Massachusetts Personal Injury Library
Serious Bicycle Injuries: What To Do (Part A)
Many of us in Massachusetts ride bicycles all of our lives and only have a few minor bumps and bruises from the bicycle accidents we experience. Aside from trying to ride defensively and practice bicycle safety, avoiding bicycle accidents all together is simply not possible; especially if you encounter a negligent motor vehicle driver. Unfortunately, when a child is injured in a serious Massachusetts bicycle accident, the injuries can affect the rest of their lives.
What To Do Right After a Bicycle Accident?
When children are the victims of a bicycle accident in Massachusetts, a variety of possible injuries present themselves based on a many different factors including what other people or vehicles were involved, the road or ground conditions where the bicycle accident took place, and what if any bicycle safety gear your child was wearing at the time of their bicycle accident. Even though the injuries will vary, your reaction should always be the same: ensuring that your child gets the immediate medical treatment.
Call 911 if your child has been injured in a bicycle accident.
Even if you think your child’s injuries are minor, they should be checked by medical personnel right away. Sometimes serious internal injuries such as head trauma that might not be immediately apparent after the bicycle accident.
While you may want to physically transport the child to the hospital yourself, moving a person who may have suffered a spinal cord injury, which is a common occurrence after a serious bicycle accident, can worsen the injury. The best thing you can do as a parent is to stay with your child and call 911. While you are at the scene of the accident your main focus will of course be on your child’s well being, however, there are other important steps that you or another friend or relative should take care of during this time.
Record Evidence at the Scene of the Bicycle Accident
- Remain at the scene
- Call the police and file a police report;
- Write down all the details of the bicycle accident that you are aware of, such as road conditions, the weather at the time of the accident, all the people and vehicle involved, etc.
- Take pictures if you have a camera available; you can even use a cell phone camera if that is all you have with you
- Name, address, contact numbers of the other person(s) involved
- Insurance information from the driver (if a motor vehicle was involved)
- Name, address, contact numbers of all witnesses
- Information about the vehicle, such as make, model, etc.
If you are in Massachusetts, call the Boston personal injury law firm Kiley Law Group, to speak with an experienced child injury lawyer for free.
Call (888) 208-1695 to schedule your free initial consultation. The Kiley Law Group works on a contingency fee basis, which means there are NO Fees unless our lawyers win your case.
Continue to Serious Bicycle Injuries: What to Do (Part B) on the Next Page >>
