Immediate priorities
Address medical needs and identify the exact crossing, lane, trail, driveway, station entrance, or shoulder. Record direction of travel, traffic controls, vehicle details, bicycle or mobility equipment, witnesses, and the reporting agency.
Evidence and records
Preserve the bicycle, helmet, lights, clothing, phone or fitness data, photographs, vehicle information, transit card records, and delivery or rideshare app records where relevant. Map nearby homes, businesses, buses, and traffic systems that may have captured the approach rather than only the impact point.
People and organizations to identify
A driver, vehicle owner, employer, road authority, property operator, contractor, transit agency, equipment company, or another road user may require investigation. Road design or maintenance should not be blamed without evidence connecting a condition to the event.
Questions for an Injury Law Firm
- Will the firm inspect and map the approach as well as the impact area?
- How will bicycle, helmet, phone, vehicle, and traffic records be preserved?
- Which state and local right-of-way rules require research?
- Does the firm have a plan for identifying nearby video promptly?
State law still controls
Deadlines, shared fault, public entity procedures, insurance systems, workers’ compensation, waivers, and evidentiary rules vary. Use the relevant state page and ask a licensed lawyer to identify the governing law from the verified facts.