Motorcycle accidents are some of the most dangerous and severe accidents in Los Angeles. This is because, in the event of an accident, the motorcyclists are exposed to fatal injuries. The worst thing about this kind of accident is that any potential collision will cause the motorcyclist to either;
- Hit the pavement at a very high speed
- Be thrown from the motorcycle
- Get a direct body blow from the other automobile involved.
These are some of the factors that make motorcycle accidents extremely lethal compared to other road accidents. In the event that you are involved in this traumatic event, you should seek legal advice from experts in this field of motorcycle accidents. One important thing about consulting an attorney is that they are in good position to help you understand the legal measures you will need to apply during this period and even thereafter. When a motorcycle accident tragedy strikes, you can turn to Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney for personal injury representation focused on making things right for you. Our motorcycle accident attorneys are committed to building a strong case to ensure you receive maximum compensation. Call us today at 424-231-2013 for a free consultation with an attorney to learn more. We work on a contingency fee basis meaning that we only collect fees if we collect compensation for you.
Some of the common motorcycle accidents that you may be involved in are as follows:
- Failure to yield collisions
- Blind spot accidents
- Intersection accidents
- Rear-end collisions
- Lane splitting accidents
A motorcycle accident can result in severe injuries and losses which should be compensated for by the at-fault party. Some of these costs may include:
- Physical therapy
- Compensation for missed work time
- Medical costs
- Loss of the ability to work again
- Financial awards in case of serious of severe injuries for example physical pain, offset disabilities, or serious losses.
This page focuses on providing you with a guideline of what you should do after following a motorcycle accident, regardless of how intense the damages may seem.
Confirm yourself and other victims for injuries
Given that they are referred as one of the most fatal and severe accidents, it is clear that your chances of being left without injuries are extremely low. In case you or one of the other victims is hurt, call 911 as soon as possible for emergency response. Whether you are injured of not, it is vital to seek proper medical attention to make sure that you are in a good medical condition. This is necessary given that in some instances one may be having internal injuries that cannot be seen physically. The advantages of seeking medication following a motorcycle accident as soon as possible will help the doctor fully assess your condition for damages incurred. Some of the most common injuries that may be sustained in this kind of accident may include; head injury, road rash, muscle damage, leg injury and fractured bones. Treatment that begins right after the accident will improve the chances of quick recovery and will also help create evidence for injuries sustained in the accident. Make sure that you acquire a well documented medical report that you can share with your attorney later on.
Relocate persons
It is important to ensure that you and all those victimized by the accident move to safe places. This will help you and the other victims curb any further injuries that you may be exposed to. However, makes sure that you are not relocating a victim whose condition does not allow the move as you may tamper with them hence worsening the injuries. Some of the factors that are speculated to cause more injuries include roadside cliffs, damaged structures that could collapse, structures or automobile on fire, an automobile with leaking gasoline. As you move to safety from the roadway, make sure that you alert other road users about the accident using flares, hazard lights or warning triangles. The essence of this is to ensure that there are no more accidents witnessed at the scene.
Maintain a Calm Demeanor
When you are involved in a motorcycle it is important to remain calm. Do not involve the other parties in any sort of argument, transfer blame of the accident, physically engaging the other party, or even intentionally adding damages to the property. This will help you avoid making statements that can be used against you in the court. Calmness will provide room for you to compose yourself and gather the relevant information that could help you in pursuing your compensations for the damages suffered. The information you collect should be accurate and should cover all the important areas of your accident. Some of the information to record includes:
- Driver’s license
- Insurance provider and policy number for then automobiles involved
- Automobile registration
- License plate numbers
- Number and badge of the police officer at the scene
- The police report number
Furthermore, you should collect personal details of witnesses present at the scene of the motorcycle accident. Only gather detailed information of only those witnesses that are willing to provide you with their details, do not acquire any information without their consent.
Stay at the scene
Remaining at the scene until the police arrive is essential. This is to ensure that the potential evidence is not interfered with by the other parties. On the arrival of the law enforcement officers stay calm and follow their instructions. Leaving the scene can hurt your claims because when the police officers arrive, they will only talk to the other party and this means that they will not get your side of the story. However, if you are in pain, do not insist on staying at the scene because you could be having life threatening injuries.
Report to the police officers
Make sure that you notify police officers of the motorcycle accident in due course. This is important as their presence at the scene is critical because they help in managing traffic, making decisions on whether instant legal actions are needed and even recording details of the motorcycle accident. When making a statement, limit your discussion to be between you and the law enforcement officer given the mandate to investigate the accident scene. One thing to always remember is those never confess or admit responsibility to anyone whatsoever. Provide the basic information on how the accident happened and leave the rest to the team mandated to investigate. Note that the report obtained by the police is essential as it will help in speeding up your claim and this means that after all is done, you should ask for a copy.
Notify insurance company
To avoid denial of your compensation claim by your insurance company, it is relatively important to ensure you contact them immediately after the collision. When talking to your insurance company, you are just letting them know that you have been involved in an accident. Provide them with the basic information such as the time and location of the accident. In case the insurance agent wants to know more about your injuries or damages to your motorcycle, it is good not to disclose this information to them without an attorney. It is not your work to talk to the insurance company directly, leave that to a Los Angeles motorcycle accident attorney. Motorcyclists are usually considered to be reckless and this simply means that the insurance company will try to hold you responsible even in the case where you are the victim.
Insurance companies will be aimed at under compensating you or not compensating you for the damages at all. It is therefore paramount to seek help from legal advocates with vast knowledge in dealing with motorcycle accidents. An attorney will help you attain your right to a financial recovery which could be denied by your insurance company. In most incidents, motorcyclists are denied compensations by their insurance firms based on minor issues such as not wearing full protective gear at the time of the accident. You should be careful with what you provide to the insurance adjusters since they are well trained to trip you.
Contact an Experienced Attorney in Motorcycle Accidents
A Los Angeles personal injury attorney has the expertise in handling motorcycle accident cases. It is important o seek legal assistance from a well-trained and resourceful professional to help you in this incident. The primary responsibility of the attorney is to advise you accordingly on the right legal step to make. For instance, they will guide you which questions to respond to when, where, and whom to respond to. Here are a few situations that may require you to maximize on the experience of an attorney:
- When wrongful accusations are made against you by the other parties involved in the motorcycle accident
- When your insurance company denies your claim
- When either your medical or motorcycle damages exceed your insurance coverage
- When you had serious physical injuries and related costs are resulting from your accident
Most importantly, your attorney must be in a position to communicate with the police, witnesses, and your medical administrator. A Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney will fight the battle for you to ensure that all the negligent parties responsible for your pain and suffering pay you the compensation you deserve to move on after the motorcycle accident. Contact us today so that we can get started on your case. Remember, there is a deadline to file a claim or lawsuit following a motorcycle accident in California. If the accident was caused by the negligence of a government agency, you only have 6 months from the date of accident and this means that delays on your side can lead to the expiration of the deadline. Other cases have a 2-year deadline limit but this does not mean that you have to relax just because there is much time. The sooner you contact us the better because it helps us collect evidence before it’s too late.
Safeguard Evidence from the Motorcycle Accident Site
After an accident, it is important to preserve evidence from the accident scene as well as your medical reports. If medical attention can wait, take some pictures of the scene. This should include photos of the accident scene, the other vehicle involved, their plate numbers, damages to your motorcycle, and your injuries. Also note down information on other factors such as the road and weather conditions, the exact location of the accident, and positioning of the automobile involved in the crash. If your condition does not allow you take pictures, you can ask the police officer on the site to help you before the automobiles are out of the roadway. The pictures are relevant as they will help your motorcycle accident attorney establish critical facts that will help in explaining what happened during the accident.
Moreover, preserve your motorcycle until you consult a lawyer. The attorney with the help of other experts will establish whether your motorcycle had defaults that led to the accident or not. Other motorcycle accidents may not involve vehicles but could be as a result of bad weather conditions, poor roads, and improperly posted road signs. In this situation, a personal injury lawyer will establish the entity to hold responsible and further file a case for you.
At Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney, we work with experts who know everything about Los Angeles and have extensive experience fighting different types of accident cases. We know the proper action to take in the case of a motorcycle accident. If your accident involves government employee unions or big corporate companies such as the motorcycle manufacturer, your chances of getting compensation are almost non-existent if you decide to pursue the case on your own. Let our personal injury attorneys play the main role to ensure that you get compensated for every bit of harm done to you.
Call and speak with one of our highly experienced motorcycle accident attorney for a free legal consultation. We can examine your case to identify parties responsible for your accident at 424-231-2013. No fee unless we win!