What Should I Do If I Had A Motorcycle Accident?

Motorcycle Accident Recently? Have you been injured in a motorcycle accident? 

No doubt, it is a painful experience and you might be confused, irritated, and struggling trying to return to your normal self.  Add to this the lost work hours, the pain and suffering, and inflated medical bills, you seek the right direction to return to a normal life. But it’s challenging since you are suffering from pain from injuries and the pressure of mounting medical cost. How should you go about it? Well, you should seriously think about getting help from a personal injury attorney to fight for your rights.

Motorcycle Accident Risks

Motorcycles lack essential safety features that are automatic in cars, for example. Sadly, there is a high risk of injury or even death if you are involved in a motorcycle accident.  Thats why a good helmet or other protective equipment is so important.

Statistics show that motorcyclists have a 26 times risk of fatality in in a crash than those riding in a car. After your motorcycle accident, you are wondering what do next. Can I afford the piling medical bills? How long do I need to take time off from work? Does the negligent driver have enough insurance? How can I sue them for their negligent act that has caused me so much pain and suffering? How much compensation can I expect after a motorcycle accident recently? 

Well, you can find answers to these questions from the best personal injury lawyer.

What to do immediately after a motorcycle crash:

The important thing is to take the right steps following a motorcycle accident. 

• Seek Medical Treatment– First things first. You need to get yourself treated for the injuries suffered in the accident. If you are yet to visit a hospital and are experiencing pain, it is important to consult with a doctor before anything else. Let a doctor examine you and fellow passengers or riders for injuries. You may call 911 immediately. 
• Collect Insurance Info – Another important step is to arrange the insurance documents after the accident -- for your insurance and the person who caused the crash. What are the policy limits? You should also collect your driver’s insurance information if the accident involved another vehicle. Let someone collect the police report on the accident.
• Consult with Your Insurance Company – Report the accident to your insurance company immediately after the motorcycle accident. Avoid giving them a statement. No insurance provider thinks about your best interests. Say "No" if they seek a statement. However, do not hesitate to share all of the information gathered at the accident site for a streamlined experience.  If your insurance agent inquires about your injury or damage to the vehicle, make it clear that you want to visit a doctor first before sharing the information. The insurance company may be keen to underestimate your damages to reduce your rightful compensation.
• Connect with A Licensed Personal Injury Attorney – a motorcycle accident does not leave you with injuries alone, but it does you more harm. In fact, the injuries may be too severe for you to join work any time soon. Should you suffer for those lost work hours when it was not your fault? Who is liable for those medical bills that are mounting everyday? Of course, you alone have to deal with the physical pain from injury while your loved ones suffer from emotional stress seeing you in pain. Don’t you think that you did not deserve this? If so, then contact with a top personal injury lawyer to get compensation for all the pain and suffering and lost wages.

Gather the Other Driver's Insurance

A motorcycle accident may leave you with painful injuries and damages to the vehicle. If the accident was caused due to the negligence of another driver, you should not hesitate to get their insurance and vehicle details. Additionally, you should get their personal information. You should do this even if you are feeling okay at the accident site.

Avoid talking to other driver's insurance provider.   DO NOT give a recorded statement to any insurance company after a motorcycle accident -- yours or theirs.  They will go to any extent to make it tough for you to get your claim. It would help to remember the following points if they try to contact you:

• Avoid them first and do not accept a meeting
• Don't share medical authorization
• Never provide a recorded or written statement
• Do not try to settle your case on your own
• Do not discuss your health, injuries, and medical condition 

There's no use in meeting the insurance provider as they will try to force a cheap settlement. They will make sure that they do not have to pay for your injuries or damages. In that case, you could be left with all the medical bills to pay on your own. Nobody cares in the insurance industry for your injuries, pain or damages. All they care is about their own bottom line. 

However, if you consult with a reputable personal injury lawyer, you are rest assured to have someone experienced in handling such matters fight your case. The best attorneys are experienced in handling insurance companies and can fight on your behalf so you can focus on your injuries.

Take pictures

If you have a smartphone handy, you could try collecting some visual evidence by taking photos at the accident site. However, you should not risk your safety in doing so. If possible, try taking pictures from different angles. Document the motorcycle, the other vehicle(s), and the accident site. This documentation could help you get insurance or fight a claim in the court with the help of a reputable personal injury attorney.

Collect documents

Contact your local police department if you did not call 911. This should help you get the documentation done right. A police officer will arrive at the accident site and collect evidence in order to prepare a police report. This official documentation will play a key role in proving details of your case and helping you get compensation for your damages. A top personal injury lawyer knows how to protect your legal rights.

An attorney can collect such evidence and speak with other drivers, passengers, witnesses, and the police officer. You need such information as contact details of all witnesses. This includes names, email address, and phone numbers.  Besides, you need vehicle details of involved vehicle. This includes vehicle’s make and model along with license plate numbers. You should also have the police report number as well as the officer’s name and badge number. 

Another important part of the documentation process is to collect the contact details of other drivers, including names and addresses, phone numbers, and email. It would also help to get the insurance company details for the involved vehicles. Do not forget to take the vehicle identification numbers (VIN) of the vehicles.

Keep the bike

Do not try to get rid of the bike. You need to keep it in the same condition as it was in at the time of the accident. You should not try to make repairs to your motorcycle and wait for the proper documentation of the damages.

A detailed record of damages comes in handy when fighting your claim. Additionally, there is a high risk of the other driver disputing his fault. It is here that the damaged vehicle might serve as evidence. The best personal injury attorney knows how to use it in an accident reconstruction to establish the fault and negligence of the other driver. If there were serious injuries or complications, it would help to take pictures of the injuries as a proof. Alternatively, it is in your best interest to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney.

Never admit fault

When two vehicles crash into each other, both parties try to find fault with each other. If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident, never try to admit your fault or apologize to the other party.

Sometimes, the exact cause of an accident is not clear immediately. So be careful about what you say. Avoid making any statements at the accident site without thinking. It could have serious legal consequences later.

Why Should You Hire a Lawyer After a Motorcycle Accident Recently

You deserve fair compensation for all the pain and suffering experienced in a motorcycle accident. An injury in a motorcycle accident may be serious and devastating. In that case, you are unable to go to work and lose working hours. The lost wages are not your fault.