Riding a bicycle is great for your health, your wallet, and the environment. Certain places in Louisiana are exceptionally bicycle-friendly, for example, Uptown New Orleans. It is legal for people to ride bikes in most areas where there is vehicular traffic, but in practice, this can be very dangerous. A collision between a car and a bicycle often results in serious injuries for the bicyclist, even if the occupants of the car do not sustain any injuries and if the car was not going fast. If you get hit by a car while riding your bike, you have the right to file an insurance claim with the driver’s liability insurance policy, which state law requires all drivers in Louisiana to carry. However, getting as much money as you need to pay the medical bills associated with serious injuries is no simple task. If you suffered severe injuries when a car struck your bicycle, contact a Houma car accident lawyer.

Bicyclist Killed in Hit-and-Run Accident in Baton Rouge

Just before sunrise on July 31, 2022, a man was riding his bicycle on Airline Highway near Prescott Road when a car struck him. The driver did not stop and had left the scene of the accident by the time the police arrived. The man, who was born in Gonzales, died from injuries sustained in the accident several weeks before what would have been his 30th birthday.

As of December 2022, the case remains unsolved. Police have not yet identified the driver, and the investigation remains open. If identified, the driver could face criminal charges for vehicular manslaughter and for leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury or death.

Your Rights After a Hit-and-Run Accident

Louisiana law requires drivers to remain at the scene of a collision until all persons involved in the accident, including all the occupants of the vehicles involved, have received medical attention if they need it. The drivers must exchange contact information and insurance information. In the case of a minor accident where no one was injured, the drivers can just exchange contact information and go on their way. If injuries are involved, both drivers should wait until an ambulance or police car arrives.

You always have the right to hire a personal injury lawyer to help you manage your insurance claim after a car accident. In the case of a hit-and-run accident, you should contact a lawyer even if the driver has not been identified. When the driver who caused the accident has been identified, you have the right to request damages in a personal injury lawsuit, even if the driver does not get convicted of a hit-and-run in criminal court.

Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey About Car Accidents Where the At-Fault Driver Left the Scene

A car accident lawyer can help you if you have been injured in a car accident where the driver who caused the accident left the scene before the police arrived. Contact the Law Office of Patrick H. Yancey in Houma, Louisiana, to set up a consultation about your case.