Just read in the Finger Lakes times that a bicyclist was rear-ended on Townline Road in Gorham, Ontario County yesterday evening. The at-fault driver sped off and left the cyclist down and injured. Unacceptable! What a jerk!
Deputies are asking anyone with information to call the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office at (585) 394-4560. If you have any, please do!
This accident represents my own personal biggest fear when riding; getting nailed from behind. I can’t see the motorists approaching me from behind, and have to just hope and pray they are not texting or otherwise distracted, and that they see me. To better my odds, I use a flashing red light on the rear of my bike, even in daytime, just to catch their eye, and, of course, bright clothing.
Yes, I am an avid cyclist, and have cycled that same road where this accident happened many, many times (I live in nearby Geneva). But I am also a personal injury lawyer who represents injured cyclists. So here’s a little information for this injured cyclist, if he happens to read this blog post, or for any other bicyclist who falls victim to a hit-and-run driver:
Even if the hit-and-run driver is never apprehended, the cyclist will (with the help of a personal injury lawyer knowledgeable about hit-and-run insurance claims) get insurance coverage for his medical expenses, lost wages, and even pain and suffering. How?
First, if he or any family member he lives with owns a motor vehicle, that vehicle’s insurance will have something called “supplemental uninsured motorist” (“SUM”) coverage, which covers hit-and-run accidents. But even if neither the injured cyclist nor anyone who lives with him owns a motor vehicle, he can still get insurance coverage through the New York State’s Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Corporation (Called “MVAIC”), which is specifically set up to provide insurance benefits to pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists who are injured by uninsured motorists or hit-and-run drivers.
By the way, if you cycle, you should buy as much “SUM” coverage as possible. It’s cheap and protects you not only from hit-and-run drivers, but also from drivers who injure you but have small insurance policies. Your own insurance will step in where the other guy’s falls short. Read this previous blog post for more information.
Keep safe!
Mike Bersani
Email me at: bersani@mbk-law.com I’d love to hear from you!
Michael G. Bersani, Esq.
mbk-law.com
Central NY Bicycle Accident Lawyers
Michaels Bersani Kalabanka
1-315-253-3293