Citi Bike is New York’s flagship bike sharing program. The program allows you to pick up a bike at one of the hundred stations around Manhattan, Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx, and Jersey City. Bike availability can be seen on the station map or mobile app. Citi Bike is already a success story because within the first three days of its launch, it saw 20,000 registrations and 7500 successful rides. New Yorkers and tourists alike have taken to Citi Bike.
While biking is a preferred mode of transportation among New Yorkers and becoming more popular every day, it is also increasing vulnerability of cyclists to accidents. It is well known that riding a bicycle in the city comes with its risks. However, the responsibility lies on the cyclist and drivers equally to ensure each other’s safety on the roads. Importantly, the risk of injury to the cyclist is much higher as compared to a motor vehicle driver. Hence, when riding a Citi Bike, it is important to know what to do after a crash.
Here is what you should do if you’re in a crash involving a Citi Bike:
● Call 911 and report the crash immediately.
● If you’re the rider / user of the Citi Bike involved in the crash, you’re liable to report
the accident within 24 hours. You can call on 1-855-BIKE311 to report the crash.
● As the user, you are responsible to return it to the dock or to a Citi Bike
representative.
● A rental fee of $1000 and administrative fee will be charged to your credit card if you
fail to return the bike within 24 hours.
The above mentioned points are relevant with respect to the liability of the user when using Citi Bike. However, if you’re involved in a crash and injured, here’s what you do in addition to the above:
● Urgently seek medical care.
● Maintain all documentation of the medical bills.
● Obtain information of the driver and the vehicle that caused the accident.
● If possible, take photos of the accident site and talk to witnesses.
● Maintain a record of all the expenses incurred due to the accident.
● Hire an auto accident lawyer to work with you on getting a fair compensation.
It is recommended that you get an auto accident lawyer with extensive experience in handling cases of similar nature as insurance companies are quick to pin the blame on the cyclists and avoid paying fair compensation. Let the injury lawyer handle the complexities of the law and work towards getting you a just settlement.
If you or someone you know has been in an accident involving Citi Bike and you need the top injury lawyers, contact Siler & Ingber today. Call us on 1-877-529-4343 or complete our online form on this page to schedule a case evaluation with one of our experienced personal injury attorneys. Our consultation is free and we do not charge a fee unless we win your case.