With more and more vehicles on the road today, motorcyclists are at greater risk of being involved in an accident. Unfortunately, when these accidents occur, the motorcyclist is often severely injured. In many cases, these accidents happen due to the driver of a motor vehicle failing to obey the rules of the road and pay attention to the motorcyclist. Whether a driver is distracted with a cellphone, driving impaired, or driving recklessly, these and other factors contribute to these accidents being extremely serious. Should you find yourself involved in an accident while riding your motorcycle, here are some steps you should take following your accident.
Make Sure You are Safe
If you can do so, make sure you can be as safe as possible at the accident scene. If able, get yourself to the side of the road until help arrives. Also, try to assess how seriously you are injured, as well as check on others who may also be injured.
Call Police
Since these accidents often involve serious injuries and extensive damage to vehicles and property, always call 9-1-1 to summon police, firefighters, and paramedics to the scene. When they arrive, they will be able to make the accident scene safe, assess and treat injuries, and begin to determine how the accident happened. When investigating the accident, police will make an initial judgment as to who caused the accident and note this in their accident report. Once this report is filed, hire an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer and make sure they obtain a copy of the report. In doing so, your attorney can use the information to not only plan legal strategy, but also put pressure on the driver's attorney and insurance company to reach a fair and equitable out-of-court settlement.
Speak to the Driver and Witnesses
While you are at the accident scene, always speak to the other driver and anyone who witnessed the accident so that you can obtain their contact information. This should include names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, license numbers, and insurance information. When speaking to witnesses, also obtain much of the same information, but also be sure to write down or record on your cellphone each person's account of what happened. Since these stories can often change and witnesses can have difficulty remembering key details, always get this information at the scene. Once you do, turn it over to your Los Angeles personal injury attorney, since they will likely want to interview anyone who witnessed the crash.
Get Treated for Your Injuries
In these situations, never assume you are not injured. Since certain injuries such as back injuries, brain injuries, and whiplash may not immediately exhibit symptoms, always assume the worst and let yourself be examined by medical personnel at the scene. Once this is completed, allow yourself to be taken to a hospital for further examination. By doing so, you will ensure any injuries you sustained will be treated and noted in your medical records, which will eliminate the chance the driver's attorney and insurance company will be able to say you were not injured in the accident.
Do Not Admit Fault
When speaking with police, witnesses, and the other driver, never say anything that sounds as if you are admitting fault for the accident. Though you should try to be as pleasant as possible when speaking with others, never say anything such as "I'm sorry" or "I should have been more careful" to anyone at the scene. If you do, these words will be used against you, and will likely be noted in the police accident report. By failing to use common sense in these situations, you may inadvertently make it more difficult for your motorcycle accident lawyer to develop a strategy that will get you the financial compensation you need and deserve.
Note Details of the Accident Scene
If you can, try to note details of the accident scene. For example, if there are nearby stop signs or traffic signals, make a note of these, since this may help prove the driver ignored these and caused the accident. Also, if there are skid marks on the road, take pictures of these as well, since these may indicate the driver was speeding at the time of the accident. By using your smartphone to take photos of these details as well as injuries you sustained, damage to your bike, and other pertinent details, your Los Angeles personal injury attorney can use these to show the court the accident was in no way your fault.
Don't Negotiate with Insurance Companies Yourself
If the other driver's insurance company contacts you shortly after the accident, don't think you can handle these conversations on your own. When the insurance company comes calling, its goal will be to either find something it can use against you or to offer you a very low amount of money to settle the case. Rather than make a mistake that can cost you the chance to get fully compensated for medical treatment, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering, refer the insurance company to your motorcycle accident lawyer. Since your lawyer is experienced and knowledgeable about these cases, they will be able to negotiate on your behalf and ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Be Careful of Social Media
If you are injured in a motorcycle accident and then continue to be a presence on social media, you may be setting yourself up for failure from a legal standpoint. For many accident victims, they make the mistake of going on social media and posting comments about the accident or photos of themselves post-accident. When this occurs, there is almost always something that can be used against them. Therefore, take the advice of your attorney and lay low on social media until your case is resolved.
To ensure you get the full and fair compensation you need while also making the driver accountable for their actions, schedule a consultation with a Los Angeles personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
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