Bicycle & Pedestrian Accidents
Drivers of vehicles are required under the law to exercise due care to avoid colliding with bicyclists and pedestrians that are on the roadway. All too often, however, drivers are not careful enough and fail to see the pedestrian or bicyclist. This lack of care can have dire consequences for the person who is hit and for his or her family. As with most types of cases, a prompt and thorough investigation and reconstruction can be crucial to the outcome of a legal action. It is especially important in a bicycle or pedestrian accident that you retain legal counsel quickly. Witnesses can be difficult to locate as time passes, and memories fade as well. These types of cases, in particular, can turn dramatically based on eyewitness statements.
Insurance Policies
Your own auto insurance policy or one of a family member in your household may play an important role in a pedestrian or bicycle accident case. In the event that the responsible party does not have insurance, has insufficient insurance, or cannot be identified, your policy’s optional SUM endorsement would come into play. This is true in a hit and run scenario as well. In the event of a hit and run, the injured party must file a sworn statement with the SUM carrier within ninety (90) days or the coverage can be forfeited. This is another reason to be sure your SUM Coverage portion of your insurance policy is as high as possible. For more information about SUM Coverage, see Auto Accidents.