Doug Landau, a Reston personal injury attorney who specializes in bike cases, has written a book for cyclists called “10 Mistakes That Can Derail Your Bike Injury Case.” Paperback copies are available for $12 from Lulu Press, but you can download a digital copy for free (click on the Download link under Add to Cart). Learn about bicycle crashes, how to avoid them, and what to do when they happen.
Landau’s list of cyclists’ mistakes:
- Being unprepared
- Failing to get help
- Not having any witnesses
- Not having any evidence
- Not contacting the authorities
- Failing to follow up
- Not having “Show &Tell”
- Failing to document
- Talking too much
- Losing track of time
Cyclists are often their own worst enemy, by failing to follow up after crashes — even when their rights were clearly violated, and damages can easily be compensated. Read Mr. Landau’s book and be prepared for when the unthinkable happens, and ensure that your rights are protected.
Thanks to Doug Landau for this great resource, and also to Bruce Wright of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling.
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I can agree with these. I was struck last year and the biggest mistake that I made was to get to the hospital on my own. I was close to hope and had a dislocated shoulder. Instead of calling 911, wife took me. I followed up with police at the hospital but it is a major headache. Always call for police and an ambulance, even if you think that it is minor. I hope that I never have cause to again, but I won’t ever make that mistake if I do.
Hansen is right, supporting documentation is important. In my situation I was not able to get up (pelvis fractured in 3 places) and while laying there I took a picture of the house I was in front of. The resident denied ownership of the pitbull that crashed me but in the pic it is standing behind the stormdoor! That convinced their homeowner’s insurance to pay for damages. It would have been better yet if I had taken pics of the license plates and faces of the 2 witnesses who stopped at the scene.