtain a copy of the police report, which should contain the insurance information and contact information for the negligent driver.
Although the above are certainly steps you should take, there are also some things you should never do after an accident. You should never admit fault, or even apologize that the accident happened at all. The insurance company will use this against you to show that you were at least partially at fault and so, you do not deserve full damages. If any of these things have or haven’t happened, give our bicycle accident lawyers a call! We will be happy to help in any way that we can!
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