Motorcycles can crash due to various reasons, such as defective parts, poor road conditions, or other negligent drivers. No matter how careful you are on the road, there are uncontrollable factors that can cause a bike to flip or collide with other objects or vehicles.
Since collisions can happen suddenly, it is important to know what to do after a motorcycle accident in Cincinnati. By being prepared in the event of a crash, you can improve your chances of a speedy recovery. If you were recently involved in a motorcycle accident, it is recommended that you contact one of our skilled motorcycle accident attorneys.
Steps to Take Immediately After a Motorcycle Wreck
After a motorcycle accident, move the bike off the road if possible, check yourself and others for injury, and call 911. If you are able to, take photographs while at the scene to document evidence of the collision.
To ensure the safety of the injured motorcyclist, someone should first attempt to move the motorcycle off the road and reduce the risk of hazards associated with oncoming traffic. However, it is best to allow medical professionals move injured parties, especially if any injured party is showing signs of paralysis.
Following a motorcycle accident, the most important thing to do is to check yourself and others for injury and immediately call 911. It is also vital to seek medical attention, even if you do not believe you are seriously injured.
Additionally, it may be beneficial to take some photographs while at the scene to document the vehicles and motorcycles involved, if you are able to safely. Gathering the information from the other parties and evidence from the collision site could prove beneficial if you choose to file a civil claim against the at-fault driver. Often, there will be an investigating police officer on the scene who will also gather that information.
What Are Common Mistakes Motorcyclists Make After an Accident?
Speaking with an insurance company before consulting a qualified attorney could lead to unintentional admissions of fault. The primary objective of the defendant’s insurance company is going to be to minimize the defendant’s fault and try and build a case that claims the plaintiff was the party responsible for causing the crash so that they don’t have to pay you.
Postponing or rejecting medical treatment is also a mistake motorcyclist can make after an accident. Not only could this impact their potential case, but severe injuries may not manifest themselves right away. By not seeking treatment right away, these injuries can quickly become devastating or even deadly.
Importance of Contacting an Attorney
It is beneficial to contact an attorney right away for two reasons. First, the at-fault party’s insurance company is going to begin working on the case immediately. Someone injured in a motorcycle wreck needs a compassionate lawyer on their side who is going to be able to obtain the information necessary to ensure that the injured motorcyclist gets the compensation that they deserve.
The second reason to immediately contact an attorney after the incident is because some evidence is only available for a short period. For example, witnesses will tend to forget facts relating to the collision over time, and information from traffic camera videos or body cams might be deleted.
The sooner an injured biker retains an attorney to help them with the case, the greater likelihood that some of this evidence is still going to be available. This evidence could be critical and essential if there is a liability dispute related to the crash.
What Documents Should an Injured Motorcyclist Bring to an Attorney?
When you are meeting with an attorney after a motorcycle accident, you are going to want to provide any information you have relating to the crash. If you have the accident reports, it is especially important to bring that to the meeting.
Those reports are going to have information relating to the date, time, and location of the incident, as well as information relating to the other parties involved in the case. Often, it also identifies witnesses to the crash.
If you do not have the accident report or no accident report was created, then you should provide any information and evidence that they gathered. This is why it is important to identity the other party, the location of the accident, the time of the collision, the names of any witnesses, and the telephone numbers of all relevant parties. This information is beneficial to provide the attorney so that they can contact the various parties and insurance companies.
Discuss What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident with a Cincinnati Attorney
What separates our law firm from other personal injury law firms in the Cincinnati area is that we have a long-established history of helping injured people. Due to that history, we have attorneys that are experienced in a wide range of cases.
We have the skills required to help you handle your motorcycle case. We will give your case the individual attention that it deserves. To learn more about what to do after a motorcycle accident in Cincinnati, call our office today.
