California is home to more than 800,000 registered motorcycles. The state has the largest population of motorbikes in the entire country. If you’re reading this article, chances are you’re also one of those who own a motorcycle in California. Statistics reveal that about 80 percent of bike collision resulted in injuries and fatalities.
If you or your loved ones have been involved in a motorbike accident, help must be sought right away. It is best to hire a motorcycle lawyer such as one at SeriousAccidents.com to help you get what’s fair for you after going through the medical bills and lost number of days at work. Note that a bike accident not only entails physical harm. It can also affect one’s ability to achieve a quality life. The risks and damages associated with a motorcycle accident can be alleviated with the help of a motorcycle lawyer. However, to ensure that everything about your case will be taken care of properly, the following must be done soon after a motorbike collision.
Step 1: Contact the police or 911.
By calling 911, the police and emergency responders will immediately be sent to the location of the accident. This will make it easier for you to file a police report and get medical attention. Keep in mind that a police report is very helpful in your efforts to recover from all the damages that occurred to your motorcycle and your health. Failure to file a police report will significantly reduce your chances of being able to recover from the said damages. An incident data will also serve as a solid reference when building your case. If you can, try your best to get the name and badge number of the police officer who responded to the site. He will be one of the most important contact persons for your attorney to follow up when working on your case.
Step 2 : Take photos of the surroundings.
Documenting the place soon after the accident occurred will help the police and your lawyer get a better picture of what really happened. Make sure your photos will provide crucial information about the collision. These should include the exact place where the accident took place, the people involved in the accident, how it happened and who are the possible witnesses. As much as possible, the photographs taken must also tell about the road conditions, lighting, weather, speed limits and the direction to which the vehicles involved were traveling at the time of the collision.
Step 3: Don’t apologize.
It is but natural for people to quickly utter words of apology soon after bumping into each other. However, in the case of a motorcycle accident anything you say at the collision scene can have real legal consequences. Being involved in an accident can really shake one’s psychological being. Apologizing to the owner of the other vehicle may not be the best thing to do at the time of the collision. Sometimes, it may take days before your brain can recover from trauma and shock and only then that you will be able to completely assess whether you’re the one who’s guilty or not. So, don’t apologize right away. Let your attorney do the talking.
Remember that it is not necessary for you to talk to the other driver’s insurance company. There is certainly no benefit in doing so. Otherwise, you will only run the risk of being forced into a cheap settlement.