Crystal Rae
Out of the 125+ million households in the US, over 10 million of them own a motorcycle. Despite this popular transportation source, a motorcyclist is five times more likely to be hurt in a collision than a car passenger.
Before you set out on the road, take a moment to familiarize yourself with these five things to do after a motorcycle accident. Keep these points in mind now so you can masterfully handle this crisis.
What Should You Do After a Motorcycle Accident?
If this stressful event ever occurs, remember to stay calm. If you keep a cool head, you’ll be able to launch the following tasks successfully:
- Pull Over Right Away
Don’t try to leave the accident scene, even if it looks like the damages are minor. It’s important that you not drive away so that you can take the time to assess your physical condition as well as any others involved in the same accident.
- Exchange Contact Info With Other Driver/s
If you don’t have a law enforcement officer respond to your accident, then you should ask for a name, address, and telephone number from any other driver/s or passengers involved in your same accident.
Ask the other driver/s if you can see their proof of insurance. Request personal information from any onsite witness who saw your accident as well.
- Organize Your Accident Records
Now is the time to organize the facts of your motorcycle accident and the evidence you’ll need to recover your damages. Be sure to take pictures of the damages to every vehicle involved in the accident (including yours.)
You should also have photos of any visible personal injury you received during the accident.
Law enforcement agencies will generate an accident report if it appears that there is over $1,000 in damages to at least one vehicle.
These reports will include the officer’s investigation as well as any witness testimony from those who saw your accident. Get a copy of this report if you want to seek reimbursement for your damages.
- Notify Your Insurance Provider
Contact your insurance provider right away. You can brief your agent ahead of time, before the other party’s agent contacts them.
Pay off your insurance deductible so that you can begin your vehicle’s repair process. Once you’ve made this payment, then you can pursue the other driver to get your paid-out deductible back.
- Make a Doctor’s Appointment
If you received injuries from your motorcycle accident, you should make an appointment with your doctor so that they can give you a timely diagnosis and prescribe treatment for any injuries you might have later.
Sometimes swelling or pain can occur after the event. This type of lingering injury is called a delayed-onset injury. If you have any of these lingering sensations, call your doctor right away.
Their diagnosis might help you decide whether you need to hire a motorcycle accident attorney. See this if you have been in a motorcycle accident with lingering injuries. A motorcycle accident attorney can then help you navigate the process to file a lawsuit to claim damages.
What Can A Motorcycle Accident Attorney Do for You?
A motorcycle accident lawyer can manage your case through the courts. They will give you legal advice and offer strategies to help you recover your damages.
A motorcycle accident lawyer like this firm will help you. However, make sure to hire the best one as per your location. For instance, if you are from Tennessee, you might want to check out the recommendations for the attorneys for motorcycle accidents to get the best one for your case. Your motorcycle crash attorney can also do the following for you as well:
Prepare Demands for Compensation
Your motorcycle accident lawyer can produce an outline of all of your damages and how much it will cost you to correct them. This outline is called your demands for compensation.
These demands are mailed to other parties in your accident and their insurance company if you decide to file a personal injury action claim.
The other party will then decide if they want to ignore your demands or respond to them. If your demands are ignored, then your motorcycle accident lawyer can file a complaint for you with the court system where the other party lives.
File Your Motorcycle Injury Lawsuit
A motorcycle injury claim begins when the injured party (or “plaintiff”) files their “complaint” within the appropriate court system.
A complaint will describe how the plaintiff believes they deserve compensation and how much compensation they think they are entitled to. This legal claim also identifies the “defendant” (the party being sued).
When plaintiffs file their lawsuit, they pay a court filing fee. They also ask the court to “summon” the defendant to court.
A “summons” is a legal document that notifies defendants that someone has brought a lawsuit against them. A summons will also identify all defendants named in the case.
A summons can also identify the courthouse where the case was filed and the name of the plaintiff’s legal counsel.
These complaints or summons must also be personally brought to every defendant in the lawsuit. You might decide to deliver these complaints yourself. However, it’s safer to hire process servers to execute these tasks on your behalf.
Negotiate Settlements Out of Court
If a defendant and plaintiff want to settle their case, then the dispute can be dropped. When this happens, then plaintiffs and defendants meet during a court procedure called mediation.
Attorneys on both sides of the lawsuit can prepare an outline of expectations for each party. These expectations might include payment schedules or other details.
Conclusion
If you were in a motorcycle accident, your first move is to keep your cool. Pull off to the shoulder of the road and ask the other party for their contact information.
Organize your evidence file, containing pictures and an accident report that recounts what happened. Keep your witness contact information here as well.
For other helpful tips on the next steps following motorcycle accident, be sure to check out our website. We’re here to help keep you safe out on the open road.
