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5 Things to do Following a Motorcycle Accident

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By Susan Melony

It’s undeniable that motorcycles can be dangerous. This transportation form has its ardent supporters, and they are fun to ride, but far more people die in motorcycle accidents than car accidents. It comes down to protection: when you ride in a car, you have what amounts to armor surrounding you, but on a motorcycle, you have much less protection.

You can make things safer for yourself by wearing a helmet, and you can wear pads as well. You should also learn what to do if you’re in an accident if you’re going to continue being a frequent motorcycle rider. Here are some things to make sure to do if you’re in a motorcycle collision.

Get Off the Road

Every year, more than 80,000 individuals suffer motorcycle accident injuries. If you’re one of them, maybe a car or truck hit you. Perhaps you didn’t collide with another vehicle, but instead, you lost control when you hit some ice or an unexpected gravel patch.

However the accident occurred, the first thing you should attempt to do is get yourself and the motorcycle off the road. If you can, stand up, retrieve the motorcycle, and wheel it to safety. That might be the sidewalk, the highway’s side, or anywhere else where passing traffic can’t get to you and cause further damage.

Call for Help

The next step will be calling for help. If you’re not injured, you can do that yourself. If you have a smartphone on you, you could use it to contact 911. This is one reason to make sure and bring a phone when you go out for a motorcycle ride.

If you’re injured and not able to move or call for help, ask someone else to do it. If you’re conscious, ask the first person who approaches to call 911 on your behalf.

Whoever makes the call will need to give the crash location, if it's known. You can also indicate whether you or anyone else is hurt. The 911 operator can send the police, an ambulance, and any further assistance you need.

Tell the Authorities What Happened

If you are severely hurt, the first thing the ambulance will likely do is get you to a hospital. Maybe you’re unconscious, in which case you won’t be able to tell the police or anyone else what took place. Later, when you’re awake again and stable, you can tell them everything you remember.

Assuming you don’t need medical attention, once the cops show up, you can tell them what occurred. They will take information from you to compile an accident report.

They can also play peacemaker if you have an angry driver on your hands. Some people who get in car accidents handle the situation poorly. They might yell and curse at you if they feel you caused what happened, and the police can intervene.

Exchange Information

You’ll next need to exchange information with the other driver if there is one. If multiple vehicles hit each other, you’ll need to do this numerous times.

You must exchange names, contact information, and your insurance carrier and policy number. You’ll also want to get the other driver’s license plate number and vehicle make, and they must get yours.

It’s also best to get the name and contact info of any pedestrian, other driver, etc., who witnessed the accident. This will come in handy later if you have to appear in court. You might decide to sue the other driver or vice versa, and a witness can help sort out what happened.

Contact Your Insurance Company

Once you figure out how to get home, you can contact your insurance company. If you can ride your motorcycle home without issue, that's one option, or you may need to call a tow truck.

You can tell your insurance company what happened so they can immediately launch an investigation and get a claim started. They will ask you if you caused the accident or whether it was the other person.

It’s best to tell your insurance company the truth. If you lie about what happened, that’s fraud, and they will probably find out about it eventually.

After all that, you’ll have to decide whether to bring a lawsuit against the other driver if you believe they acted recklessly or negligently. It's recommended for that step to hire a lawyer who has experience in this area.

You may also need to go through doctor’s appointments, surgeries, physical therapy, and more, depending on your injury extent.

It may take time to sort everything through, so patience will help at every step.

Accident, Motorcycle, tips

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