The last thing any parent wants to see is their child injured. Even though bicycling is one of the most common activities that children participate in, this is also an activity where children are vulnerable to accidents involving vehicles. Here, we want to discuss the most important steps that you need to take if your child was injured in a bicycle accident involving another vehicle on the roadways of Georgia. You need to do everything in your power to make sure that your child receives the care that they need, and this involves securing compensation for your losses. A Coweta County bicycle accident lawyer can help advocate for you and your family. Call (770) 251-7100 for a free consultation.
Steps to Take After Your Child Sustains a Bicycle Crash Injury
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Seek medical care
The number one priority for you and your child after a bicycle accident occurs is to seek medical care. If your child has sustained any type of obvious injury, you need to call 911 and let EMS handle the incident. Even if there are no visible or obvious injuries, you need to assume that there may be hidden injuries. Make sure that you take your child to the doctor or emergency room for an evaluation.
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Call the police
If your child was struck by another vehicle, you need to call 911 just like you would for any other type of vehicle accident. The police need to come to the scene and conduct a preliminary investigation. The police report will provide valuable evidence that will be used by the insurance carriers involved.
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Gather evidence if possible
If it is safe to do so at the scene, and if your child’s injuries are not life-threatening, you or someone you trust should take time to gather as much evidence as possible. You can use a cell phone or any other type of camera to take photographs of everything before the scene is cleaned up. This includes damage to the bicycle, injuries, damage to the vehicle involved, traffic and weather conditions, skid marks, and more. If there were any eyewitnesses to the incident, you need to get their names and contact information written down so that they can be contacted by insurance carriers or testify at a personal injury trial later on.
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Contact an attorney
You should contact a skilled bicycle accident lawyer in Georgia who has experience handling complex injury cases. You want to make sure that you are able to recover full compensation to help your child get on the path to recovery. A bike accident attorney will examine every aspect of the case, determine liability, and help negotiate with aggressive insurance carriers.
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Continual medical care
You need to make sure that your child continues all medical treatments recommended by the doctor. If you discontinue your child’s care before the doctor says they have reached maximum medical improvement, this could hurt your chances when it comes to recovering compensation from the insurance carrier.
Time Limit to File a Claim
Injury victims have a limited amount of time to file a lawsuit in the state of Georgia. The Georgia personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date an injury occurs. However, it may be possible to pause the statute of limitations for injury victims under the age of 18. We strongly encourage you to contact an attorney online or call (770) 251-7100 so we can help get your case started as soon as possible to ensure that your child is cared for.