Motorcycle accidents are far more dangerous than car accidents. They are more exposed on the roads, and there is an increased risk of injuries to the head, abdominal areas, and thorax. According to the latest stats, motorcyclists are 35 times more likely to meet an accident than car drivers. So what do you do if you are engaged in a motorcycle accident? The first thing is to contact a motorcycle accident attorney.
To make things easy for you, here are some valuable tips and guidelines to follow when you are engaged in a motorcycle accident.
Get to Safety
When you are engaged in a motorcycle accident, you are more exposed to the surroundings. The first thing you need to do is analyze your surroundings and the situation. Some of the analytical questions you need to ask yourself are
- Are you badly injured?
- Are you in harm’s way?
If you are lying in the middle of the road, try removing yourself from the roadway and traffic. Once you are safe and think you can check others, go ahead and see if anyone is seriously injured and needs any help. Help everyone to get to safety.
Dial 911
After getting everyone to safety, dial 911 for help and report the accident; if you think the opposite party was at fault, contact a motorcycle accident attorney. Wait for the police and paramedics to arrive at the scene.
Don’t Remove Your Protective Gear.
After meeting an accident, your body goes in shock, and the extra rush of adrenalin prevents you from feeling the pain from injuries. You should avoid removing your helmet or other protective gear until paramedics arrive. Allow them to judge your situation and injuries and follow their instructions.
Seek Medical Attention
The adrenalin rush and absence of skin injuries might give you a feeling that you have escaped the accident unscathed which might not be accurate. There might be any bone injuries that could worsen if not attended to. It would help if you got admitted to a hospital for a thorough body checkup to ensure no injuries.
If you are injured, get admitted to a nearby hospital and get treatment. You can call your motorcycle accident attorney in the hospital to explain all events that lead to the accident. The lawyer will visit the accident site or send a team of investigators to collect evidence that can be used to determine who was at fault.
Gather Evidence
While at the accident site, you need to try to gather as much evidence as possible. For example, take a picture of the accident site, the position of both vehicles, capture your injuries in a photograph, and get a copy of the policereport. You need to hand over this evidence to your car accident attorney to build your case for medical compensation.
Speak to Your Insurance Company
If you can move without any help and talk on the phone, call your insurance company to report the accident. If you are badly injured, you can ask the lawyer to speak to the insurance company.
Hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer can make a huge difference in insurance payout and medical compensation. The insurance agents will try to pay the lowest amount possible, but the attorney will present the evidence to prove you deserve higher compensation.
To sum up, these are things you should do if you are engaged in a motorcycle accident.