Jordan Rapp's account of his near-fatal bike accident is a reminder of how bicyclists can protect themselves financially with their car insurance.

Professional triathlete Jordan Rapp recently wrote about what he learned after a near-fatal collision he had with a car two years ago. It is a very compelling and heartfelt account of how he almost died and grew to appreciate life much more.

Jordan shares plenty of good safety pointers in the article and it deserves your full attention. Read it here.

One of the most important lessons he shares — ATTENTION all bicyclists in Elmira, Corning and the Twin Tiers — relates to your car insurance. Yes, your CAR INSURANCE.

Jordan was riding in a bike lane along a California highway when a driver made a left turn in front of him and Jordan crashed through a car window. Broken glass severed two of his jugular veins, but the fast work of emergency workers saved his life.

The driver of the car? The coward without a conscience fled the scene and was tracked down by the California Highway Patrol. The driver had six fake IDs and an outstanding warrant.

But Jordan does not dwell on anger; he wants his fellow bicyclists to know how they can financially protect themselves, even if physically protecting yourself is not always possible. He wrote:

 “I found that in the immediate aftermath of my accident, it was clear that many people did not realize that in most states, your auto insurance is your primary insurance carrier in any accident involving a motor vehicle, even if you are on your bicycle. I have since maxed out my uninsured motorist/body-injury liability/medical coverage on my auto insurance, which added a grand total of about $9 a month to my costs for roughly 10 times the coverage. Auto insurance is the cheapest way to protect yourself in the event of an accident involving a car. With many drivers being uninsured or underinsured (or fleeing the scene of the accident), it’s best not to rely on coverage from the driver, which is really part of a larger message that the most important thing is to rely on your own wits and caution to keep yourself safe on the roads.”

I urge all readers of this blog to read Jordan’s moving account of his recovery and second chance.

But BEFORE you go, It’s important that every cyclist make sure they have excellent car insurance coverage, assuming they own a car. ALL bicyclists should have a large amount of SUM (Supplemental Underinsured/Uninsured Motorist) coverage on their car!

You should check your coverage TODAY, and update it if necessary, because you never know what might happen tomorrow. And I sure don’t want my cyclist friends in the horrible situation of monster medical bills and insufficient coverage.

You can read more about SUM coverage in my previous blog posts here and here.

PLEASE SHARE YOUR STORIES AND QUESTIONS BELOW. DO YOU HAVE ENOUGH CAR INSURANCE?

Please be safe out there!

Thanks for reading!

Thanks, Jim.

_________________________________

James B. Reed
NY & PA Bicycle Accident Attorney
Ziff Law Firm, LLP
Mailto: jreed@zifflaw.com
Office: (607)733-8866
Toll-Free: 800-ZIFFLAW (943-3529)
www.zifflaw.com