text: According to reports, on the early morning of Friday, October 17, 2014, a sixteen year-old Indianapolis resident became the victim of a hit-and-run when he was struck while riding his bicycle near the intersection of Shelby Street and Raymond Street in Indianapolis, Indiana. Members of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department indicated that a motor vehicle struck the male cyclist before driving away from the scene. The extent of the cyclist’s injuries is unknown and the investigation into this matter is ongoing.
  The sad reality of any hit-and-run accident, especially one involving a bicycle vs. motor vehicle collision, is that, if the perpetrator is not caught by police, the victim of the hit-and-run is almost certainly left with injuries without any means of receiving compensation for them. The result is the same if a cyclist is struck by a motor vehicle operator who does not possess any insurance to cover the injured person’s injuries and damages.
  As a result of those exact circumstances, the Indiana bicycle attorneys at Caress Law Group strongly encourage all cyclists (and all motorists for that matter) to obtain uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage as part of their automobile insurance policies. Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage is insurance that protects an insured even if the liable party did not have insurance or if the liable party flees the scene. Even though it is illegal in Indiana for a driver to operate a motor vehicle without insurance coverage, there are many drivers who do not have coverage, and it is a very real problem for injured persons who are entitled to have their medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering paid for.
  Our lawyers also recommend that all Indiana cyclists (and drivers) obtain Underinsured Motorist (UIM) coverage, which is insurance that protects an insured despite the liable party not having enough insurance to cover the injured person’s injuries and damages. In Indiana, the minimum bodily injury insurance requirement is $25,000.00 per person and $50,000.00 per incident. This means that even if a cyclist is severely injured, or even killed, by a motor vehicle, the absolute maximum amount that the cyclist and/or his family can obtain from the at-fault party is $25,000.00, even though the injuries and damages are worth hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.
  For these reasons, we recommend you check your automobile insurance policy’s declaration page and make sure you have adequate Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage. If you have any questions about this article or about Indiana bicycle law, feel free to contact our Indiana bicycle crash lawyers, Tim Caress or Lance Worland. Call us for free at 317-255-5400 or click here to submit an online inquiry. We take great pride in assisting Indiana cyclists, and we wish this cyclist a speedy recovery.