By John Redmond



Now that spring is here, ushering in the biking season, cyclists need to watch out for pedestrians because an accident may entail a legal dispute and cause them to pay huge sums in damages. Foreigners are no exception.



The Han River Riders, a group of expat cyclists, have had some of its members entangled in such accidents, which can serve as a reminder for other cyclists, foreign as well as Korean.



"My wife and I swerved to avoid hitting a woman who didn't even look where she was going. She walked out straight in front of us, causing my wife and me to lose control and collide with each other," said Michael B, who asked not to have his full surname revealed.



"The woman my wife hit sustained a few cuts. We on the other hand were really banged up, pretty bad. Plus our bikes were seriously damaged.



"The woman called to a nearby police officer and gave her account of what had happened. My wife, who speaks Korean, disputed this."



The police officer explained to the couple that they would be better settling the matter out of court as it could result in a lengthy process they would eventually lose at great financial cost.



"The woman demanded 2 million won in medical costs. I got her down to 1.5 million won. My wife needed stitches, I had a sprained wrist and had to buy a new set of gears for my bike," he posted on his blog.



"We were out a month's wages each."



Michael even pointed to the CCTV camera but was told that it would only make matters worse.



"The cop said, it'll be a lot cheaper, and far less hassle to settle right there on the spot."



The Han River Riders recently posted a brief summary of what to do if you are involved in a bicycle accident prepared by Mark Benton of the Ahnse Law Offices.



"If you are in a crash and hurt someone, you have a potential civil and criminal liability. It is possible, pursuant to the law, to "contract out" of your civil and criminal liability by coming to an agreement with the victim and paying a sum of money," the post said.



"You must ensure that the agreement specifically contracts out of the liability. You cannot avail yourself of this procedure by fleeing the accident scene. You are entitled by law to receive assistance from a translator during a police investigation. You may need to assert this right," the post stated.



If you do have a crash, stay calm, take photographs and videos and gather the witnesses' contact details.



Bicycles are classified as motor vehicles, the same as cars, buses and trucks under Korean law, but there seems to be a lacuna in that you cannot obtain third party liability insurance coverage at present.



