6 Steps To Take After a Motorcycle Accident

After any type of major accident, it’s important to follow the right protocol to protect your interests and your future. Unfortunately, figuring out precisely what to do can be challenging. If you were involved in a motorcycle accident, you probably sustained serious injuries, and you should spend this time healing and recuperating. Thankfully, if you know what to do after a motorcycle accident, you should be able to handle the most immediate concerns easily and quickly, that way you can get back to focusing on your recovery.

If you were in an accident, make sure you do the following:

1. Seek medical attention: Quickly evaluate your injuries—if you need medical help, call 911 immediately or ask someone nearby to contact an ambulance. If you aren’t badly hurt, see if anyone else involved in the crash might need an ambulance and call if necessary.
2. Report the accident: If you haven’t already called 911 for an ambulance, call your local police department to report the incident and ask for an officer. When an officer arrives on the scene, he or she will write up an official report of the incident, which will help you when dealing with the insurance companies in the days following the accident.
3. Exchange information: Once you’ve taken care of the most immediate concerns, be sure you exchange information with the other driver involved. Make sure you write down their full name, insurance company, the make and model of their car, their phone number, email, driver’s license number, license plate number, and any other pertinent details.
4. Collect evidence from the scene: Taking pictures of the accident site is the easiest way to collect evidence, and it’s usually the most comprehensive as well. Make sure you include photos of the vehicles involved, especially your motorcycle. Take pictures of the damage, any debris on the road, skid marks made from the crash, as well as any hazards that contributed to the crash, such as a fallen street sign or a pothole.
5. Speak with witnesses: If there were any witnesses nearby, make sure you talk to them about what they saw. Collect their full names, contact information and brief summaries of their statements. The office on the scene will collect this information as well, but it’s always best to have your own information for your records as well.
6. Contact an attorney: After everything at the scene of the crash has been taken care of, it’s time to discuss your options with your attorney. An experienced injury firm in Birmingham will break down the situation for you and inform you of your rights. Your lawyer can help you file a claim with your insurance company, negotiate settlement terms if necessary, and take legal action if need be. Seeking legal help is absolutely crucial, especially if you’ve sustained a serious injury. With a trusted attorney on your case, you can rest easy knowing your situation is safely taken care of and you can focus on healing while your attorney handles the rest.

Contact Hare, Wynn, Newell & Newton, LLP today to discuss your motorcycle accident with our attorneys.