Even low speed accidents can cause significant injury to motorcycle riders. For example, after a motorcycle accident in Nashville, victims often suffer lacerations, friction burns and broken bones. Also, many suffer from potentially catastrophic injuries, like traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury.
For motorcyclists struck by other vehicles, it is possible to bring an injury claim against a negligent driver. Therefore, you should contact an attorney as soon as possible after a crash. However, there are other steps you can take before this that will help you with your motorcycle accident lawsuit. These steps include:
- Calling the police. First, you should dial 911 and notify the police that an accident occurred. Hopefully, the police and emergency medical services will arrive promptly to assess the accident scene and offer medical treatment. Also, notifying the police of your accident is important because the attending officer will file an accident report. This report can be used as evidence when attempting to recover full compensation for your injuries.
- Seeking medical attention. After calling the police, you should seek immediate medical attention after an accident. Even if your injuries are not serious on the outside, motorcycle accidents can cause delayed onset injuries, such as a concussion. Thus, it is important to identify and treat these injuries immediately. Additionally, the medical documentation you receive will be valuable in proving the scope of your injuries.
- Interviewing witnesses. After seeking medical attention, you can begin interviewing witnesses to the accident. Other drivers who stop to help or bystanders who saw the accident may provide valuable insight for police and the courts. Thus, you should ask the witnesses to stay until the police have arrived. They can give a statement to the police that will be documented once the police report is filed. Additionally, if a witness chooses not to stay, then make sure that his or her statement is documented, whether written or verbal, with proper consent. However, you should only interview witnesses if you are physically able.
- Taking photographs of the accident scene. Along with interviewing witnesses, you should also take photographs of the accident scene. For example, the positioning of the vehicles, the damage to each vehicle and your injuries are all things that should be photographed.
- Notifying the Tennessee Department of Safety. While some of the aforementioned steps are optional, this one is not. In fact, it is a required step for all accidents involving personal injury, death or property damages exceeding $50.
CONTACT A NASHVILLE MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT ATTORNEY
Although there are steps you should take immediately after a motorcycle accident in Nashville, there are also some that you should avoid. For example, do not, under any circumstances, give a statement to the opposing party’s insurance company. This could potentially lessen your settlement amount or have your claim thrown out of court.
Therefore, you should always consult with a Nashville motorcycle accident attorney before making any concrete decisions. At the Law Office of Stanley A. Davis, we can provide you with aggressive and experienced legal representation. Additionally, attorney Stan Davis can answer any questions that you may have about your motorcycle accident claim. Contact him today at (615) 866-3938 or fill out a confidential contact form to schedule a free consultation.