After a bicycle or pedestrian accident, you could sustain significant injuries. This is because pedestrians and bicyclists don’t have the protection surrounding them that those in vehicles do. After an accident, you could end up with extensive medical bills and other damages. To protect your rights, you must make a police report, take detailed notes of the accident, inform your insurance company, seek medical treatment, and consult an attorney.
A Tampa personal injury lawyer can help to protect your rights after a bicycle or pedestrian accident in Tampa or St. Petersburg. If you contact them soon after the accident, they can ensure that your rights stay protected as you go through the legal process to seek compensation from the liable party. In addition, they can help with the stress you endure by providing support and legal advice.
Steps To Take To Protect Your Rights After A Bicycle Or Pedestrian Accident In Tampa And St. Petersburg
Protecting your rights after a St. Petersburg or Tampa bicycle or pedestrian accident could increase your chances of reaching a successful outcome with your case. Florida law gives injury victims the right to seek compensation from the appropriate party’s insurer after both accidents.
You must do everything you can to protect yourself after the accident to ensure you maintain these rights. If not, you could miss out on your opportunity to seek compensation for your losses.
Make A Police Report
After the accident, call 911 and request that the police and emergency medical team come to the scene. If your injuries are too extensive, have someone call for you. If you can, wait at the scene and make a police report. Provide a detailed description to the law enforcement officer about what happened.
If you are too injured to make a police report, call the police and tell them what happened. Before doing anything else, you must receive medical help to ensure your injuries are stable. When you make a police report, you can get the accident and the details on record. This information could help provide a picture of what happens when you seek compensation in the future.
Take Notes About What Happened During The Accident
As soon as possible after the accident, take notes about what happened if you can. Your notes should include the following:
- The weather and road conditions
- The directions everyone involved was traveling in
- Relevant information about what could have caused the accident
Over time, you could forget the details of what happened. By keeping notes, the details could stay fresh in your mind.
Inform Your Insurance Company About The Accident
While the at-fault party’s insurance company should cover the accident, you should still inform your insurance company. They could be a liaison between you and the at-fault party’s insurance.
Seek Medical Care
If you suffered injuries, seek medical aid as soon as possible. Getting prompt medical treatment shows you have done everything possible to improve your injuries. Therefore, the at-fault party’s insurance company can’t state that you made your injuries worse by not getting the proper medical care.
Obtaining appropriate documentation from the medical professionals who treated you is important. This includes:
- Documentation of your injury’s diagnosis
- Medical bills that show your losses
- Information about future treatments you could need
- Statements from your doctors about the extent of your injuries
All this information can protect your right to seek compensation after a bicycle accident in Tampa or St. Petersburg.
Consult An Attorney
Contacting an attorney is beneficial to protect your rights after a bicycle or pedestrian accident. They can provide legal advice, guidance, and support throughout the process.
An attorney can tell you how to file an insurance claim or injury lawsuit against the at-fault party. They can also protect your rights and interests while representing you.
An Attorney Can Protect Your Rights After A Bicycle Or Pedestrian Accident
Attorneys handling pedestrian and bicycle accident cases will know what to do immediately after you contact them. One of the most significant ways they can protect your rights is to ensure you meet the Florida statute of limitations.
Florida Statutes § 95.11 states you have two years after the bicycle or pedestrian accident to file a lawsuit. While an attorney can try to settle your case outside of court, you still want to conclude before the two years ends.
Steps an attorney can take to protect your rights include:
- Review the police report and collect evidence
- Build a case against the at-fault party
- Look into the damages you suffered
- Calculate how much compensation to seek in your case
- Contact the at-fault party’s insurer to state how much compensation you demand
- Negotiate a fair agreement
- File a lawsuit if the liable party’s insurer won’t compensate you fairly
After filing a lawsuit, your attorney can continue negotiating with the at-fault party to settle outside court. They can also review the best options for your case.
Contact Us for Help From A Bicycle or Pedestrian Accident Attorney In Tampa Or St. Petersburg Today
Protecting your rights after a bicycle or pedestrian accident in Tampa or St. Petersburg is crucial. If not, you could miss out on receiving the compensation you need to recover from your losses. By hiring an attorney soon after the accident, they can help you keep your rights protected.
Contact the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today to speak with our attorneys for free. During a free consultation, you can find out if you have a viable case and how our attorneys can take to help with your case. You deserve a legal advocate with strong legal knowledge on your side after suffering injuries in a pedestrian or bicycle accident.
