The spike in bicycle sales in Colorado during the 2020 pandemic lockdown has led to more bicyclists on Denver area roads and more serious bicycle accidents. The Denver Post reported three fatal accidents involving cars and bicyclists in May and July of this year. In Lakewood, a national champion cyclist was killed when she was hit by an SUV in May.
Families who have lost loved ones or cyclists who have been injured by motor vehicles may wonder whether insurance should cover medical bills and other losses they incur in bicycle accidents caused by negligent drivers.
In short, you may be able to file a claim and collect an auto insurance payment if you are hit by a car while riding your bicycle. If the driver was at fault, the driver should have liability insurance that pays for your bodily injuries and damage to your bicycle. Other types of insurance coverage you hold may be used to compensate you as well.
If you or a loved one of yours has been injured in a bicycle crash caused by a negligent driver in Colorado, the Denver bicycle accident attorneys at The Wilhite Law Firm can help you pursue the compensation you need to recover and move forward with your life. Contact us to learn about your legal options following a bike accident.
What Happens When A Car Hits A Biker?
As you may expect, a bicyclist who is hit by a car or truck is likely to suffer serious injuries. Though a helmet should always be worn, the cyclist is still vulnerable to the violent impact of being struck by a 6,000-pound SUV or pickup truck. A bicyclist is typically thrown to the ground or dragged when hit by a vehicle, causing additional injury.
Each year, about 2 percent of motor vehicle crash deaths are bicyclists, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) says. A study of accidents in Colorado found the same rate of bicyclist deaths in vehicle crashes over the past eight years.
In April, KDVR said its analysis of Colorado Department of Transportation statistics found that about 1% of motor vehicle accidents in Denver since 2013 involved bicycles. Motor vehicle accidents involving a bicycle happen about once a week in Denver.
Six times as many bicycle crashes result in serious injuries as do Denver motor vehicle crashes.
In our law firm’s investigation of bicycle accidents, we’ve found that bicycle/vehicle collisions typically result in such injuries as:
- Head and traumatic brain injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Facial injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Fractures (broken bones) especially to the legs, hips, and arms
- Soft-tissue injuries, including torn muscles and ligaments.
- Damage to the spinal cord, including paralysis
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that in a majority of bicyclist deaths, the most serious injuries are to the head, highlighting the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet.
Bicycle accidents in Denver are concentrated in certain neighborhoods, according to KDVR. Since 2013, just over half have happened in the core city neighborhoods of:
- Congress Park
- Westwood
- Cheesman Park
- Highland
- Baker
- City Park West
- Lincoln Park
- Civic Center
- North Capitol Hill
- Capitol Hill
- Union Station
- Central Business District
- Five Points.
What Insurance Covers a Bike-and-Car Collision?
An accident involving a car and bicycle should be reported to the police and your insurance company, just like any motor vehicle accident. Your first order of duty after an accident, if you are able, is to help the injured, which typically means phoning 911 for emergency assistance.
There are multiple ways auto insurance may cover a bicycle accident, depending on the type of coverage:
- Liability insurance. Auto liability coverage pays the injured person when the policyholder is responsible for the accident. If a driver hit a bicyclist and the driver was at fault, the driver’s liability insurance should pay for the cyclist’s losses. Automobile owners in Colorado are required to carry liability insurance with coverage of at least:
- $25,000 for bodily injury or death to anyone person in an accident
- $50,000 for bodily injury or death to all persons in any one accident
- $15,000 for property damage in any one accident.
- Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM). This coverage pays for the insured’s bodily injury losses caused by a hit-and-run driver, a driver with no automobile insurance, or a driver of an underinsured vehicle. Having UM/UIM coverage is optional in Colorado, but all insurers in the state must provide UM/UIM coverage equal to the policyholder’s liability coverage for bodily injury unless the policyholder waives UM/UIM in writing.
- Health insurance. An individual’s health insurance should cover injuries suffered in a bicycle accident. Health insurance may be offered by your employer or available through private companies or the Connect for Health Colorado marketplace. However, depending on the health insurance plan, the injured bicyclist may be faced with high deductibles and copayments.
- Medical payments coverage. Medical payments coverage may be purchased as part of an automobile insurance package and may be beneficial to an individual who does not have health insurance or who would like to supplement what their healthcare plan provides. It pays accident-related medical expenses, including copayments or deductibles, of the insured vehicle driver and passengers, regardless of fault. You would need to consult the wording of your policy, but medical payments coverage is often applicable to a policyholder’s bicycle crash caused by a motor vehicle. Medical payments coverage is generally offered in increments of $1,000, up to a maximum of $25,000. Insurers are not required to offer medical payments coverage in Colorado.
- Homeowners’ or renters’ insurance. Bicycles are covered under the personal property section of standard homeowners’ and renters’ insurance policies. This kind of insurance may cover the cost to repair or replace a bike after a collision the bicyclist caused. Homeowners’ and renters’ insurance also provides liability protection for the harm the policyholder causes to someone else or their property. If you injured someone in a bicycle accident, you would be covered up to the limits of your policy. If your bicycle was stolen, its replacement would be covered by homeowners’ or renters’ insurance, as well.
Contact Our Denver Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been injured in a bicycle accident in Denver or elsewhere in Colorado caused by a careless driver, let a bicycle accident lawyer at The Wilhite Law Firm review the circumstances of the accident. Contact us for a free consultation to learn about your legal options for pursuing insurance compensation you are entitled to after a bicycle accident caused by a negligent motorist.
