What If a Driver Leaves the Scene After Hitting a Cyclist?
In a place like San Antonio, wide roads, active neighborhoods, and a growing cycling community make bicycles a common part of everyday transportation. From downtown streets to routes along the city’s trails, cyclists share the road with cars, trucks, and other vehicles. Busy intersections and changing traffic conditions often lead to serious collisions.
When a driver hits a cyclist and leaves the scene, the situation can become far more complicated. This is when victims look for a lawyer handling bicycle accident claims in San Antonio to understand the situation and help them pursue the right compensation.
Amidst this condition, prompt medical care, reporting the incident, and preserving evidence become especially important. Keep reading to learn about them in detail and find out how a bicycle accident attorney can help you.
What Texas Law Says About Leaving the Scene
Texas Transportation Code §550.021 specifically addresses collisions involving personal injury or death. It requires a driver involved in such a collision to stop as close to the scene as possible, determine whether someone is involved and needs aid, and remain there until the required information is provided.
Leaving the scene can result in serious criminal penalties. Under the statute, a crash involving death may be a second-degree felony, while one causing serious bodily injury may be a third-degree felony.
Immediate Steps When a Driver Hits a Cyclist & Leaves the Scene
Follow these steps.
Get Prompt Medical Care & Report the Hit-and-Run Immediately
After being struck, a cyclist should contact 911 and report the collision as soon as possible. If emergency treatment is needed, medical attention should take priority over trying to gather information at the scene.
Try to Remember Details About the Vehicle
A driver may leave before the cyclist can obtain a license plate number. Even so, small details can help with an investigation.
If possible, record or remember:
- Vehicle make and model
- Color
- License plate number or partial plate
- Direction the vehicle traveled
- Visible damage to the vehicle
- Distinctive stickers, markings, or other features
Look for Witnesses and Video Evidence
Nearby businesses, homes, parking areas, and intersections may have surveillance cameras. Traffic cameras or dashcam recordings could also provide useful information about what happened.
A bicycle accident attorney can help identify and preserve evidence that may support the cyclist’s claim. This can be particularly valuable when the driver has not yet been located.
Preserve Evidence After the Crash
Evidence can become harder to obtain as time passes. Cyclists should therefore keep photographs, repair estimates, receipts, witness information, and other documents connected to the collision. These records can help establish both what happened and the losses caused by the crash.
Get Medical Treatment and Keep Records
Cyclists can suffer fractures, head injuries, road rash, soft-tissue injuries, and other serious harm in vehicle collisions. Some symptoms may also become more noticeable after the initial crash.
Medical records can document the injuries, treatment, prognosis, and accident-related expenses. Keeping bills, prescriptions, treatment records, and other related documentation can help establish the financial impact of the collision.
How a Bicycle Accident Attorney Can Help
A hit-and-run can make an injury claim more complicated because the person responsible may be difficult to identify. A bicycle accident attorney can –
- Investigate the circumstances of the collision
- Review evidence such as police reports, witness accounts, photographs, medical records, and available video footage
- Examine the cyclist’s insurance coverage
Note: Uninsured motorist coverage could provide another potential source of compensation if the driver remains unidentified.
Key Takeaways
- A driver who hits a cyclist and leaves the scene may face serious legal consequences under Texas law.
- Texas Transportation Code §550.021 requires drivers involved in qualifying injury crashes to stop and remain at the scene.
- Report the hit-and-run promptly and seek medical attention for any injuries.
- Vehicle descriptions, witnesses, medical records, surveillance footage, and photographs can help identify the driver.
- A bicycle accident attorney can investigate the crash and evaluate potential compensation.
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