Bike Accident in Orlando? What to Do Next

Florida has long been one of the states with the highest rate of bicycle accidents in the United States. A good number of these accidents happen to visitors each year, leaving loved ones to pick up the pieces after a bike accident death or injury.

Staggering Orlando Bike Accident Statistics

The statistics related to Florida bike accidents is staggering. In fact, there are nearly 60% more bike accidents in Florida than any other state. In 2019, there were 142 people who were fatally injured in a bicycle accident.

In Orlando, there are more than 6,000 bicycle accidents each year and that number continues to rise. While there have been many recommendations for improving the safety for cyclists, there are still change that need to be made.

With heavy tourism and congested traffic, it’s sometimes simply unsafe to ride a bicycle on some of Orlando’s roadways. In fact, 16% of the entire country’s bicycle fatalities involved residents of Florida. Many of the deaths and injuries were specific to the tourist community as well.

Some of the accidents were specific to children riding bicycles, but it seems that there were also increased accidents from activities like riding bicycles on busy roadways at night or riding bicycles while being intoxicated or otherwise distracted.

The most affected areas are streets near school zones, tourist locations, and low-income neighborhoods.

So what do you do if you have been affected by a bike accident in Orlando?

Steps to Follow After Experiencing a Bike Accident in Orlando

Unfortunately, there are a number of bike accidents that lead to death in Orlando. There is potential recourse for fatality accidents for the family. The remaining accidents often suffer from an array of injuries since bicycles do little to protect you against the impact from a moving vehicle.

Regardless of the injury, there most likely will be substantial medical expenses and a long and challenging path ahead for both emotional trauma and physical trauma.

Follow these simple steps after a bike accident in Orlando. Taking the proper steps could be vital for your recovery, as well as the financial aspect of care and recovery.

1.   Work with Law Enforcement

Depending on the extent of injuries, you may be able to file a police report at the scene or you may have to handle this step after seeking medical care. If a police officer or another type of law enforcement is at the scene, they will file a report. This is an important step in the process.

If for any reason legal action is taken later, it will be essential to have a police report to relate back to. These reports create a scenario of the accident scene and also notate if there was any driver impairment. This report often establishes fault for the accident.

2.   Document, Document, Document

If you are in any state to do so, be quick to grab your smartphone, take notes, and document the scene of the accident. This probably won’t occur to you right away or to your loved ones if they come to the scene but it could help you out later on.

Take pictures, maybe even quickly record the scene on camera. You might also be able to ask if others on the scene have any footage, perhaps from a dash cam or nearby security camera.

If you or your family are not able to do this at the scene, details should be documented even if it is just writing down specific memories and notes of the accident so you don’t forget details later on.

3.   Get Medical Treatment

If you’re injured in a bicycle accident in Orlando, do not turn away medical care. In many cases, you may not have a choice as the injuries could be severe. Whether you feel fine after the accident or not, we recommend getting checked out to be sure.

It’s important to be evaluated in the event that you later need legal assistance related to the accident. Your medical records will be reviewed and whether or not you were medically evaluated will also be taken into consideration. While you may feel fine, there may be internal injuries you are not aware of at the time.

Get treated and then follow all instructions from your medical provider as well.

4.   Reach out to Insurance

Even though you were on a bike, your auto insurance may provide some sort of coverage for you. Most people don’t recognize this potential resource for a bicycle accident so it is important to contact them and see what options or coverage you do have.

5.   Avoid Discussions About the Accident

If you happen to be at fault for the accident, it’s best to not discuss fault or even details with other parties involved. While you can certainly check to see if the injured party is ok and get help as needed, you should never openly admit being at fault in any part of this process. If you are innocent and have been the victim of a bike accident, do not talk to anyone other than law enforcement about what happened until you speak with your attorney.

Let the legal process work here and determine fault. If you obtain an attorney, refer insurance and personnel calling on the other’s behalf directly to your attorney.

6.   Choose an Experienced Attorney for Bike Accidents in Orlando

Finally, you may need to consider legal representation, regardless of whether you were at fault or you are an injured party in the bicycle accident. It’s important to consider that there will be substantial costs involved in recovery, treatment, and so on. You won’t get what is owed to you by just sitting patiently on the sidelines.

Act right away and get an experienced lawyer on your side. Time is of the essence. Witnesses disappear and their memories fade. Evidence is lost or destroyed. Video recordings are recorded over. Skid marks and other evidence at the scene is lost.

Leighton Law is here to help. John Leighton is a board certified trial lawyer who is nationally known for handling personal injury and death cases, including bicycle accident cases in Orlando. John Leighton and partner Max Panoff take these cases very seriously and Leighton Law has proven success at obtaining some of the largest settlements in the Florida area. Mr. Leighton has won some of the largest verdicts and settlements in the Orlando area for people injured in accidents.

Both Mr. Leighton and partner Max Panoff are recognized by Florida SuperLawyers as being among the most skilled and recognized in Miami for their handling of accident cases. Mr. Leighton has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for over a dozen years and selected for many awards like Florida Legal Elite and “Top Lawyers” in The South Florida Legal Guide.

Don’t wait until it’s too late. Get the legal help that you need today.