A bike crash can crush your confidence. After hitting the concrete and feeling the pain radiate across your body, it’s not easy to get back on your bike. You might feel hesitant for months to come.
This is especially true for accidents where the cyclist was hit by a car. When a cyclist knows exactly what it feels like to be struck by a two-ton vehicle, it can dampen their enthusiasm to get back out on the road.
But maybe you’re ready to recapture the fun of being on your bike. Here are some things you can do to ease the transition back to cycling after your accident.
Seek a Full Medical Evaluation
If you haven’t done so already, settle your mind by seeing a doctor for a complete physical workup. Express your concerns and show the doctor the points of impact where your body hit the ground.
Impact injuries can sometimes hide deep within your body. Ask about unseen internal injuries that may have happened during the crash. This includes a concussion, which is a type of mild traumatic brain injury.
Common bicycle crash injuries include:
- Clavicle (collarbone) fractures
- Lower back injuries
- Injury to the piriformis muscle (between back and thigh)
- Knee injuries
- Wrist and arm breaks
- Deep strained muscles
- Road rash
Ride With Patient, Caring Friends
After your accident, choose short, low-stress rides for a while. Avoid large groups and high-speed races until you feel more comfortable being back in the seat.
Go with a friend who is aware of your accident and can help you evaluate your physical and mental status. Before riding, ask them to keep an eye on you and call a timeout if you seem to be overexerting yourself, in pain, or having trouble focusing on the road. This is particularly important if you had a concussion, which can affect your ability to think clearly, or if you are still battling mobility issues.
Remember Your Reasons for Riding
Do you feel emotionally disconnected from riding? It can help to write down a list of reasons why you used to love it so much. Is it a social outlet for you? Does it relieve stress? Do you just crave the feeling of the wind in your hair?
By reconnecting with your emotional need for cycling, you may be able to break down the barriers that are keeping you off your bike. A clinical therapist can also help you identify and move past the things that are holding you back.
It’s common to need help moving past the trauma of an accident and to have signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. In fact, traffic accidents have become the #1 cause of PTSD in the U.S. since the Vietnam War era.
Take Back Your Sense of Control With a Lawsuit
Here’s another way to build your biking confidence: Sue the person who caused your accident. That’s right – under California law, you can sue someone who causes a bike accident and injures you. We recently won a $215K settlement for a bicyclist severely injured when he was hit by a car in Saratoga.
Maybe someone backed over you in a parking lot or failed to yield the right of way in traffic. Did this negligent person pay for your medical bills? Your ongoing therapy? Your bike damage? Your lost wages?
A lawsuit puts the blame where it belongs and finally gives you some closure. It might just be the thing you need to rebuild your confidence so you can get back out there and ride.
We Handle Your Bike Accident Claim So You Can Focus on Your Life
After a serious injury in a bike accident, contact the attorneys at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We handle many areas of traffic law, including injuries that arise from bike accidents. We believe you should be able to focus on recovering from your accident while we handle the legal details. We truly care about our fellow residents of California. Get a free online bike accident case evaluation.
We Are Bicycle Accident Experts!
“My brother found Sally on Yelp and after talking with her on the phone I was confident she could handle my case and get the best settlement possible. Sally took care of everything. She settled all my bills, negotiated with the medical insurance, got the limits from the other party’s insurance for liability and property and also got the limit from my own uninsured auto coverage. I was not even aware my auto insurance covered me on my bike. On top of all this she discounted her own fees. In the end I got the most I could have hoped for given the insurance limits and my expenses were significantly reduced. I highly recommend Sally!” – Bill B.
