In the aftermath of a motorcycle accident, you will find yourself in an altered state. When an accident like that happens, our bodies immediately trigger what is called “fight or flight.” A rush of adrenaline will go through our bodies in an effort to reduce the shock and injury. This can cause many people not to feel pain and think they aren’t injured even after a severe motorcycle accident.
It is important to remain calm, because the steps taken afterward can have significant repercussions to your health, injury claim, and potential legal proceedings. When speaking with the police, try to remain calm and stick to the facts of what you remember happening. Don’t admit guilt or say something that can be interpreted that way. The following are some guidelines to help after a motorcycle accident occurs.
1. Check Yourself and Others for Injury
Try to get yourself to safety and move your bike from the road, if possible. You will want to check yourself and those who were also in the accident for injuries. Immediately call 911 whether you, passengers, other drivers, or other people are hurt. Alert them of the accident and location. You will not be held at fault because you called the accident in.
2. Get Immediate Medical Attention
This is extremely important for a couple reasons. First, your health is the most important thing. You may feel like you’re not injured if the accident was minor. But even at lower speeds, a motorcycle accident can cause severe damage and injury. Motorcycle accident injuries may not show up for days or even weeks. This leads to the second important point. If you wait to see a doctor for months after your injury, the insurance company may deny the claim altogether. They can claim that you were injured from something other than the accident and so you aren’t covered. If you don’t go to the ER immediately after the accident, set up an appointment with your doctor immediately to preserve your claim.
3. Take Pictures and Gather Information
If the scene is safe enough to take pictures, use your cell phone to try to take pictures of the scene from a variety of angles. Only do this if you won’t cause more damage or risk the safety of yourself or others. Documenting the motorcycle accident, where the vehicles are, and surrounding environment will be important to supporting your claim and possible in court.
You will also want to try to collect the following information. You can use your smartphone camera again to take pictures of the front and back of some of these so they’re all right there in your phone.
• Contact information for witnesses, including names, phone numbers, and email addresses (you may want to take a picture of their driver’s license if they allow it)
• Information of vehicles involved: make and model and license plate
• Name and badge number of the responding officer and their department
• Police report number
• Contact information of other drivers
• VIN number for other vehicles
• Copy of other driver’s license and registration (front and back)
• Insurance information of the other driver
4. Call Your Insurance Agent
You will need to notify your insurance agent as soon as you can after a motorcycle accident. Provide the facts like date, time, location, witness names, etc. Do not admit fault to them. If your agent asks about injury or damage to your motorcycle, say that you will wait to provide this information until you’ve visited a doctor and had your bike checked out by a mechanic. Knowing the full amount of your damages is important before accepting a settlement.
5. Contact a Sacramento Motorcycle Attorney
Insurance companies know motorcycle accidents are stressful. They know that medical bills, missed time from work, and property damage can put people in a financial pinch. They will use these against victims to try to get them to take a settlement way below what the value is. A Sacramento motorcycle accident attorney will know how to handle the insurance company and help you get back on track. They will be able to help you navigate not just the claims process, but also help through the medical process as well. Motorcycle attorneys generally offer free consultations or evaluations so there is no cost to you to see if you have a valid claim or not. Do your research to make sure that you’re finding the best fit for you.
Our motorcycle attorneys at Hanecak Law Inc are here for any questions you may have following an accident. We offer free case evaluations through our online form. You can reach us directly at (916) 619-5452. Please don’t be afraid to give us a call today so that we can begin helping you or your loved ones.
