You have been injured in a motorcycle accident. You’re hurt, you’re frustrated and you are stressed out about what you need to do after your crash. You have medical appointments to schedule, insurance people are calling you and this is the last thing you want to be dealing with.
Not only that, but someone else put you here. The accident wasn’t even your fault. This really sucks! But, you are reasonable. You aren’t looking to bleed the person who hit you dry. You do want what you are entitled to under the law. It makes sense. You have injuries and bills to pay that aren’t your fault. This stuff should be taken care of.
To immediately alleviate the worry about what to do after a motorcycle accident, the first thing you should do is look for a lawyer to represent you and take over the whole process. Find a California motorcycle accident attorney who will take this stress out of your hands and allow you to focus on what’s important – getting back to your life.
That way, you can let your lawyer handle the stress of making a motorcycle accident claim and collecting what you deserve from the at-fault party. You don’t need to be worrying about that. You have medical appointments to attend, physical therapy exercises to do and work to catch up on.
You want a professional. You want someone who is an expert in motorcycle accident lawsuits and who has a proven track record of successful settlements and judgments.
However, if you aren’t quite ready to make a decision on hiring the best California motorcycle accident lawyer, here are some things you can do now to protect your rights:
The Truth about Motorcycle Accidents in California
You Ride Safe . . .
Motorcycle enthusiasts and first-time riders alike have a love for being on two wheels. But that love puts them at a tremendous risk. Motorcycle riders are 27 times more likely to die than crash victims riding in cars. Sadly, nationwide the majority of motorcycle accidents involving cars are caused by the automobile operator. All it takes is one poor decision or one small distraction for an automobile driver to change a motorcycle rider’s life forever.
But Tragedy Strikes
Here in California crash statistics have a very human face. According to California’s Office of Traffic Safety, there were 548 motorcycle accident deaths in California in 2016 and many times that in serious injury motorcycle accidents. That’s thousands of families that were turned upside down in an instant. Thousands of people left fighting for their lives, their livelihoods, and their rights. If your life has been touched by tragedy, you need an experienced California motorcycle accident lawyer to help you get back on your feet fast.
You Need Help
When you’ve been injured in a traffic accident you need legal representation from a personal injury lawyer to get the compensation you deserve. When you’ve been injured in a motorcycle crash, you need an experienced and focused California motorcycle accident lawyer to help you navigate the legal system, prove liability on the part of the at-fault parties, and get the financial help you need to get back on your feet fast.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in California – First 5 Things
If you were seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident in California, obviously the very first thing you need to do is get to the hospital immediately! And, if your motorcycle accident was caused by someone else, there are a number of other things you need to do to protect your rights and line things up for a successful motorcycle accident claim.
Here they are:
1. Get Whatever Information You Can
If your accident was reported to 911, the police will arrive at the scene and collect information from the parties involved in the accident as well as witnesses. However, gathering whatever information you can yourself ensures that you have it when you need it – whether that’s to make a claim yourself or to hand it over to your motorcycle accident lawyer. If you can get information, get the other driver’s name, address, registration number (license plate), insurance info, any witness contact you can, photos of the damage to vehicles, scene, injuries, etc..
You will also want to get the police report number so you or your lawyer can order a copy of the report later when you are ready to make your motorcycle crash claim for compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
2. Get Medical Treatment ASAP
You were on a motorcycle hit by a car. That’s not a fair fight! Even if you are jacked up with adrenaline or shock, you may have suffered some pretty serious injuries. You need to get checked out as soon as possible by a qualified trauma doctor, so get over to the ER pronto!
3. Stay Off Social Media after You Motorcycle Accident
Hmm, “What should I do after a motorcycle accident? I know, tell everyone I know (and don’t know) ALL about it!”
NO! Whatever you do, don’t blast the details of our motorcycle crash out to your social media followers. Any such posts can be used against you by the opposing insurance company or their attorney if you decide to bring a claim for compensation after your motorcycle accident.
4. Don’t Accept a “Buyout”
The person who caused your accident may also wonder what to do after a motorcycle accident, so they’ll try to make it “go away.” They may try to do this by offering you money – maybe even cash at the scene. They may argue that it’s a “hassle” to go through insurance companies, but don’t believe this.
You will never get full compensation in a quick buyout like this. You need to know the full extent of your injuries and property damage before you can even begin to consider what might be a fair settlement for your motorcycle accident claim.
The same goes for a quick offer from the at-fault party’s insurance company. Never accept the first offer – especially if it comes easily and quickly. This means they sense you may be desperate and willing to take pennies on the dollar for your motorcycle crash.
Never accept a quick buyout just so you no longer have to think about what to do after a motorcycle accident. Only accept a full and solid settlement that compensates you for all of your losses. Not sure what those are? See if a motorcycle lawyer can help you evaluate your claim.
5. Hire a Focused and Dedicated Motorcycle Accident Lawyer to Get You Compensation
This is a law firm website. Of course we are going to tell you to get a lawyer, right? Well, we wouldn’t advise this for everyone wondering what to do after a motorcycle accident. For instance, if you weren’t injured or hardly suffered any injury, you may be able to bring a claim on your own and it may make financial sense for you to do so.
However, if you suffered major injuries like broken bones, traumatic brain injury or other injuries requiring surgery, things could get complicated. There will be a lot of details, information, evidence, documents and legal claims you can make to get fair compensation. This is not something you can just find online, research and DIY. Besides, you have other more important things to handle like our medical appointments, getting back to work, keeping your relationships together and staying sane.
Let a focused and dedicated motorcycle accident attorney handle your claim, so you get the most money possible for your injuries while you get to focus on your life, not your case
Why Getting a Lawyer is Your Best Bet After a Motorcycle Accident
Unfortunately, if you’ve been involved in a California motorcycle accident, you’ve likely experienced this negative bias personally. Maybe you’ve heard off-hand remarks from responding police officers, maybe you’ve seen the accident report that doesn’t accurately represent what happened, maybe the automobile operator who caused your crash said you did something you didn’t do. It wasn’t your fault! You just want to know what to do after a motorcycle accident.
If you’ve been injured, having an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer on your side is the best way to combat these biases and get fair representation from insurance companies and in California courtrooms.
But what can a top-rated motorcycle accident attorney Law do for you?
1) Ensure the Evidence Speaks for You – motorcycle accident attorneys can review evidence collected by the police, gather new evidence (including eyewitness reports and accident reconstruction reports), and challenge any false assumptions put forth by police or insurance investigators. They should have the resources, skills and experience needed to ensure you get a fair shake in the conference room or in the courtroom.
2) Push Back Against Insurance Companies – it’s an adjuster’s job to get you to settle for as little as possible. They’re going to paint you and the circumstances of your motorcycle accident in the darkest light possible. But when armed with the facts and a true accounting of what really happened, our a solid California motorcycle accident lawyers can force these companies to see that you were not at fault — which results in a bigger settlement.
3) Highlight Your Character – You need an advocate on your side who can show the world that you are the victim, not the motorist who caused the accident! It’s your motorcycle accident lawyer’s job to present you as a real person with real injuries and real financial needs, not a stereotype. Judges and juries are more likely to side with you if they know you’re a good person and not rebel or renegade they have in their mind.
You Can Attempt to Negotiate a Deal with the Insurance Adjuster Alone, but It’s Stressful
If you hire a top-rated California motorcycle accident attorney to negotiate with the insurance company for a solid settlement, it will save you a lot of time, energy and stress. After a serious motorcycle accident, your life weighs heavy with stress and light with free time. Don’t make it worse by trying to be your own lawyer.
If you want to bounce back from a major motorcycle crash, you should be focused on healing from your injuries, not focused on managing a motorcycle accident claim. You most definitely don’t need the added stress of:
- Locating and contacting witnesses
- Gathering documentation and evidence
- Researching and figuring out what law applies to prove your case
- Knowing what information you should and should not turn over to the insurance companies to get a good settlement
- Talking to manipulative lawyers and insurance adjusters who represent the other side
- Figuring out how to prepare and file court documents
You will no longer have to worry about what to do after a motorcycle accident. Your healing process will go so much better if you hire a great motorcycle crash lawyer to handle everything, so you can focus on your recovery and getting back to your work, your family and your life.