What to Do if Your Child is Injured in a Bicycle Accident this Summer

Bicycling should be a healthy and fun way for a child to enjoy the summer months when they’re not spending their days at school. However, while you may teach your child to exercise caution and obey all safety rules while riding, you can’t prevent others from being negligent.

Thus, while it’s not something any parent likes to think about, if your child rides their bike around Massachusetts or anywhere else in New England during the summer, there’s a chance they’ll be injured in an accident that may result from the negligence of another party. Or, they might get hurt because of a defect or design flaw rendering their bicycle unsafe.

In any event, it’s important to know what to do when your child is injured in a bicycle accident this summer. Taking the proper steps immediately after an accident can optimize your child’s chances of making a swift recovery. Additionally, you and your child may be eligible for financial compensation in these circumstances. Taking the right actions now could improve your chances of recovering what is available.

What to Do Immediately After a Child’s Bicycle Accident

The exact steps you should take if a child has been hurt in a bicycle accident can vary depending on such factors as the location of the accident and its cause. Generally, though, you should do the following:

Examine your child for injuries and contact emergency services if you require assistance.

• If your child has been injured in an accident involving another motorist, you should also call the police to report the accident.
• Collect valuable information at the scene by exchanging contact and insurance information with any motorists who may have been involved in the incident.
• If the accident resulted from environmental factors such as potholes or lack of proper roadway signage, take pictures to document this accordingly. In general, you should take pictures of the accident scene to document any hazards that may have contributed to the accident.
• Be aware that witnesses may have also seen the accident occur. Their testimony could influence your case later on. Thus, you should ask if they are willing to provide statements at the scene. At the very least, they may provide their names and contact information so you can get in touch later and take down their statements.
• Preserve your child’s bike and don’t let them ride it again after the accident. First, the accident or their injuries may have resulted from a dangerous condition affecting the bike itself. Second, the bike may serve as a piece of evidence in ongoing legal and insurance proceedings. Keeping it in its current condition will be very critical right now.

Most importantly, always ensure your child receives medical attention after a bicycle accident. Even if they don’t present with obvious symptoms, they could have sustained injuries that aren’t immediately apparent. Making sure they see a doctor is key to ensuring they get proper care and establishing a link between their injuries and their accident.

Potential Compensation Available After a Child’s Bicycle Accident in New England

Compensation may be available for medical bills and other losses resulting from a child’s bicycle accident. In a case involving a child’s tragic death, surviving loved ones (such as parents) may be able to recover wrongful death damages.

The exact way you may pursue compensation after a child’s bicycle accident will vary depending on the cause of the accident. For example, perhaps your child was hurt because a negligent driver struck them. In this case, you would file a claim with the driver’s insurance. If the insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement, you can file a lawsuit seeking damages in court.

Another potential cause of a child’s accident is a vehicle defect. In this case, you would have a product liability case. Unlike a case involving a negligent motorist, you don’t need to prove your child was injured due to someone else’s carelessness with a product liability case. You only need to show that their injuries resulted from a defect or a dangerous condition.

There may also be instances when a child’s bicycle accident is due to the negligence of government agencies. If a government agency failed to address a dangerous road condition in a timely manner, this may have caused your child’s accident and injuries.

Be aware that you don’t have to pursue compensation alone. At the law offices of Swartz and Swartz PC, a Boston personal injury lawyer is available to review your case and provide dedicated representation while you focus on helping your child recover from their injuries. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us at (617) 742-1900 to get started.

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If you or someone you know, needs help from a lawyer, contact the law offices of Swartz & Swartz, use our live chat, or send us a message using the form below and we’ll get in touch to assess your case and how we can help.