What to do After a Motorcycle Accident

After a motorcycle accident, the most important thing to do is to get to safety and seek prompt medical attention. Call 9-1-1 and allow the ambulance to take you to the hospital. In the meantime, and if you can, speak with the police, document the accident scene, and ask the other party for their personal and insurance information.

Once the situation is stable, you may want to consider hiring a motorcycle accident attorney from our legal team. They will handle every part of your case while you’re in recovery from your injuries. Our lawyers work on a contingency-fee basis, so they only get paid if they recover compensation for your damages.

Get Yourself to Safety and Call an Ambulance to the Motorcycle Accident Scene

After a motorcycle accident, your safety must be your top priority. If you’re able, pull your motorcycle over to the shoulder of the road. That way, you won’t block oncoming cars, and you will reduce your risk of getting into another crash.

From there, call 9-1-1. Don’t make assumptions about your health. Sometimes, symptoms don’t manifest right away and may take days to appear. By the time the injured person gets medical help, they may be facing long-term or even permanent damage. When the paramedics take you to the hospital, the doctors can start treating you right away, suggest specialists to visit, and detect underlying injuries.

Immediate medical attention after a motorcycle accident will also bolster the legitimacy of your case. It will show a direct connection between the motorcycle accident and your injuries. Spacing out these two events could leave room for the insurance company to blame your injuries on something else or you for delaying treatment. The sooner you see a doctor, the less opportunity the insurance company has to dispute your personal injury claim.

Continue Your Medical Care as Your Doctors Prescribe

A critical step in this process is following your doctor’s instructions. Make sure you take all your medications, go to all your appointments, and refrain from all activities that could hinder your recovery. Not only will it keep you on track, but it will also protect your claim.

Don’t stop treatment until your doctor releases you from their care. If you do, you could set yourself back, which may prolong your recovery. In addition, the insurance company may refuse to pay out your claim, as they could say that it’s your fault for making your injuries worse, which led to more medical expenses. This could make negotiations more difficult.

If you want to change any part of your treatment plan, talk to your doctor first, and make sure you get their approval for these changes in writing so that you have medical records.

Speak With Law Enforcement After the Motorcycle Accident

Once they arrive at the accident, the responding officer will write up a report of the motorcycle crash. This police report will serve as crucial evidence for your claim against the other party, as it will contain information such as:

• Who was involved in the motorcycle accident, as well as their contact and insurance information
• Details about the involved vehicles (e.g., license plate number, make, and model)
• Their assessment of what happened
• The date, time, and location of the motorcycle accident, as well as road conditions
• If there was any property damage, injuries, or fatalities

This police report should be available for pickup at the local precinct or online 10 days after it’s filed, depending on where you live.

Document the Motorcycle Accident Scene

Once again, if you physically can, document the scene of the motorcycle accident. Take photos or videos of the following:

• Your visible injuries
• The damaged motorcycle and other involved vehicle
• The conditions of the weather and road

If there were any witnesses to the crash, get their names and contact information. Their account of what happened could work as important evidence for your case. You may also want to ask them to write it down as soon as they can while it’s still fresh in their mind. If they wait, they’re more likely to misremember the version of events leading up to the crash or forget certain details, potentially hurting your motorcycle accident claim.

Calmly approach the other party and ask them for their name, contact, and insurance details for your records. Make the interaction short and civil. Don’t tell them they were at fault. If they start to raise their voice or get too close to you, go back to where you were. You want to avoid any negative interaction with them for your safety and your claim.

Consult a Lawyer After a Motorcycle Accident

The insurance company might contact you after the motorcycle accident and ask for your statement about it. Don’t say anything to them without consulting a personal injury lawyer from our firm. They will handle all communication with them, so you don’t have to.

We will assume all tasks related to the legal process while you’re in recovery. It all starts with a free case review. Once you hire a motorcycle accident lawyer from our law firm, we’ll construct a case plan for you and encourage you in your medical treatment. From there, your attorney will negotiate a settlement with the insurance company. It may account for your lost income, medical bills, pain and suffering, and emotional distress. If we have to litigate your case in trial, we will.

Our law firm doesn’t just help motorcycle riders injured in an accident. We also serve surviving family members who have lost loved ones in these crashes. Sadly, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that motorcyclists made up 15% of traffic deaths in 2022. If your family is suffering from such a loss, our wrongful death lawyers can fight for you.

The Time to Take Legal Action Is Limited

Keep in mind that whether you hire an attorney or not, your time to resolve your motorcycle accident claim is finite under your state’s statute of limitations:

• CCP § 335.1: In California, you typically have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit.
• Idaho Statutes § 5-219: In Idaho, you also have two years.

Missing these deadlines could result in a loss of compensation for your injuries. However, the sooner you contact our office, the sooner we can begin building your case.

Reach Out to Our Firm After a Motorcycle Accident

Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers is dedicated to helping injured people recover. We have obtained more than $40 million in settlements, judgments, and verdicts for our clients and received over 400 5-star reviews.

Give Sargent Law Firm Injury Lawyers a call after your motorcycle accident. We have bilingual employees on staff. Call today for your free case consultation.