Cyclists don’t typically carry insurance. After all, even the most dramatic bicycle crash would only result in minimal property damage. Although personal injury could be possible when a cyclist crashes into a pedestrian, such collisions are rare enough that the state does not mandate insurance for cyclists.
When you are out on a bike ride, there are other forms of insurance that will potentially protect you if anything were to happen. Injured cyclists often have options for recovering their medical expenses and lost wages, as well as any property damage expenses from the crash.
What insurance may help you after a crash between your bicycle and someone’s vehicle?
The other driver’s policy
Those hurt by someone else’s bad habits at the wheel can typically count on basic California liability insurance coverage to pay for at least some of their medical expenses and property damage costs. As long as the motor vehicle is at fault for the collision, you can potentially seek up to the maximum policy limit in coverage for the consequences you suffer because of a driver hitting your bike.
Your car insurance
While you may not be in the motor vehicle that you bought a policy for, that protection can help you after many kinds of traffic collisions if you have the right forms of coverage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage and other supplemental forms of coverage can help protect cyclists after a crash.
If you were to get hit by someone who fled the scene of the crash or did not have insurance or if their insurance coverage isn’t enough for major injuries that you suffer, then your motor vehicle insurance policy could potentially protect you.
Health insurance
Although some people may go to seek medical care after a crash and will use their health insurance, their insurance provider will frequently subrogate any such claims. When another party has liability for the crash and therefore your injuries, your health insurance company may decline to pay or may pay and then pursue a claim against a different Insurance policy.
For some people hurt while out on a bike ride, going to civil court becomes necessary because there is not enough insurance to cover their losses. Learning more about your rights after a bicycle crash with a motor vehicle will help you start your rights if you ever get hurt.