It can feel so liberating to take an exhilarating, breezy drive in a motorcycle. It can give anyone that sense of adventure and thrill they are looking for. But, what happens when the worst occurs – a motorcycle accident?
How do you handle the accident? What do you do? Who do you talk to? In the moment, these will seem like valid questions especially if you are injured, disoriented, or stressed from the accident.
However, just take a deep breath and allow us to provide some of the most important steps you’ll need to know if you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident.
1. Get Insurance & Contact Information From All Parties
Before you do this, it would be wise (and appropriate) to make sure that the accident is moved off the road, away from traffic, and that everyone involved is checked on to make sure they are ok and don’t have any serious or life-threatening injuries.
Once this is done, make sure to get contact information as well as insurance information from everyone involved. This includes phone numbers, addresses, names, insurance carriers, license plate numbers, and car/motorcycle makes and models.
This information will not only be crucial when putting in a claim to your insurance company but if you pursue a case with a injury lawyer in Fresno, you will have all the necessary information to proceed with one with the attorney.
2. Call 9-1-1
As soon as possible after the accident, the police should be called so that everyone involved can get the medical attention that they need. If you sustained damage to your vehicle, it would also be prudent to file a police report (and get the information of the police officers, including badge numbers, to use for later).
Filing a police report will not only help you recover damages sustained to you and your vehicle but will also prove important for your personal injury case, should you pursue one.
3. Gather Evidence & Talk to Witnesses
If you decide to take legal action against the other driver(s) in the accident, then this next step will be crucial. To build a case against the other driver(s), try to get as much evidence as you possibly can. This includes:
- Talking to witnesses and getting their contact information
- Taking pictures of any injuries
- Taking pictures of the other vehicle and the accident scene
- Keeping the motorcycle in the accident condition
By getting this information, you are covering all of your bases and helping your attorney build an iron-clad case against the other parties that way, if they decide to blame fault on you, they will have a difficult time proving it.
Which leads to one last piece of advice – do not admit fault in the accident. This will become a detriment in your case and make it that much more difficult for you.
Hiring a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Fresno
The last thing anyone wants is to get into an accident – which can cost you your motorcycle, your health, and cause your finances to take a hit as well. By following the steps above after a motorcycle accident, you will ensure that you have a higher chance of recovering damages from the accident and a higher chance of winning a personal injury case against the other parties. So, when you are in a motorcycle accident, make sure to get contact and insurance information from the other drivers, call 911, and gather as much evidence as possible.
