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- Call 911 to get police and other first responders to the scene after a motorcycle accident.
- Seek medical attention, either through emergency care or by seeing your doctor promptly after the crash.
- Exchange information with the other driver, but do not discuss the accident or admit fault.
- Avoid common mistakes, such as posting about your accident on social media.
- Partner with an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer to protect your interests and seek compensation.
Knowing what to do after a motorcycle accident can protect your health and increase your chances of receiving fair compensation from at-fault parties. Your health and safety come first, but if you can, try to take steps such as gathering important evidence before it disappears. Doing so will help support your chances of receiving compensation from an insurance claim or lawsuit.
If you have been in a motorcycle collision, contact an experienced motorcycle accident attorney to evaluate your claim, protect your interests, and seek maximum compensation for your damages.
Steps To Take After a Motorcycle Accident
Knowing what to do after an accident is not as simple as having a motorcycle crash checklist. You need an experienced attorney who can assist you in taking all the necessary steps to get the compensation you deserve. A knowledgeable attorney can help in many ways, including ensuring you’re following the law when filing your claim and bolstering your claim for damages against the party that caused your crash.
Step 1: Move to Safety (if Possible)
After a collision, avoid further injuries by getting off the road—but only if you can do so safely. Watch for oncoming traffic and avoid any accident debris. If you are seriously injured, don’t move until emergency help arrives because doing so could worsen your injuries.
Step 1: Move to Safety (if Possible)
After a collision, avoid further injuries by getting off the road—but only if you can do so safely. Watch for oncoming traffic and avoid any accident debris. If you are seriously injured, don’t move until emergency help arrives because doing so could worsen your injuries.
Step 2: Call 911 and Report the Accident
State laws require you to report crashes involving injuries or property damage. For example, in Tennessee, you must report crashes involving injury, death, or property damage of at least $50 to the police. Tennessee law also requires reporting crashes involving injuries, deaths, or property damage of at least $1,500 to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security within 20 days.
Obtaining a police report can be important evidence for your claim because insurers and courts consider law enforcement officers unbiased observers. For example, a report backing your version of events in a motorcycle accident claim can be essential to show the other party was at fault.
Step 3: Check for Injuries and Seek Medical Attention
Only a doctor can tell you if you have an injury with delayed symptoms, such as whiplash or internal bleeding. What may seem like a minor injury, such as road rash, can become more serious or get infected if you don’t get treatment. Delaying treatment gives an insurance company reason to doubt the severity of your injuries and makes it easier to blame them on something else.
Seeking immediate medical attention will protect your health and provide important documentation of your medical bills. Reports and receipts are crucial to recovering fair damages in a lawsuit or insurance claim.
Step 4: Gather Evidence at the Scene
Other things you can do to gather evidence include taking photos and video of the accident scene, injuries, and road conditions. Pay particular attention to the weather, traffic levels, and any hazards that may have contributed to your crash. You should also collect contact and insurance information from the driver and contact information from any witnesses.
If the other driver or their passengers are agitated or appear intoxicated, wait for law enforcement to arrive and explain to the officers why you have yet to share information.
Step 5: Avoid Admitting Fault
Stick to the facts when talking to another party involved in the accident and any witnesses or law enforcement on the scene. Anything you say could potentially work against you. For example, it may seem polite to say sorry or that you are okay, but insurance companies can use these statements to deny or minimize compensation.
Only provide factual statements when talking to insurance adjusters. Remember that their job is to protect the company’s bottom line, not your best interests.
Step 6: Get Medical Treatment and Keep Records
Even if your injuries seem minor, follow up with a doctor. Save medical bills, prescriptions, and doctor’s notes to submit as evidence in an insurance claim or lawsuit. Do not skip any appointments or referrals to specialists.
Your compensation following a motorcycle accident depends heavily on the severity of your injuries and related short and long-term costs. If you don’t take your injuries seriously, insurance companies and courts won’t either.
Step 7: Notify Your Insurance Company
Report your accident to your insurance company as soon as possible, but avoid giving a recorded statement without legal advice. Even if the other party was at fault in your crash, you may still have to rely on your policy to collect some compensation. As with the at-fault party’s insurer, yours may try to pay out as little as possible.
Step 8: Contact a Motorcycle Accident Attorney
An experienced injury attorney understands your state’s insurance laws and the laws surrounding personal injury and wrongful death claims. They know what evidence you need to determine who is liable for your crash and how to calculate full damages.
At NST Law, our accomplished attorneys have significant experience handling negotiations with insurance companies and a history of positive case results for our clients. We can also advise you on the next steps if the other driver does not have insurance.
Common Mistakes To Avoid After a Motorcycle Accident
What you avoid doing can be as important as what to do after a motorcycle crash. Don’t delay medical treatment or give insurance companies recorded statements without a lawyer present.
Don’t post about your accident on social media. It is best to avoid social media entirely until you have a settlement agreement or verdict. Even a picture of you playing with your dog can be evidence that your injuries aren’t as severe as you claim.
Do not accept a quick settlement offer without seeking legal advice from a motorcycle accident attorney. You may be unaware of the long-term damages associated with your crash, and once you sign a settlement and release, you can’t go back and ask for additional compensation. Accepting a quick settlement offer could leave you paying for surgeries and rehabilitation at a time when you are unable to work.
How the Motorcycle Accident Lawyers at NST Law Can Help You
When pursuing fair compensation for a motorcycle accident that was someone else’s fault, you need skilled representation to help protect your interests. Some of the things our experienced motorcycle accident attorneys can do for you include:
- Investigating the accident
- Gathering evidence
- Determining liability
- Negotiating with insurance companies for fair compensation
- Representing you in court if necessary
Contact us as soon as possible after your crash. Each state has a personal injury statute of limitations that dictates how long you have to file a claim. If you don’t file on time, you will likely lose your chance to collect compensation.
Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
At NST Law, we understand how difficult it can be to determine what to do after a motorcycle accident. You deserve to be able to focus on recovery without the additional burden of wondering how to pursue compensation.
Our knowledgeable motorcycle accident attorneys can evaluate your claim and ensure you get the compensation you deserve. We’re skilled negotiators who have successfully represented thousands of clients. We are passionate about our clients and the communities we serve. Don’t just take our word for it; see what our clients say about working with us.
If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, call the Champions For The Injured today at 800-529-4004 for a free consultation or complete our online contact form.
