As a San Francisco bicycle and pedestrian accident attorney, I represent a lot of cyclists and pedestrians who have various types of insurance coverage, and each type of coverage may or may not come into play in a personal injury case. Keep in mind that all insurance policies vary and you need to look at the specific language of the policy to know what is and is not covered, but here are some basics of insurance coverage in bike and pedestrian accident cases.

Insurance that may cover you in a bicycle or pedestrian accident:

I have never had a client who carried specific bicycle insurance, although I do believe there is such a thing, but I have seen my clients have various insurance policies that provide coverage for their bodily injury and damage to their bike caused by a third party in an auto vs. bike or pedestrian case.

For bodily injury in a bike accident or pedestrian accident:

Many of my clients drive cars as well as ride bikes (in fact the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition reports that a large percentage all San Francisco cyclists are also drivers), and of course we are all pedestrians in the City. So, if you carry automobile insurance and are involved in a bicycle or pedestrian accident, you will want to look at your policy to see what is covered. If you carry Medical Payments coverage on your auto insurance, it may cover you for out-of-pocket medical expenses as they are incurred if you are struck by a car while bicycling or walking. Again, this is not guaranteed, so you will want to read the specific coverage language (or better yet, have a qualified and experienced San Francisco personal injury attorney review it) in your policy documents.

The same goes for uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage. If you are hit on your bike or while walking by an uninsured or underinsured driver, your own auto policy might cover you. Here’s an example of a bicycle accident case where our client went from getting $15,000 to $50,000 for their case by using their underinsured motorist insurance.

If you have health insurance, it will usually pay for any injuries you suffer while cycling or walking. Of course, as I discuss at length in my other personal help pages, your health insurance company will want their money back if you pursue a personal injury case against the third party driver.

For your bike (or other personal property) in a traffic accident:

Renter’s or homeowner’s insurance may cover your personal property (your bicycle, helmet, clothing, phone, sunglasses, computer and other gear) that is damaged or destroyed in a traffic accident, or even if it is stolen. Similarly, your auto insurance may cover your property damage in a personal injury case.

If you or someone you care about has been seriously injured in a bicycle accident or pedestrian accident, contact our team of experienced traffic accidents specialists at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers for FREE case evaluation online now.

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If you’re someone who is considering an attorney for a personal accident, I highly recommend Sally Morin and her professional staff of attorneys. If you would like to know more details, feel free to contact me via Yelp and I would be happy to share more details. While I use Yelp quite often, I rarely post reviews… unless I’m truly blown away by great service (or angry with horrible service). If there were a sixth star, I would certainly give it to Rebecca and Sally!

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KNOW HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF AFTER AN ACCIDENT

It is essential to know your rights after a traffic accident so you can protect yourself and the value of your claim.
This guide will help you:

  • 1Know what to do when dealing with insurance claims, police reports and lawyers.
  • 2Avoid making mistakes that undermine the value of your claim
  • 3Put yourself in a position to get the best settlement possible