1. He rode his bike right in front of me, even if it was in the bike lane.

2. I had my blinker on to turn. He should have seen that and gotten out of the way.

3. He must have come out of a driveway.

4. He was on the road. He’s not supposed to be there, is he?

5. I just nudged him a little and he made this soccer type fall and now he claims he’s hurt.

6. I didn’t know he was even there.

7. I looked for cars and there weren’t any.

8. I only had two beers.

9. I think he came from across the street.

10. That’s what these bicycle racers do, they race and get in the way.

Here are ten useful tips of advice from a bicycle accident lawyer to follow if you have been in an accident. You can also learn more about how to handle a bicycle accident in Rialto, or any city, by calling the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson at any of the numbers which can be found on our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learning how we can assist you.

Obviously, if you have had an accident, and you are reading all of this advice, it’s probably been at least a few days since the accident. However, if it’s only been a few hours or if you ever have another accident, here’s what you should do the next time from the start.

First, take a look around and determine if you or anyone, are hurt. If so, taking steps like trying to prevent further injury or loss of blood are the most important thing you can do. Even if some other driver caused you to be injured, it’s just good manners to help the other driver if they are hurt. They may even be so thankful that they admit their fault to you. The worst thing you can do is get angry or start a fight.

Second, make sure everyone is safe from being injured further. If you are in the middle of traffic, and you are dizzy, sit down away from traffic. If your vehicle is a traffic hazard and you have accident warning devices like flares or triangles, put them out on the road to warn other drivers and get away from the car. Let the police an other emergency personnel investigate the scene with the vehicles in place and move them more safely at a later point.

Third, call the police. Accident reports are extremely helpful if the police will do such a report. Let the police know you are injured immediately. Answer the police questions honestly. But if you are dazed or confused, let them know you need medical treatment and answer only what you feel sure about. Remember, your statements can and will be used against you if you admit fault, and it will be too late and too fishy to later say you didn’t know what you were saying at the scene. Police know that your best recollection is immediately after an accident.

Fourth, get the other driver’s information including their names, addresses, driver’s license numbers, make and model of their vehicles, license plate numbers, and their insurance company name and policy number. If there are witnesses, get their names, addresses and telephone numbers as well. If the other driver makes any admissions of fault, write those down as well.

Fifth, if you have a camera on your cell phone or in the car and you aren’t too injured, take some photos of the vehicles and the scene. If you can’t do it right away, do it after you are released from the hospital.

Sixth, if you are hurt, obtain medical treatment. Don’t decline the ambulance or hospital examination to save your insurance company money or to be stoic. Take your valuables out of your car if you can and get checked out at the hospital. If you are not hurt, don’t get treatment you don’t need. However, remember, after an accident, you may feel a rush of adrenaline that causes you to only start feeling symptoms of pain a few hours later. If you have a health plan that requires you to obtain permission first, call them and find out where you are allowed to seek treatment.

Seventh, call a good bicycle accident lawyer as soon as you have had your initial treatment, so the attorney can gather other important evidence and prevent the insurance company from taking advantage of you and obtaining such things as recorded statements that you feel fine, when many of your symptoms have yet to manifest themselves. A good bicycle accident lawyer can save you from making a great deal of mistakes and can shoulder much of the hassle of knowing what to do about car repairs, car rentals, medical treatment, witness statements and the like. If you think you will save money by not having an attorney, think again. A good bicycle accident lawyer can almost always obtain much higher settlements, obtain reductions of medical bills and insurance liens and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Also, most bicycle accident attorneys advance costs of obtaining police reports, medical records and the like and are paid and reimbursed for these costs only out of any settlement.

Eight, you will need to report the accident to your insurance company, but since they will want to take a recorded statement from you, just like any other driver’s insurance company, it’s good advice to retain an attorney first. And if the other driver did not have insurance, remember that it is your own insurance company that will be your adversary. You will also need to report the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles and your lawyer can give you the form for this.

Ninth, do not agree to settle your claim privately with the person at fault for the accident. This almost never works out to your advantage. Don’t agree not to call the police. Police reports that determine the fault for an accident are golden. Your agreement to not involve the police only affords an opportunity for the other driver to change his story and blame you when the police will no longer investigate the accident.

Tenth, don’t pay a traffic ticket without a fight if you weren’t at fault or agree to accept a small payment for your vehicle repairs without knowing that the amount will in fact cover the cost of all the repairs.

If you’ve had a bicycle accident in Rialto, Redlands, Hemet, Perris, Colton, Highland, Yucaipa, Riverside, San Bernardino, Moreno Valley, Fontana, Apple Valley, or anywhere in Southern California, we have the knowledge and resources to be your Rialto Bicycle Accident Lawyer and your Fontana Bicycle Accident Attorney. Be sure to hire a California law firm with auto, motorcycle, truck, bicycle, pedestrian, car, bus, train, boat and airplane accident experience, wrongful death experience and insurance law expertise who can ensure you are properly represented and get the compensation you deserve.

If you have a personal injury legal matter, a dog bite or if you’ve lost a loved one in a wrongful death accident, call the Law Offices of R. Sebastian Gibson, or visit our website at http://www.SebastianGibsonLaw.com  and learn how we can assist you.

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If you can’t afford to buy a new bike, purchasing a used bike is an option. But you must know what to look for when purchasing a used bike. If you do not know what to look for you could end up making a purchase you will regret. Here you will learn what to look for and how to avoid the 3 most common mistakes people make when buying a used bike.

There are many places where a person can buy a used bike today. Each weekend there are garage sales in every community. Go early since that is when the best items usually get picked up, if you are going to buy a used bike from a garage sale.

You can also acquire secondhand bikes on Craigslist or on eBay. As you will learn by reading further, never buy a bike sight unseen. What may sound like a perfect deal in an ad, can turn out to be a disaster when you truly see and ride the bike.

You would like to make certain the bike will be a design that will suit your needs is the first consideration you want to keep in mind. Just because it has two wheels and you can ride on it, doesn’t mean it will do what you want it to. There are different types of bikes and each one is built to be operated in certain situations.

There are road bikes, mountain bikes, bikes designed for racing, for touring and for cruising. There are even bicycles that are hybrids that combine features and make sacrifices in other areas. A racing bike, as an example, may not be the best pick, if you plan to be riding casually around your residence.

The second thing to do is to give the bicycle a thorough, visual inspection.

Look at how it has been maintained. If there is a lot of rust and corrosion around the chain and gears, that is not a good sign. If the tires, as another example, are cracked or rotting that is another sign of neglect.

Here are things to look for during a first visual inspection that will give you an idea of how the bike has been cared for and how much work it will need to be safe for you to ride:

• Check the condition of the brakes, the cables and pads. Check to see if they work.

• How does the chain look? Does it run smoothly? Are there any teeth missing in the gears?

• Do the handle bars feel secure?

• How do the tires and rim look? Are the tires worn? Are they properly inflated? Do the wheels spin true without wobble?

• What does the frame look like? Is there much rust on the bike? Does the frame look solid or is it bent?

• How do the pedals look? Is there any wear or damage with the pedals that will need to be repaired?

Keep in mind that this is a secondhand bicycle you are buying so it will not be in very great shape. However, a thorough evaluation will tell you how much it will take to get it up to safe operating condition and how much you might want to spend on it.

The third important thing to do is take the bike for a thorough test ride. Most people just ride it a few feet in a quick circle or two. You should ride it for a longer distance and be able to really test out the gears, the brakes, the saddle the steering and the overall feel. You want to make sure you feel comfortable on the bike.

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