Bicycling offers an eco-friendly, healthy way to travel through New Jersey’s scenic roads, but even the most cautious riders can be victims of serious accidents. When vehicles weighing thousands of pounds collide with cyclists, the resulting injuries can be devastating and potentially life-altering. Whether you suffered road rash, a head injury, or a broken bone, you can document these injuries for your claim by seeking immediate medical attention, taking photographs, and keeping detailed accounts of lost income.
Common Bicycle Accident Injuries
Bicycle accidents can result in a wide range of injuries, from relatively minor scrapes to catastrophic trauma. The lack of protection compared to vehicle occupants makes cyclists particularly vulnerable to serious harm. In fact, over 130,000 bicyclists are injured in crashes on U.S. roads every year.
Understanding the following common injuries can help you recognize their significance and ensure you receive proper medical care and documentation:
Road Rash and Soft Tissue Injuries
When cyclists are thrown from their bikes, the friction between skin and pavement can cause painful abrasions known as road rash. While sometimes dismissed as minor, severe road rash can penetrate multiple layers of skin, become infected without proper treatment, leave permanent scarring or disfigurement and cause significant pain and limited mobility during healing.
Other soft tissue injuries, such as bruises, sprains, and muscle tears, are also common in bicycle accidents. Although these injuries might seem less serious initially, they can cause long-term pain and mobility issues if not properly treated.
Head and Brain Injuries
Head injuries remain among the most serious consequences of bicycle accidents. Even with helmet use, cyclists can suffer concussions, contusions, or traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that may cause the following issues:
- Memory problems and cognitive impairment
- Personality changes and mood disorders
- Balance and coordination issues
- Persistent headaches and vision problems
- Long-term disability requiring extensive rehabilitation
You may not understand the true extent of a brain injury right away. Some TBI symptoms develop days or weeks after the accident, highlighting the importance of thorough medical evaluation and ongoing monitoring.
Fractures and Orthopedic Injuries
The impact forces in bicycle accidents frequently result in broken bones. Common fracture locations include wrists, collarbones, facial bones, ribs, pelvis, and hips. More severe crashes may cause complex fractures requiring surgical repair with plates, screws, or rods. Recovery often involves physical therapy and can take months or even years for complete healing.
Spinal Cord Injuries
The spine is particularly vulnerable in bicycle accidents, especially if you are struck from behind or thrown over the handlebars. Spinal injuries range from herniated discs to catastrophic cord damage resulting in paralysis. These injuries frequently lead to chronic pain, numbness, or weakness in the limbs, limited mobility and paralysis in severe cases.
How to Document Your Bicycle Accident Injuries
Proper documentation is the foundation of a successful bicycle accident claim. Without thorough records, it becomes difficult to establish the full extent of your injuries and their impact on your life. Taking the following steps immediately after your accident and throughout your recovery will strengthen your position when seeking compensation:
Call the police and obtain the police report
If a bicycle accident resulted from the fault of a driver of a motor vehicle in any way, calling the police and obtaining a police report is an important step. A police report can verify the facts of impact, the identity of the driver and statements of all parties involved. Without a police report, it may be difficult to reconstruct important facts.
After a bicycle accident, you should prioritize your health. Even if you feel relatively unharmed, some serious injuries may not show immediate symptoms. Visiting an emergency room or urgent care facility and requesting copies of all medical records, including initial examinations, diagnostic imaging results, and treatment recommendations, establishes a clear timeline of your injuries and the medical care required. The details in your medical records can help prove the cause of your injury, making them an essential piece of evidence.
Take Photographs
Visual evidence strengthens your claim significantly. Photographing all visible injuries, medical devices, and treatments, changes in your appearance, and environmental factors that contributed to your accident with date stamps provides compelling evidence of your injuries’ severity and progression. This helps establish the full impact of the accident on your physical well-being.
Document Lost Income and Expenses
Your claim must prove the financial damages your injuries caused, so it’s important to document the lost income and expenses directly related to your injuries, such as the following:
- Medical bills, including emergency services, hospital stays, and follow-up care
- Prescription and over-the-counter medication costs
- Transportation expenses for medical appointments
- Home care services or modifications needed due to your injuries
- Pay stubs showing missed work time and lost wages
These financial records form the foundation of your economic damages claim and help us accurately calculate your claim’s value.
Navigating the aftermath of a bicycle accident can be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to recover from serious injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney can make a significant difference in your peace of mind and the outcome of your case.
