On today’s roads, motorcycles are more popular than ever before.
In the US alone, 10 different states have over 100,000 motorcycles registered in them. California is number one for this, with over 785,242 motorcycles registered (Statista). As great as is this for motorcycle fanatics, there’s also a downside: more motorcycle accidents are taking place each year.
If you’ve sadly been involved in one – or simply want to prepare for this scenario happening – then you’ll need the help of this 5-step guide.
Ready? Here’s step 1.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Have Legal Support Prepared
Prior to being in a motorcycle crash, it’s highly recommended that you already have legal support prepared or inmind.
Currently, law practices up and down the country are dealing with thousands of cases per day related to road accidents.
Luckily, lots of these practices – such as therawlinsfirm.com – specialize in fighting for victims of car and motorcycle accidents. They will create a strong case for you and do everything possible to ensure you receive compensation.
When legal support is in your corner, it makes dealing with the aftermath of a crash much easier to handle. Any questions or queries you have can also be quickly answered by whichever party is representing you, meaning there’s no need to worry about anything that might be on your mind.
Step 2: Collect Evidence
At the scene of the accident, there might not be any CCTV or passers-by who saw it happen. Naturally, this means the responsibility lies with you to collect the evidence, from photographs of the vehicles to the other driver in question. Take photos with any device that you have with you, whether it’s an iPhone or Android. Even if the photos aren’t the greatest quality, they can still be used as evidence!
Step 3: Exchange Contact Details
When speaking with the other driver (or drivers), try your best to remain calm. Usually, these situations are intense, which is why it’s so important to remain as levelheaded as possible.
While speaking with them, you need to exchange contact details. This is for evidence, insurance, and claims purposes. If the other driver refuses to exchange details, then you will need to call the police to the scene.
Step 4: Speak with the Police
Whether police arrive at the scene or come to speak to you after, make sure to cooperate with them as smoothly as possible. Answer all questions possible and don’t bend the truth in any way, as this will worsen matters.
Also, if anyone has been seriously injured, you will also need to cooperate with the emergency services.
Step 5: Be Patient
In the aftermath of your motorcycle accident, it could potentially take months – or even a year – before your case is settled. This can be frustrating, but it’s the unfortunate reality of the legal world. In-between this time, you should try your best to live life as you normally would. Remember, your legal team will be taking care of everything behind the scenes on your behalf, meaning there’s nothing to worry about.
Conclusion
For any motorcycle drivers out there who’ve been in an accident on the road, this guide will prove to be extremely helpful for you. Remember, as a motorcyclist, you have the exact same rights as all the other drivers on the road, so don’t assume that you have a weak case. If the accident was due to the other driver, then there’s an excellent chance that you will receive healthy compensation or a legal settlement outside of court. With this in mind, make sure to follow the 5-step process above to ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible.