Distracted drivers who strike defenseless Tulsa cyclists are 100% responsible for medical bills and other costs victims face in the aftermath. It can be helpful to gather evidence that shows the driver was at fault for a collision, and even that the driver was focused somewhere other than the road at the time of the accident.
A skilled Tulsa Bicycle Accident Lawyer can help you prove that a careless driver was at fault. Your lawyer would fully investigate what happened and secure all evidence for your case. Your lawyer would then utilize the evidence to force car insurance companies to accept blame and to pay anything the cyclist needed to make a full recovery.
Tulsa Distracted Driver Dangers for Cyclists
Distracted drivers are the biggest threat on busy roads like Yale Avenue. Drivers looking at cellphones or trying to eat behind the wheel can be a major threat to the occupants of other vehicles. But at least motorists have airbags, seatbelts, and metal frames to protect them.
Cyclists don’t have the safeguards, and any collision with a car, truck, or SUV can be life-threatening. Mistakes will happen on the road, but motorists who don’t keep their eyes on the lanes and on their mirrors are much more likely to cause a collision with a rider.
The Oklahoma Highway Safety Office (OHSO) warns that motorists traveling 55 mph who take their eyes off the road for even 5 seconds can travel the length of a football field. That’s long enough to send a motorist to the pavement and leave them out in front of other approaching vehicles.
These drivers need to be held accountable when they cause cyclists to suffer broken bones, Traumatic Brain Injuries, and neck and back injuries.
Proving a Driver Was Distracted When a Bicycle Accident Occurred
Drivers are often cited for bicycle collisions, even if it’s unknown what the motorists were focused on at the time of the impact. But it’s often easy to spot when a driver is staring at a phone or is facing someone else in the vehicle.
This and other evidence can help ensure that car insurance companies can’t find ways to wiggle out of responsibility when it comes time to pay medical bills.
Attorneys can gather much of the evidence, but riders should try to collect some of the proof that will disappear once an accident scene is cleared.
Bicyclists must see to their safety first and get out of the path of other traffic if possible. They must also dial 911 and request an ambulance if they or anyone else is hurt. Then, if the scene is secure, they should start collecting details that might prove a driver was distracted and/or careless:
- Tell Tulsa Police Officers everything you remember about the collision. Note if you saw the driver swerving or erratically braking before the accident. Were they holding a cellphone to their ear?
- Take photos of everything. Show the damage to the car, your bike, and your clothing. Show any injuries that are visible to the naked eye and blood stains. Take photos of the street signs and lane markings that may pertain to what happened. Take photos of the bike lane if you were in one when you were hit.
- Collect witness contact information.
- Collect the driver’s details unless an officer provides this information. Get driver’s license info and insurance info.
If you aren’t left strong enough to capture this evidence, ask someone with you or a helpful bystander to collect some of these things for you.
Go see your own doctor in the days that follow, even if you’ve already taken a ride to the emergency room. In the shock that sometimes follows a collision, the pain of a serious injury may stay hidden. Have all pain that arises the next day or later in the week examined by your doctor. Follow your doctor’s orders.
If you are seriously hurt, you should also contact a lawyer as soon as possible. A free consultation is a great way to determine how to secure the most for your recovery bills. It’s also best to allow your legal representative to begin investigating what happened while fresh evidence is still available.
Contact a Tulsa Bicycle Accident Lawyer If You’ve Been Hurt by a Distracted Driver
We have an extensive background in safeguarding bicycle accident victims. At Ylla | Gosney Attorneys At Law, we want safe bicycle rides for every rider. We also want to fully protect victims if they are forced into a serious accident by a careless, distracted driver. We offer a free, no-obligation case review with a real Tulsa Bicycle Accident Lawyer.
If you need our help, you don’t have to worry about finding the money to pay a bicycle accident lawyer. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the support an insurance company is forced to pay you.
