Motorcycle accidents are frequently traumatic and can cause long-term or even fatal injuries to motorcyclists. Therefore, it’s important to know what to do after a motorcycle accident in California. Depending on the circumstances, your ability to take action may be limited, and you may have to wait for others to make the necessary calls until you can receive medical care. However, if you are able, there are important things you can do to protect your current and future interests.
Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Accident
Following a motorcycle accident, there are certain steps you should take to protect your personal health and well-being as well as your legal rights. These include:
Find a Safe Location
After any motor vehicle crash, it’s important that you and others with you move to a safe location while remaining a close distance from the accident scene. If you are able to, you should move out of harm’s way and try to move your vehicle or motorcycle out of the way. Turn on any emergency and hazard lights to help in low-visibility conditions. If moving yourself or your vehicle will worsen any injuries, you should remain where you are.
Determine Injuries
Check on others involved in the accident and determine the severity of any injuries they have as well as your own. This information is crucial to know when you contact emergency services. That way, they can contact the relevant emergency responders and get you or others the necessary emergency care.
Call Emergency Services
Calling to report the accident and your injuries is the next essential step. While not all accidents must be reported, those that result in any injury or significant property damage legally must be. If you are unsure, it is better to be safe and report the accident. The police report is also useful evidence for a future claim.
Reporting the accident will also ensure that medical assistance arrives, even if the resulting injuries seem minor. Receiving medical attention is crucial after a motorcycle accident.
Gather Contact Information
If you are well enough to do so, you and the other driver or drivers should exchange contact information as well as license and insurance information. If there were any eyewitnesses to the accident, be sure to get their contact information as well. Their testimony could help with a potential claim.
Give an Accident Report
When the officer on the scene takes the accident report, be truthful while avoiding any admission of fault on your part. Ask for a copy of the report or its identification number.
Collect Evidence From the Scene
This includes taking photos and videos of the scene of the accident, your injuries, and other relevant damage from the collision. If there are nearby locations, like stores, that may have footage of the accident, take note of them. All this evidence can be useful in a successful and efficient insurance claim.
Call Your Insurance Provider
Regardless of who was at fault for the motorcycle accident, it is important to call and report the collision to your insurance provider, including reporting property damage and any injuries you suffered. Wait to contact the at-fault party’s insurance until you have contacted an attorney.
Find a Motorcycle Accident Attorney
As soon as you are able to, find a skilled motorcycle accident attorney. They can determine if you have a claim and, if so, help you file and negotiate a valid claim.
FAQs
Q: What Should You Do After a Minor Motorcycle Accident?
A: Even after a minor motorcycle accident, it is crucial that you report the accident and receive emergency medical care. Although you may not think that you have suffered an injury, it is important that a professional looks you over. Motorcycle accidents, particularly when you are the motorcyclist, can cause serious injuries. Internal injuries, such as head trauma, may not present themselves to you. A medical provider can determine if you have been injured.
Q: What Should You Not Do After a Motorcycle Accident?
A: It’s important not to leave the scene of the incident after a motorcycle accident unless you are taken from the scene because you need emergency medical care. Once you report the accident, you should exchange information with the other driver or drivers involved and wait for emergency responders to arrive. You will need to wait until you have received medical care and given a report to the police officer on the scene.
Q: How Much Is a Motorcycle Accident Settlement in California?
A: The value of a motorcycle accident settlement in California will vary significantly and rely largely on the unique injuries you suffered. If you were not at fault for the accident, then you can recover the entirety of your damages from an insurance claim. Because of this, your settlement value relies on factors such as:
- How serious your injuries are
- How long your injuries are expected to affect you and keep you from working
- The typical wages that you would have earned while you recover
- The level of property damage you sustained
- The skills of your attorney
Q: What Is the Most Common Cause of Motorcycle Accidents?
A: The most common cause of motorcycle accidents in California is driving at unsafe speeds, according to California’s Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System data from 2015. This is responsible for 29.5% of motorcycle collisions. The next most common cause of motorcycle collisions in the state was automobile right-of-way violations, which caused 18.7% of collisions. Improper turning, driving under the influence, and improper lane changes were the next most common causes.
Finding the Right Legal Support After a Motorcycle Accident
If you were in an accident on a motorcycle, you may be suffering from catastrophic and disabling injuries. It is important to know how you can recover the compensation you deserve, especially when the accident was entirely not your fault. Dealing with the insurance provider of the at-fault driver or party can be frustrating, and doing so yourself will often fail to secure the compensation you deserve.
When you have legal counsel negotiating a fair settlement for your damages, you can recover mentally and physically. An attorney is also much more likely to successfully negotiate the most compensation possible from the insurance provider. Protect your legal rights and your financial future by working with Easton & Easton, LLP. We can help you get the damage coverage you need to move on with your life. Contact our firm today.
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