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5 Things Bikers Need to do After an Accident

What to know before starting up your motorcycle

In the years that I’ve been meeting with bikers, there is one quote that is universal: “There are two kinds of bikers; those who’ve gone down and those who are about to”.

Bikers seem to know this and they feel like it makes them more cautious riders. Many have learned it from experience.

If you or a loved one rides a motorcycle, it’s no surprise that every time the bike is taken out for a ride the odds of being injured in a crash are much greater. According to Insurance Information Institute, motorcyclists are 27 times more likely to end up in a fatal accident than a passenger car and five times more likely to be injured.

Being careful and aware isn’t always enough to keep a rider safe, so it’s important that you know what to do if you are ever injured in a motorcycle accident.

  1. Check for injuries. First and foremost, make sure to check for injuries on yourself and others. Make sure to get out of the way of traffic if able to do so, but leave vehicle and motorcycle in place for police report purposes.
  2. Contact Police. Make sure to call 9-1-1 right away or have a bystander call if you’re unable to. It’s always important to report the accident no matter how big or small you think it may be just in case of future complaints by other party and/or for insurance claim purposes. Also, it’s a law in Arizona to report any and all accidents.
  3. Gather Information. Gather all information from anyone involved and all witnesses. This information should include first and last name, phone number, email and home address, along with insurance information and license plate numbers. This will be part of the police report, but it’s always safe to have it yourself.
  4. Document It. As soon as you feel you are able to, write down your account of the accident on the day of so you don’t forget any minor or major detail. If you have a mobile phone with a camera or a camera on you, take pictures of the scene. If you don’t have a camera, then try to draw a diagram of the accident as best as possible.
  5. Try Not to Talk. Refrain from making any statements to anyone until you have contacted an attorney. By law, you must give up your contact and insurance information, but other than that there’s no need for any other statements. Words can easily come back and haunt you, so think before you speak.

Once all has been reported and you have been checked for injuries, contact The Law Office of Nate C. Cooley to see what help and compensation you are entitled to.

http://www.iii.org/issue-update/motorcycle-crashes

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