Motorcycle Accidents
Many riders relish the freedom of the open road, and the wind in your face experience of a leisurely, relaxing motorcycle ride.
A motorcycle ride can be therapeutic, and a great way to get away from it all. That brief mental and physical escape from the norm can prove life altering if a negligent driver collides with your motorcycle.
If you are the victim of a motorcycle collision there are some simple precautions that you can take to ensure that you do your best to minimize your injuries in the crash:
First, wear a helmet. This one crucial piece of safety equipment will help to minimize your chances of suffering a traumatic brain injury as well as suffering severe facial injuries and scarring.
Second, wear your leathers, protective jackets, riding pants, and gloves. Give your body a fighting chance to ward off the sandpapering effects of the asphalt, dirt, or gravel roadway at speed if you are ejected from your motorcycle in a collision.
Third, wear heavy riding boots. Riding boots can help prevent foot and ankle injuries and they will help to keep you from getting burned by hot exhaust pipes or engine components in the event that you are involved in a collision, or if you have to lay your motorcycle down on a wet road.
However, sometimes even when you do everything right, and you’re a careful rider, you can still be injured by the negligence of an at fault driver.
If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of having been involved in a motorcycle crash involving an at fault vehicle driver here are the steps that you should immediately take:
Make sure it is safe before dismounting your motorcycle. Be aware of other passing vehicles, especially if your collision occurred on the highway or a busy city street.
Call 911: Be safe and protect yourself by calling 911. Ask the 911 operator to have police to respond to the collision scene, and request paramedics and an ambulance (if necessary). You will want the police to respond to the scene of the collision to document the circumstances surrounding the collision, you will also want the police to draft and file a police report on your behalf (a.k.a. Traffic Accident Report). This document will ensure that the details of the collision are accurately reported and officially documented. Do Not allow anyone to talk you out of calling the Police following your motorcycle accident, call 911, no matter what.
Collect the other Driver’s Information. While you are waiting for the police and/or ambulance to arrive, exchange information with the other driver, or drivers. Take a cell phone picture of their Driver’s licenses, auto insurance cards, and vehicle registrations.
Take Cell Phone Pictures. If you can do it safely, take cell phone pictures of the accident scene, the damage to your motorcycle, and the damage caused to the other vehicles involved in the collision. Also take pictures of your injuries, and the injuries that your passengers or other motorcycle riders suffered as well (if you’re riding in a group, and the other riders in your group were injured as well).
Get contact information from any witnesses. Write down the contact information (name, address, phone number, etc..) for any witnesses that may have witnessed the collision, when the police arrive on scene, let the police know that there is a witness or witnesses who can provide information about how the collision occurred. The police officer will interview that witness and include that witness’s statement in the police report.
Do not make any statements to anyone, and contact Accident Injury Attorneys. Other than asking the other driver, or drivers for their license, registration, and insurance card information, and collecting witness contact information, do not make any statements to the other drivers, or anyone else at the scene of the collision. Further, do not speak to anyone from any insurance company, including an insurance claims agent, or insurance investigator either. Remain silent.
Insurance companies may try to pressure you to give your side of the story concerning your motorcycle accident. Do not talk to an insurance company without first consulting with an attorney, this includes your own auto insurance carrier as well, not just the other driver’s auto insurance carrier.
You have a right to speak with any attorney before you speak with anyone about your motorcycle accident. Insurance companies are eager to speak with you very soon after your motorcycle accident, it’s not because they are trying to help you, it may be because they are attempting to collect information to use against you, do not help them devalue your claim. Remain Silent and speak with an attorney, from Accident Injury Attorneys as soon as possible after your motorcycle accident.
Call Accident Injury Attorneys!
We at Accident Injury Attorneys are here to help you. We do not spend a lot of time telling you how great we are, we would rather show you instead. “Less Talk, More Action” – that’s our motto. We believe that talk is cheap, let us prove to you that we’re Denver’s best personal injury law firm.
While it’s best to never have a bad day or be involved in a collision on a motorcycle, if you find yourself in a collision you will want an experienced legal team behind you that has experience litigating the full range of motorcycle collisions from minor collisions to fatal collisions, and everything in between.
