Hit by a Car While Walking, Running, or Cycling

Hit While Walking, Running or Cycling in Erie, Meadville, Warren, or Franklin, Pennsylvania? Here Are Six Tips to Help You Make Things Right Again!

There is nothing quite like abandoning the treadmill or stationary bike and running or cycling outdoors. In our region of Pennsylvania, the various trails and parks in and around Erie and Meadville are scenic places for outdoor fitness. Other times, we take our running shoes and bicycles to the streets and roads.

One of the things we fear most while running, walking, or bicycling is being hit by an inattentive driver. Whether the driver is distracted while texting, on a cell phone, or just indifferent to runners and cyclists sharing the roadway, being hit by a car is a traumatic experience. In addition to the pain, your emotional response, such as fear and anger, can create confusion. The loss of control may feel overwhelming.

Six Tips If You’ve Been Hit by a Car While Running, Cycling, or Walking in Erie, PA

1. Seek Medical Care Immediately. Our adrenaline often blocks pain. This fact, coupled with the emotional response to the collision, makes identifying your injuries more difficult. We tend to focus on the “road rash” caused by such an accident and forget about head, joint, and bone pain. The best thing to do is to seek medical attention immediately in order to care for all of your injuries and to allow for proper healing to begin.
2. Write Down What Happened. After you collect yourself, jot down the date, time, location, and other circumstances of the accident. As time passes, our memories fade, even about important and otherwise memorable (or forgettable) events. The emotional and physical trauma of being hurt by a car while running or cycling in Pennsylvania compounds the difficulty of remembering exactly what happened. So, make a written record for yourself soon after the accident.
3. Document Your Injuries. As you recount in your mind what happened – close in time to when the accident occurred – also document your injuries. What hurts? Where? How do you feel? They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Photograph your injuries, your bike, your equipment, and the place where this all happened.
4. Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company. If you have car insurance, report the accident to your insurance company. Even though you were not driving, your car insurance usually covers such claims.
5. Educate Yourself. By this we mean that you should learn about accident cases involving pedestrians, runners, and bicyclists. Knowledge is power. Learn your rights and work to develop your options. You can find lots of information on this website and you can follow our next tip…
6. Contact a Qualified Personal Injury Lawyer. These kinds of accidents tend to be more serious than collisions between cars. An occupant of a car wears a seat belt and usually has airbags, while the body of the car itself provides additional protection. A runner, walker, or cyclist has none of these to protect against the harm caused by a moving car, van, or truck. Unless you escape the collision with the most minor of injuries, you should consult with a qualified Erie or Meadville personal injury lawyer even before reporting your claim to your insurance company.

Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Erie Accident Attorneys

As qualified pedestrian injury lawyers who have helped people in Erie and Meadville who were hurt while walking, running, or cycling, we understand how to evaluate these cases and can help you make things right. Call Purchase, George & Murphey, P.C. today, toll free at 814-273-2010 or locally at 814-273-2010, to schedule your free and confidential consultation with an experienced Pennsylvania injury lawyer.