The moments after an accident are critical to your well-being and your ability to recover financial damages. Physical safety is always the priority, and you should be careful to avoid additional injury. Even if you don’t immediately feel hurt, you may aggravate a neck or spinal injury by quick or careless removal of your helmet. If you are alone, a self-evaluation and slow, careful movements are critical. Better yet, wait for a paramedic to stabilize your spine and neck before removing your helmet.
Accepting on-scene medical care or calling 911 for medical assistance is also crucial to the strength of your case. If you refuse treatment, the defense lawyer and insurer place less value on your case for settlement and use it against you for trial. Similarly, say anything to the other driver, police officer, or witness that could be considered an admission of fault or acknowledgment that the other driver wasn’t at fault, your case will have a lower value.
If you can talk to the witnesses and take photos of the scene, you should do so immediately. If you are injured and have a friend with you, ask them to talk to the witnesses and take the photos. From the witnesses, you want to get their names, phone numbers, and a short summary of what they observed. With respect to the pictures, as many as possible from various angles with particular attention to skid marks, vehicular damages, and physical injuries.
One of the biggest mistakes people make after an accident with injuries is attempting to calm and reassure their friends by downplaying the extent of those injuries. The best advice we can give you about social media and spreading the word to friends is -- do not do it. Stay entirely off of all social media and speak only to immediate family. Every single person you talk to, text, or email is a potential witness. Do, however, call your insurance company as soon as possible to get them working for you on your property claim, and, if applicable, covering your medical needs. As the process proceeds, make sure you keep every invoice, medical record, and the police report.
Finally, the most important thing you can do is give us a call. We are happy to provide you with guidance and evaluate your case, wherever the accident happened. The sooner you call, the sooner Fried Bonder White attorneys’ experience with motorcycle injury cases will be working toward your recovery.
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