There’s nothing as fulfilling as pulling your motorcycle out of the garage and embarking on a road trip or errand in town. The joy of easily maneuvering through traffic and other areas where vehicles cannot is immense. But sadly, that joy can quickly become a disaster when another careless and irresponsible motorist fails to maintain their standard of care towards you.
Such motorcycle accidents are a very common occurrence, and when they do, they tend to be more tragic than normal car crashes. This is owed to the fact that motorcycle riders have no shield against impact as it is the case with motor vehicles.
Unfortunately, the untimely shock of being involved in a motorcycle accident can cloud your sense of judgment and decision making. As a result, if you decide not to hire a Pearland motorcycle accident lawyer, you may end up putting yourself at more risk, or worse still, fail to take the necessary steps to protect your legal rights as the victim.
And while you may have not been involved in a Pearland motorcycle accident case before, it’s equally important for you to know precisely the first steps to take following a Pearland motorcycle accident. These steps include:
Check Yourself for Injuries
The very first step you should take after an accident is to check yourself for possible injuries. Remember, the sudden rush of adrenaline in your body can result in a lack of judgment on whether you are injured or not since it normally masks pain.
This is a very important step, not only for your general well-being, but also for your legal claim, too.
If you find out that you were injured, be sure to remain still as you call and wait for the emergency service responders to arrive. Depending on your physical state, you should also try to move your motorcycle out of traffic. Leaving it in the middle of the road can result in another accident, since not all motorists may be aware of the crash.
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Call 911
Whether you are injured or not, you will need to contact the local police immediately. They will assess the accident scene to fill out an accident report as well as document the details of the accident.
When the police arrive, you reserve the right to ask for their names as well as badge numbers. Also remember to retain a copy of their report.
Gather Evidence
You don’t need any permission to gather evidence from the scene even before the police arrive. After ensuring that you are physically fit, you should immediately take photos of the scene using any device such as your mobile phone. Capture the accident scene from all angles while you watch out for any safety risk such as oncoming traffic.
Also, record the license plate of all vehicles involved in the accident.
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Collect Contact Information
While you wait for the police to arrive, it is also imperative that you collect contact information from all parties involved in the accident. You should record:
- Names of all drivers involved
- Their telephone numbers
- Names of their insurance companies
- Their license numbers
- Their addresses
You may also counter-check the information you gathered with that officially collected by the police.
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Notify Your Insurance Company About the Accident
Once you have collected contact information and sought medical attention, ensure that you call your insurance company and notify them about the crash. For your interests, call them as soon as possible after the accident.
Your mandate is just to notify them about where and when the accident occurred, nothing more. You should never ramble about the experience or admit fault. Anything you say on that call will possibly be recorded and used against you when filing claims.
Document Your Damages
When seeking compensation for your injuries and losses, you will have to prove that you indeed suffered damages in the first place. There is no better way of proving this than having everything recorded.
All bills incurred seeking treatment, adjusting to your new life, or repairing damaged property must be recorded. This will be used to evaluate how much compensation you can pursue. In any legal course, your compensation should not be lower than the total damages suffered.
Hire a Pearland Motorcycle Accident Attorney
You reserve the right to seek compensation without an attorney, but don’t attempt to file a claim or negotiate a settlement on your own. Instead, hire an experienced Pearland personal injury lawyer.
A skilled motorcycle accident lawyer will help you carry out prompt investigations, consult with expert witnesses, handle all negotiation proceedings with the insurance adjuster, and ultimately represent you aggressively in court if your case goes to trial.
Our Pearland motorcycle accident lawyers at Lone Star Injury Attorneys know the best approach when it comes to such accidents.
We are also aware of how other motorists overlook or fail to account for motorcycle riders on the road, and for this reason, our lawyers will stand up for your legal rights. For a free case evaluation, contact our offices today.
Call or text (832) 449-8230 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form