A Guide on What To Do If You Are in a Motorcycle Accident
This article was updated in October 2024
According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, about 4,000 motorcycle crashes occur in the Peach State each year. They kill almost 150 Georgians annually and lead thousands of others to sustain injuries, many of which are life-altering.
If you’re ever seriously injured in a motorcycle crash, knowing which steps to take in its aftermath is important. Here is what to do if you are in a motorcycle accident to prevent it from taking an even bigger toll on you, your health, and your finances in the future.
Move to a Safe Location
Right after a motorcycle accident takes place, you’ll likely find yourself lying in the middle of the road in immediate danger. An already bad situation could become even worse if another driver comes along, doesn’t see you, and accidentally hits you again.
For this reason, you should remain calm and begin by moving to a safe location as long as you aren’t dealing with serious injuries that make it impossible to stand up and walk to the side of the road. In this case, call for help and hope bystanders spring into action to lend a hand as you try to move to safety.
Check for Injuries
Once you make your way to safety following a motorcycle accident, check your body for any surefire signs of injuries. Road rash is a very common motorcycle injury that many bike crash victims must recover from, but it’s only one of the many injuries you may sustain. Others include:
- Fractured arms, legs, and other bones
- Deep lacerations
- Head injuries, such as concussions
- Neck injuries, like whiplash
- Internal injuries
Some motorcycle crash injuries are more obvious than others. Make sure you evaluate yourself for injuries — preferably after the adrenaline from your accident wears off — so that you can arrange for emergency services as necessary. This is a high priority for what to do if you are in a motorcycle accident or any other type of motor vehicle crash for that matter.
Call 911
Following a motorcycle accident, the drivers from other vehicles involved will probably pick up their smartphones and call 911. Depending on where the crash occurred, pedestrians who were in the surrounding area when it happened might also call 911 to report the accident to police.
But you should still see to it that someone has called 911 when you’re in a bike accident. If they haven’t, pick up your own smartphone and dial 911 so you can report the accident and arrange to have police officers and potentially paramedics come to the scene to launch an investigation and provide medical care.
The police will want to speak to the other parties involved in a motorcycle crash to piece together what took place for a police report. They’ll also want to analyze your accident scene and look for things like skid marks that can paint a clearer picture of who or what caused your crash.
Seek Medical Attention
If you sustain a bad head injury that leaves you unconscious or if you’re seriously injured in another way, you should always seek medical attention at the scene of a motorcycle crash. Motorcycle riders shouldn’t put off medical treatment for any longer than they have to in these instances.
However, you’ll also want to seek the necessary treatment at a nearby hospital even if you don’t think you suffered any devastating motorcycle injuries. Medical professionals can perform a complete evaluation to see if you have any injuries impacting you just beneath the surface.
Ask these doctors and nurses to document your injuries, just in case you decide to hire a personal injury lawyer to represent you in a lawsuit. You might want to consider working with a motorcycle accident lawyer to try to collect compensation for your injuries so you can cover medical expenses, lost wages, and more.
Gather Evidence From the Accident Scene
Shortly after the police finish investigating your accident scene so they can create a police report, they’ll start to have it cleaned up. When they do, they might erase some of the important evidence you’ll need to build a compelling motorcycle accident claim.
Before the scene disappears, take out your smartphone and snap as many photographs of it as you can. Take videos of the scene of your bike crash, too. This is what to do if you are in a motorcycle accident and you suspect you might want to take legal action.
Exchange Insurance Information
Hopefully, the other drivers involved in your motorcycle accident will stick around at the scene of your crash to speak with the police. When they do, the police will ask them to provide their insurance information for their official record of the accident.
But even if the police do this, you shouldn’t let it stop you from exchanging insurance details with them directly. This will make it easier to file an insurance claim through your insurance company or insurance agent. It will also make it simpler to take legal action against an at-fault driver if you decide to go in this direction.
If there were several other drivers involved in your motorcycle accident, don’t be afraid to ask each one of them for their auto insurance coverage information. It’s better to do this now versus trying to track down insurance information later on when you’re filing an insurance claim or exploring your legal rights.
Speak With Eyewitnesses
Is there anyone on the scene of your motorcycle accident who saw it happen? If so, you should try to connect with any eyewitnesses you can find, especially if they suggest that a driver in another vehicle was to blame for your crash.
The police will no doubt want to take witness statements from these people. A motorcycle accident lawyer might also want to rely on witness testimonies to bolster your case.
Gather information from any eyewitnesses you can find, including:
- Names
- Phone numbers
- Email addresses
If these eyewitnesses have any other relevant information, such as the license plate number for a car that didn’t stop after being involved in your accident, write this information down as well.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Motorcycle accidents can leave people with mountains of medical bills. They can also force them to spend a small fortune repairing any property damage to their bikes.
It’s worth at least speaking with a motorcycle accident lawyer about your crash. They can help explain your legal rights and determine whether you have a strong enough case on your hands to file a lawsuit.
If a personal injury attorney finds that you were likely the at-fault party in a motorcycle crash, they may advise against you filing a lawsuit against another driver involved in your accident. But if someone else struck your motorcycle and caused you to suffer serious injuries that required extensive medical attention, this is a different story. You can and should strongly consider taking legal action against another driver and their insurance company if your claim does not provide you with enough compensation.
Just make sure you bring the right motorcycle accident lawyer on board to help navigate the legal process. This attorney should have the following attributes:
- Plenty of experience working on personal injury cases and, more specifically, cases involving motorcycle accidents
- A proven track record for helping motorcycle crash victims recover damages following accidents
- Positive online reviews and testimonials from past clients
- A clear-cut plan for providing the legal help you need in your motorcycle crash case
- A friendly, calm demeanor that can make a very stressful situation easier to manage
The Law Offices of Nicholas P. Martin can provide the legal help you need when you’re in the process of recovering from a motorcycle crash.
Take Legal Action
If you seek legal advice from The Law Offices of Nicholas P. Martin and find that filing a lawsuit against another driver and/or their insurance company sounds like the right move, don’t wait too long to do it. The statute of limitations for motorcycle accident cases in Georgia is just two years.
A personal injury lawyer can file the proper paperwork for cases involving motorcycle accidents. They can also:
- Negotiate with another driver and their insurance company to see if they can work out a settlement agreement
- Stick by your side if your accident case goes to trial
- Answer any legal questions you might have throughout settlement negotiations and a trial
Motorcycle accident lawyers make it possible for an injured motorcyclist to recover without worrying about medical expenses and other bills hanging over their head.
Call Our Personal Injury Law Firm for Help After Motorcycle Accidents
Were you seriously injured in a motorcycle accident near Dunwoody, GA? Contact The Law Offices of Nicholas P. Martin. Nick will speak with you directly about your case and provide personalized, thorough assistance to help you seek compensation.
Contact The Law Offices of Nicholas P. Martin at 770-759-0801 now to discuss what to do if you are in a motorcycle accident and seek assistance.
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