A motorcycle accident can occur at any time, anywhere. More often than not, they are the fault of other drivers. It’s no secret that the average road user pays little attention to what they are doing and seldom checks all three mirrors when they are making turns, despite being legally compelled to. Even a minor lapse in attention can lead to an accident happening since motorcycles move quickly and sometimes quietly. This post will explore this topic in more detail and tell you what to do if you have been involved in a motorcycle accident (and how you can protect your rights and ensure you get a fair amount of compensation paid to you).
Contacting the Emergency Services
In the immediate aftermath of an accident, you need to get in touch with the emergency services. Under no circumstances should you allow an accident to go unreported.
In some places, it is actually a legal requirement to contact the police within a fixed time period after an accident. Failure to do so can result in your arrest, even if you were the victim of the crash. It is especially important to call for help if the person responsible for the accident seems to be under the influence or if somebody is seriously injured.
Accumulating Evidence
If you want to make a claim for compensation, you need evidence. The best evidence you can get is an admission of guilt from the responsible driver. However, it’s not always possible to do this. The reason the evidence is necessary is that it can make your case a lot easier for your lawyer to process.
Photographs and Videos
Photo and video evidence can help support your claim. However, it’s not always easy to obtain. In the immediate aftermath of an accident, the last thing people tend to think about is taking their phones out and capturing photos and videos.
If you are able to though, you can almost guarantee you are going to win your claim for compensation. Take photos and videos of your injuries, your bike, and the responsible driver. Alternatively, take photos of the guilty party’s bike (if they were the one who hit you).
Audio Recordings
An alternative to a photo or video is to take an audio recording. An audio recording can be just as helpful as either photos or videos. However, you do need to make sure that your audio recordings are clear. The best kind of audio recording you can get is an admission of guilt from the responsible party. If you can record them apologizing, it’ll be extremely difficult for them to deny your claims. Make sure that in addition to getting an audio recording of them apologizing you also get their name and contact information. You won’t be able to make a claim without these details.
Witness Testimonies
Witness testimonies can be very helpful. Having a witness’s statement to support your case can help you to get the compensation you deserve. Finding witnesses can be difficult if you drive a motorcycle then the chances are you don't carry passengers with you. If you do not have any evidence to support your claim, the lawyer that you hire will appoint a private investigator to it. A private investigator will be able to research your case and find people who were present on the day it happened. They may also be able to get CCTV evidence for you from local businesses.
Getting In Touch with a Lawyer
If you want to make a claim for compensation, you need a lawyer’s support. A lawyer will be able to give you the care and consideration that you need. The experts at Kuharski, Levitz & Giovinazzo, Esq., make clear on their website that a lawyer can fight aggressively on your behalf and ensure justice is received. When you are looking for a lawyer, make sure to hire one with good customer feedback and lots of experience.
A lawyer’s level of experience can be ascertained from their reviews. In a lawyer’s review section, you will see what past clients have to say about them.
Making a Formal Claim
Once you have found a lawyer, you can go ahead and make a formal claim. The process of launching a claim is relatively straightforward. All you will be required to do is sit down with your lawyer and give an account of what happened. Additionally, you will be asked to provide as much evidence as you can. The more evidence you can provide, the better. A lawyer will help you to obtain evidence if your claim stands to earn a lot of money but you do not have any.
Having Some Patience
Patience is very important if you are making a claim for compensation. Claims can take years to resolve. If you don’t have patience, you’ll drive yourself mad. You also need to make sure that you give your lawyer some room to breathe. Don’t make the mistake of overwhelming them with messages. A lot of people get impatient and start spamming their lawyers, demanding compensation. While claims can take years to resolve, they typically don’t. It’s only ones that involve lots of money that take years to conclude.
Consider Disability Benefits
Finally, in the interim between your sustaining injuries and your compensation payout being made, consider applying for disability benefits. You can apply for them if you receive serious injuries that are going to stop you from being able to work. A lawyer will be able to help you navigate the claim-making process, though you can do it alone. There are guides and tutorials available online that can teach you everything there is for you to know about making disability claims.
Have you been involved in a motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault? If the answer is yes, now’s the time to make a claim. You can do this by getting in touch with a lawyer. A lawyer will be able to devote their full attention to your case and help you to get the settlement you deserve.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nurlana Alasgarli
Content Specialist
Nurlana Alasgarli is a professional copywriter with more than 6 years of creative writing experience. Having lived and experienced all over the world, there are many writing genres that Nurlana follows, including adventure, outdoor and motorbiking. Nurlana brings life to content creation, captivating her readers.
