With spring around the corner in many parts of the United States, the temptation to hit the road for many motorcycle owners will soon be overwhelming. Of course, in southern parts of the country motorcycle season is not limited by the weather, which offers opportunities for great biking and unfortunately some safety risks year round. While you should plan to never be in a motorcycle accident, it’s important to know what to do if it ever happens to you so that you don’t panic and do something to hurt your case in the heat of the moment.
That said, if you have the good fortune of spending some of the winter in the sunny state of Florida but the bad fortune of already being in a motorcycle accident, PerenichLaw.com is a good resource to start to make sure you know your legal options.
Top things to do after a motorcycle accident
- Limit who you talk to: Do not engage in unnecessary conversation with the other party in the accident. Even pleasantries or a polite apology can be held against you later in the process. It’s tempting to say sorry, but you need to resist. Instead, only talk to the police and a lawyer who is representing your interests.
- Stick to the facts: It is tempting to try and explain away the accident with additional context or irrelevant details. Unfortunately for you, the law (and probably most people) do not care about your added commentary. Stick to the facts when speaking to the police. You may say a little bit more to your lawyer if you wish, but understand that ultimately only the facts matter here.
- Seek medical attention: You may want to look ‘tough’ to try and make it look like the accident was no big deal, or a minor collision. This can be a huge mistake. Not only is proper documentation necessary to deal with the potential legal issues that were mentioned above, but delaying treatment after a motorcycle accident can turn minor problems into long term complications.
- Keep your guard up: We already know that in the aftermath of a motorcycle accident you should limit who you talk to. But once the fog clears, it’s important to keep your guard up over the long haul. If your accident results in litigation there is a real chance that something foolish you post on social media could be used against you in court, or even in extreme cases that a seemingly concerned stranger making small talk could be an investigator or even legal representative of the other party to the accident or their insurance company.
There’s no way around it – a motorcycle accident is always inconvenient, and the complications can drag out for months or even years afterward. The good news is that in Virginia, as of 2020 motorcycle accidents and motorcycle-related fatalities were in year-over-year decline. The best way to protect yourself and minimize future litigation or disputes is to keep in mind the key pointers outlined above – no matter how tempting it is to follow your own course of action.
Story by Umair Asif
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