TheAthletesLawyer

Bike crashes are terrifying. Bike crashes that result in brain injury can be devastating. Triathlon Trial Lawyer Doug Landau has crashed, but luckily escaped with minor injuries compared to those suffering from brain injury and acute closed head trauma.

In Virginia, 347 riders ended up in the hospital after a crash in 2004, according to Bikesmart, Virginia. Bike Smart Virginia ! The average hospital stay was four days and the median cost nearly $13,000. Traumatic brain injuries accounted for 23 percent of those hospitalizations according to a piece in the Roanoke Times. Helmets won’t eliminate every traumatic brain injury, but they help.

Steps that can be taken immediately after a bike crash include:

1. Getting proper medical attention,
a. If you are having headaches, see a specialist ASAP
2. Call the police, get a copy of the accident report and make sure it is correct BEFORE the Traffic Court or Dog Attack Court Hearing is held,
3. Get pictures of the scene, the debris field, your bike, your helmut, panniers, other equipment,
a. If you cannot do this, contact experienced legal counsel for your bike accident case at once so that professional investigation of the facts and circumstances of the case can be completed before material changes in the scene take place.
4. Keep track of your losses. what has been taken from you and your family, and, if necessary, have a family member or trusted friend help you “document” these losses.
5. Do not let the Court Hearing go by without action on your behalf.
6. Avoid written or taped statements to any insurance company or their representatives: “Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”