I Ride My Bike To Work Everyday: Do I Need Insurance?
Last week my son purchased a bicycle which will be his primary means of transportation to and from his classes in medical school. As any normal and loving parent would reveal, I am somewhat concerned about my child’s safety while operating his bicycle on streets already overcrowded with cars, buses, and trucks operated by motorists not paying full attention.
According to a recent study, bicycle riders are 12 times more likely than those in cars to suffer a fatal accident. Another study found that pedestrians are 23 times more likely than drivers to die per mile of travel. It is also interesting to note that 11% of bicycle accidents involve a collision with a car. As an avid bicyclist and motorcyclist since my early teen years and as a practicing car accident lawyer in Philadelphia since 1979, I can honestly state that there are a lot of bad drivers on the road who simply do not pay attention. Many times they will cut in front of you, open their door in your path, run a stop sign or traffic light, so you must always operate a motorcycle or bicycle in a defensive fashion and follow the boy scout model “Be prepared.”
Most times an accident is caused by an automobile, truck, or other vehicle in violation of the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the offending individual’s insurance company will pay for a third party claim. However, it is important to note that in Philadelphia, like many other cities across the country, many drivers today are uninsured or underinsured and if you are in an accident on a motorcycle or bicycle you run the risk of having a catastrophic injury or fatality due to the size and force of the vehicles and lack of protection. If the driver of a vehicle negligently hits a bicycle or motorcycle, the bicycle rider or motorcycle rider will be entitled to recover against the driver of that vehicle for physical injuries, pain and suffering, medical expenses, loss of income, disfigurement, loss of life’s pleasures and any other losses related to the collision.
It is important that an injured rider contact the police as soon as possible to complete a proper police report. If the careless driver who caused the accident has no insurance, the injured bicyclist may be able to bring an uninsured motorist claim against his or her own auto insurance policy. Even if you do not have automobile insurance, you may still be able to bring an underinsured or uninsured motorist claim against a household family member’s policy.
If you have any questions regarding a claim, please feel free to contact our office immediately for a free no obligation consultation. You may contact the experienced car accident, bicycle accident or motorcycle accident lawyers at 1-800-421-9595 or online at www.reiffandbily.com.
