The Most Important Things You Need to Do
There’s nothing like hitting the open road on a motorcycle—nothing compares to the responsiveness of a bike and the feel of the wind on your body. But there’s a tradeoff—you can often be invisible to other motorists and, if you are involved in an accident, you have less to protect you from serious injury. If you have been hurt while operating or riding on a motorcycle, there are some specific steps you need to take to protect your legal rights.
Immediately Get the Medical Attention You Need
There’s a certain toughness in the face of pain or injury that’s a part of the motorcycle culture. That won’t serve you well in the aftermath of an accident. If you hope to get full and fair compensation for all your losses, you need to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Delaying medical care can have a number of undesirable consequences:
- You run a high risk that your condition will unnecessarily worsen
- You may compromise some of your injury claims if you have any other type of mishap before you seek medical care. Insurance companies and opposing counsel may argue that your injuries were not caused by the motorcycle accident.
- Insurers and defense attorneys may also use your delay in seeking medical attention to argue that your injuries were not that serious
Your first action, then, after a motorcycle accident, should be to assess your injuries. Don’t try to shake things off or be strong. If you are in considerable pain or can’t move under your own power, be willing to travel to the hospital by ambulance. If you can get up and walk away, immediately seek medical care at a hospital emergency room, an urgent care facility or with your primary care physician.
Gather Evidence, If Possible
You can help your lawyer by:
- Getting contact information from witnesses or other parties to the accident
- Taking pictures of anything that might be related to the accident, including weather or roadway conditions, your injuries and any damage to your vehicle
- Take the necessary steps to get a police report
Hire an Experienced Attorney as Soon as Possible
You want a lawyer who has extensive experience successfully handling personal injury claims. Ideally, that attorney will have litigated motorcycle accident injury claims for others. Your attorney can also act as your liaison with insurers, helping you get the benefits to which you are entitled.
Contact the Law Offices of David J. Karbasian, PC
Send us an e-mail today or call us at 1-877-HOGLAW1 to schedule an appointment to discuss your personal injury claim. Evening and weekend consultations are available upon request. We can come to your home or the hospital to meet with you, if necessary.