If you ride a motorbike, you’ll understand the innate fear of being struck by another motorist. After all, you’ve got nothing but protective clothing keeping you from being severely injured or killed. However, the chances are that the majority of motorbike drivers will have at least a minor crash, which is why it’s important to understand what to do in the aftermath.
Immediately After the Crash
The very first thing you need to do after a car hits your motorbike is to make sure you’re safe, assess for immediate dangers, and then make sure you’ve got all of your limbs intact. Then, if you’re able to do so, you need to make your way to a safe location – preferably off the road.
Now that you’re in a safer place to gather your thoughts, it’s time to think deeply about whether anything on your body hurts. Regardless of your answer to that question, be sure to get checked over by a medical professional and keep any records.
Contacting the Police
As soon as it’s safe to do so, you need to contact the police and wait for them to arrive. The driver of the other vehicle could be under the influence, have stolen the car, have a ban, or have no insurance. It’s the police’s responsibility to determine if any criminal activity is in play, and to investigate the likely cause.
While You’re Waiting
Before we get started, it’s important to note that you should never move your motorbike – under any circumstances – no matter how tempting it might be to take it out of harm’s way.
You may be waiting some time for the police to attend, so use this time to do something useful. For example, you should take plenty of clear photos and videos of the scene, which may come in handy when it comes to putting in a compensation claim. If there are any potential witnesses nearby, you should spend time gathering their contact details as well – you may need to hand these over to your insurance company or a lawyer.
Once the police have arrived, communicate all details with them and be sure to get an incident number – you will need this.
Notifying Your Insurance Company
Regardless of who the liable party is, you must call your insurance provider as soon as possible after the accident. Doing this will give you the upper hand because it prevents any other party from denying the claim took place or there was any fault.
If you believe you may have played a part in causing the accident, you must avoid saying this verbally. As soon as admission has been made, it can never be taken back – leave the free discussion for your lawyers.
Seeking Legal Support
If you’ve been in a motorbike accident, you’re most likely seeking to claim compensation. If this is the case, you’ll need to have an excellent motorbike accident lawyer on your team, and we can provide just that.
We have four main offices:
- Tupelo office: 2005 West Main St. Tupelo, MS 38801
- Oxford office: 406 Galleria Drive, Suite 7, Oxford, MS 38655
- Jackson office: 5548 I-55 Suite A, Jackson, MS 39211
- Memphis office: 500 Poplar Ave, Suite 2700, Memphis, TN 38137
Contact now for a free consultation on (883) 626-2587.
