| |
|
|
|
|
It's unfortunate, but if you ride a motorcycle the odds are
you'll likely be in a motorcycle accident at some point in your
life. Most likely, that accident will involve an injury, and
it's almost always to the bike rider. While the accident will
probably be very traumatic, there are some steps you can take
following the motorcycle accident to make sure things don't
end up even worse. The first thing to do is stay calm.
If you can move, make sure that you and any passengers you
might be carrying are okay. If you can, get off the roadway,
but stay at the scene of the motorcycle accident. If you can
safely mark off the accident area with flares or signal flags,
you should do so.
| Exchange driving and insurance
information with other drivers involved in the
accident. Write down the name, address, phone numbers,
and license plate numbers of everyone involved in the
motorcycle accident. Be sure to get the contact information
of any possible witnesses and make notes describing all
the vehicles involved (color, make, model, which way they
are facing). |
|
 |
If there are any injuries, or if the damage looks like it will
exceed $500, notify the police or highway patrol, who will need
to make a report. Nearly every accident will require such a
report, and even if injuries aren't immediately visible, head
and neck injuries very often show up later, some times months
later.
Talk to all the witness and make notes or record their comments.
If you can't do this at the scene, you should do so as soon
as you can afterwards. It's important to do this quickly as
memories fade quickly. Information gathered soon after the
accident is much more accurate.
| If it's safe to do so and you have a camera,
take pictures of the accident scene. Make a note of the
color of the traffic light at the time of the motorcycle
accident (if there is one). Write down everything that
you can about the scene as soon as you can, and say as
little as possible. What you tell people at the scene
will be admissible, and you should refrain from saying
anything without having your attorney present. |
|
 |
Seek medical
treatment as soon as possible. Not only will the examination
possibly disclose injuries you may not feel, but if treatment
is postponed it may be argued by the other driver that your
injuries weren't caused by the motorcycle
accident. Since there are time limits for filing motorcycle
accident personal injury claims, contact one of our attorneys
as soon as you can. He will assist you in all ways, including
filing of the necessary paperwork.
About ten days after the motorcycle accident, a copy of the
police report should be available. You should review the report
with your attorney who will be able to advise you if your
memory of the motorcycle accident is different than the police
report.
Since motorcycle accidents quite often result in serious
injuries, there will frequently be numerous insurance claims
and companies involved. If you've been injured, it's best
to have an attorney experienced with motorcycle accidents
handle that paperwork so you can concentrate on getting back
on your feet.
 Back
to top of page
|
|
|
