Knowing the steps to take after a bicycle accident in Cincinnati could help preserve your health and key evidence if you are struck and suffer serious injuries. Bicycle riders use roadways, neighborhood streets, and shared-use paths throughout Cincinnati, including the Ohio River Trail. If another vehicle strikes your bicycle, you may need evidence to understand why the collision occurred.
Seek a Safe Space and Report the Accident
Move to a safe area out of traffic if you can do so without further danger to yourself. Call 911 if anyone is injured or if the crash creates an immediate danger to motorists. Responding police can document basic information about the driver and cyclist, potential witnesses, and the location of the collision. Get the officer’s name and badge number and ask how you can obtain a copy of the crash report for your records.
Speak with the officer about what happened, but do not speculate about who caused the crash. Answer questions truthfully without guessing at information you do not know.
There were 93 bicycle-related accidents in Hamilton County in 2025. Of these, 34 were due to a failure to yield, and eight were related to speed.
Seek Medical Care
There is little bodily protection from the force of a vehicle collision while cycling. A crash can result in traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, spinal cord damage, and internal injuries. See a doctor for appropriate treatment following a severe accident. It’s possible that some symptoms may not appear until after the adrenaline of the crash wears off.
Medical records can help establish when symptoms were experienced and what treatment was required later on. Follow-up visits can also document whether an injury should fully heal or if there may be permanent limitations.
Preserve Evidence From the Crash
If you are physically able to do so, take photographs of the bicycle and vehicle before they are moved. Photos of the road, traffic signals, debris, and the immediate area may also be helpful in determining how the crash occurred.
Get contact information from anyone who witnessed the crash. Businesses, homes, and traffic lights nearby may also have video surveillance. It is recommended that you wait before repairing your bike. The damage to the bicycle may help establish where and how forcefully you were hit in a severe bike accident case.
Record Details About Where You Were Riding
Details about how and where you were riding can impact the outcome of your claim. Bike accident laws, such as Ohio Revised Code § 4511.55, state that cyclists should ride as close to the right side of the road as is practicable, but give exceptions when it is unreasonable or unsafe to do so. A bicyclist may need to leave the right side of the road to avoid parked cars, hazardous road conditions, moving traffic, or a lane that is too narrow to share with a vehicle.
Taking pictures of the roadway can help provide evidence as to why a cyclist was riding where they were when a crash occurred. A Cincinnati bicycle accident attorney can help you look at this evidence and see what damages may be available to you.
Record Information About the Other Driver
Motorists passing too closely present a serious threat to cyclists in Cincinnati. Under Cincinnati Municipal Code § 506-71, drivers must allow at least three feet of passing clearance when passing a bicycle that is traveling in the same direction. If you were hit by a vehicle that was passing you, write down where on your bicycle the collision occurred and any details you can remember about the vehicle’s location.
This information can be helpful in determining whether the driver met the passing law’s requirements.
Hire a Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
Spangenberg Shibley & Liber has advocated for the rights of injured people and families since 1946. During that time, it has secured over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements. During the past two years, its attorneys have recovered 25% of all seven-figure verdicts in Ohio. However, past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits. We can advocate for your settlement as well. Contact us today and hire a bicycle accident lawyer to help.
