Bicyclists are usually on the receiving end. But sometimes they cause accidents. They can hit other cyclists or crash into pedestrians. In the last couple of weeks there have been a number of stories in the news about accidents caused by bike riders. Yesterday the Madison Park Blogger posted a story about a bike versus pedestrian accident. The cyclist was reportedly traveling at a fairly high speed down Madison, heading towards the water, when the pedestrian stepped into the crosswalk on the Wells Fargo side of the street. Earlier this month the West Seattle Blog posted about a bike versus bike accident at East Marginal Way and Spokane Streets: [T]wo bicycles collided head-on. One rider is “up and walking around” with minor injuries, while the other one, a 30-year-old man, will be taken to the hospital. People are fallible. They make mistakes when they’re driving. They make mistakes when they’re riding. But when they’re driving they have liability insurance. (Or at least they’re supposed to have it under Washington law.) But bicycles are not motor vehicles and riders are not required to carry liability coverage. So who pays when a bicyclist causes an accident? It’s not totally intuitive, but a homeowner or renters policy will cover the damages caused by a negligent bike rider. (The same holds true for accidents caused by skateboarders and rollerbladers.) The odds of getting injured by a rider you don’t know are pretty slim (particularly in bike versus bike accidents). If you’re riding in a group you probably know the other riders. There’s always the question: should I make a claim if the at-fault rider was a family member or friend? People worry about insurance rates and relationships. But when you break it down the decision becomes pretty clear. Your friends and family purchased insurance for these types of situations—to make sure someone else was taken care of if they made a mistake. If you don’t make a claim the only one you’re helping in your friend or family member’s insurance company. blackfishlaw
Posted on: Sun, 25 Aug 2013 05:20:07 +0000
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