BikeBrampton welcomed The Biking Lawyer Dave Shellnut to a BikeWrx workshop at Different Spokes. 21 cyclists from all walks of life gathered for a presentation and rousing discussion about how cyclists can protect themselves. The Bike Lawyer LLP provided valuable advice on steps to take in the event of a cyclist-motorist collision.
The Biking Lawyer Cyclist Crash Guide:
- Get safely off the road, onto a sidewalk.
- Take photos/videos: damage to vehicle & bike, personal damage, the scene, driver’s license, registration, insurance slip, road signs. If you can’t take pictures, ask a bystander. Consider getting a camera for your helmet. It must be able to read license plates!
- Seek medical attention. Assume you could be in shock and not in a position to evaluate whether you are hurt. Call 911 for an ambulance to go to hospital ER. Tell 911 you have been hit and you are not sure if you are injured (even if you do not feel pain at the time). Police have to attend the scene if you call 911 (in Toronto). Police, fire or the ambulance will take your bike, so do not avoid calling 911 because you are worried about your bike. Ambulance cost will likely be covered by no fault insurance.
- Get advice from a lawyer. Dave, and most personal injury lawyers will work ‘on contingency’, which means they take a percentage of a settlement as opposed to charging an hourly rate. So calling a lawyer is the smart thing to do to at least get a free consult about your situation.
Report a Crash Form for the Biking Lawyer
BikeBrampton is so pleased that Dave came out to Different Spokes for this educational and valuable workshop!
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