Bike Crash Posts

The following is a guest blog post by local bike attorney Dan Brazil of Brazil Law Group. Brazil Law Group is a sponsor of Our Streets Minneapolis. 

Whether you wish to refrain from police involvement or simply forget to call in the heat of the moment, it’s possible to file a bike crash claim without a police report. It’s also possible to strengthen your bike crash claim by filing a crash report and gathering necessary evidence at the scene.

As a cyclist, it’s critical to your health and well-being to stay safe during your commute or weekend ride. Yet, no matter how safe you cycle, crashes can still occur. As a cyclist, you have legal rights if you have a crash while on the road.

Most bicycle accidents happen due to road and weather hazards, but some serious crashes involve motor vehicle drivers and cyclists. If you’re hit by a person driving while riding your bike, it’s critical to understand your rights as well as the next steps to take to avoid further injury or property loss.

Approximately 18,477 cyclists were injured in reported road accidents, including 3,499 who were seriously injured, just a few short years ago in 2016. Serious injuries sustained in these accidents can be costly, especially when specific medical treatment is required.

To receive the compensation you deserve after being involved in a crash, you should consider hiring a bike accident lawyer.

Despite our long, cold winters, bicycling in Minnesota is booming! In fact, Minnesota has one of the largest numbers of bike commuters per capita, more than 120 miles of bike lanes and paths, and the nation’s oldest bike-share program. This eco-friendly, healthy lifestyle adds to our quality of life. Biking is a safe transportation option, and new infrastructure improvements mean biking is getting more comfortable for more folks all the time. Yet, crashes involving people on bikes happen.

When asking the question, “Who pays my bills after a bike crash?” the answer is often, “It depends.” In Minnesota, the rules of no-fault insurance apply to any crash with a motor vehicle. This means you must first look to your own auto insurance company.

For example, if a biker is injured in an automobile accident and has injuries that are treated in the emergency room, the emergency room treatment bill should be paid by the injured person’s automobile insurer. In other words, the injured person’s insurer is required to pay the treatment bill without regard for who is at fault for the accident.

However, certain exceptions apply, especially in the case of a biker who doesn’t have an auto insurance policy.