What to Do If You’re Hurt in a Motorcycle Accident in Tampa, FL

Motorcycle deaths accounted for 13 percent of all motor vehicle crash deaths in 2015 and were more than double the number of motorcyclist deaths in 1997. – IIHS

Any time you’re in a motorcycle accident, you’re going to feel confused, flustered, and scared. It is common to experience shock that leaves you unsure of what the next steps to take are. But what you do after getting into a motorcycle accident can be crucial for the following months or potentially years after your accident.

If you’ve recently been in a motorcycle accident and you’re unsure of what to do, this guide can help you cover all your bases and create a solid road map to recovery.

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Immediately After the Motorcycle Accident

After any kind of motorcycle accident, the first step you should take is ensuring you and any passengers with you are okay and do not need medical attention. If you or someone that you’re with needs to see a doctor immediately, you or someone on the scene should call 911 and request an ambulance. Getting medical attention is the most important thing, so any further steps can wait if you are severely injured.

If your injuries are minor and you do not need to see a doctor right away, you will want to take a moment to calm down and clear your head. Because the next few steps will be crucial to your insurance claim and getting compensation you may need, you will want to be thinking clearly. Take a few moments to pull yourself together before talking with other drivers or pedestrians involved.

Once you are able, you will want to assess the damage to your bike and other vehicles or items involved in the accident. If you have a working phone or camera, you should also take photographs of any damage that was caused.

If there was another driver involved in the accident, you will also want to take pictures of the damage to their car and write down the make, model, and license plate of each vehicle involved. Finally, be sure to get the insurance information and contact information of the other driver or drivers, regardless of who is at fault for the accident.

You will need to wait at the scene until a police officer can arrive and make a report. Not only could fleeing the scene cause you to face criminal charges, but you will also want to be around to share your side of the stories and how you preserved the series of events. Having your statement documented in the police report could be extremely beneficial for you down the line.

Once the scene of the accident has been properly documented and you have all the information you need, you are free to leave the scene of the accident.

Motorcycle Accident Injury Claims

Once you leave the scene of the accident, you will want to contact a Tampa motorcycle accident lawyer. This is particularly true if you have sustained extreme or severe damage from the accident and will need continuous treatment or rehab for your injuries. Contacting a personal injury attorney at the beginning of your case can also help protect you throughout the entire process.

If your bike is severely damaged in the accident, you may want to rush to a shop and immediately have repairs made. However, repairing these damages too soon could mean that you miss the opportunity to properly document them or you may not receive all the compensation you deserve.

You will want to discuss the situation with your insurance provider and give them the contact information of the other driver’s insurance providers before you schedule an appointment to have your vehicle fixed. Your insurance provider can tell you what kind of documentation or images they will need before changes are made to your bike.

If you are contacted by the other driver’s insurance provider, you will want to avoid talking to them without your own insurance provider or attorney on the line. Because the other driver’s insurance provider may try to get you to admit fault in the accident or trip you up in some other way, you will want to be careful of what you say and who you talk to about the accident.

If you need to make repairs or visit the hospital because of damages after the accident, you will want to keep clear documentation of each expense. These expenses may include repairs to the motorcycle, doctor and medical bills, charges for a rental vehicle while your bike was being fixed, and if you had to miss work and lost wages because of injuries or treatment after the accident. It is important to keep clear records of these expenses because you may be entitled to compensation.

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How a Tampa Motorcycle Accident Attorney Can Help

Motorcycle accidents in Tampa, FL should be handled by an experienced attorney. Whether you’re seriously injured or you just need to spend a few weeks recovering, you should not need to suffer financially because of an accident that was not your fault.

Working with a motorcycle accident attorney, can help you receive all the compensation you deserve. By helping you avoid admitting blame to the other insurance provider to creating a strong defense case that proves the other driver was at fault, Jack Bernstein and his team of expert attorneys can ensure you walk away with compensation to cover repairs, medical bills, lost wages and more.

At Jack Bernstein, Injury Attorneys we care about your future. We know that injuries from a motorcycle accident can completely alter the course of one’s life, causing them to struggle financially for the rest of their life. We do all that we can to help our clients find relief in the settlements we can secure for them, ensuring they can receive the treatment and medical attention that they need following their accident.

If you have recently been in a motorcycle accident, don’t waste any more time wondering what you should do. Contact our office to speak with Jack personally to discuss the details of your situation.