Riding a motorcycle is not only an effective way to reach your destination, but it is also an incredible amount of fun. Still, motorcycle riders are often at an increased risk for accidents. Unfortunately, motorcycle crashes often result in serious injuries or death. In fact, in 2016, more than 170 riders died on Georgia’s roadways.
If you sustain an injury in a motorcycle accident, you likely must act quickly to seek compensation for your injuries and property damage. After all, Georgia law puts a two-year limit on filing personal injury lawsuits. What you do after a motorcycle accident may affect your ability to receive payments for your damages. Here are four things you should do following a motorcycle accident.
- Recognize your mental, emotional and physical state
Motorcycle accidents can be both stressful and painful. Your body has a way of helping you compensate for trauma, though. If you have adrenaline pumping through your veins, you may not realize you have sustained an injury. Moreover, sometimes injury symptoms do not appear immediately. Either way, you should always seek medical treatment following a motorcycle collision to bolster your chances of fully recovering.
- Move out of the roadway
With car crashes, drivers have a steel cage to protect themselves from further injury after an accident. That is not the case with motorcycle collisions, though. Accordingly, you must think about your vulnerability following an accident. Try to move out of the roadway to minimize your chances of additional injury or death.
- Think about what you say
As you probably know, insurance companies make money by paying as little as possible for motorcycle accident claims. If an adjuster can get you to admit fault, the insurance company may not have to pay anything at all. Therefore, always think twice about what you say. Never admit fault or downplay your injuries when discussing a wreck with an insurance company representative.
- Document the accident scene
Following any motorcycle collision, you should contact the police. Officers will likely create a police report. To protect your legal rights, though, you may want some supplemental information. As such, if you can do so safely and without further injuring yourself, try to document the accident scene. Take photographs of the accident, signage, traffic patterns and damaged property. Also, ask witnesses for their names and contact details.
With some luck and careful riding, you may never have to worry about a motorcycle collision. If you find yourself in the middle of one, though, you must act diligently to protect yourself, your property and your legal rights.
