An unexpected motorcycle accident can leave you feeling more than a bit stressed-out.
Here are 8 “To-Do’s” after a Washington State motorcycle accident to make the situation a little less stressful – and help your personal injury case.
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Stop Your Motorcycle And Get Off.
Make sure that your motorcycle is stopped and get off. Take a minute to catch your breath.
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Stay At The Scene.
Never leave the scene of an accident until it is appropriate to do so. If you leave, especially when someone has been injured, you may face serious criminal penalties for being a hit-and-run driver.
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Move To A Safe Area.
If you can, move your motorcycle out of the way. If this is not possible, turn on your hazard lights to warn other drivers that your motorcycle isn’t moving any time soon.
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Check On The Others Involved.
Check on the other persons involved, including drivers, passengers, and pedestrians, to make sure no one is hurt. Call 911 if anyone appears to be injured.
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Call The Police.
Even in minor motorcycle accidents, a police accident report can be valuable when dealing with insurance companies and other drivers. Cooperate fully and be polite, but avoid admitting fault or blaming others while at the scene. Let the police review the events to determine who was at-fault for the accident.
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Gather information.
Try to write down as much information as you can after the motorcycle accident, including:
- Driver, passenger, and witness names, phone number, mailing address, and email address
- License plate numbers
- Insurance company name, policy number, and telephone number for the other vehicles involved.
- Description of motorcycles or other vehicles involved (make, model, and color)
- Location of the accident
- Name, badge number, and telephone number of any investigating officers.
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Document The Scene.
Take pictures of the scene from different angles with your phone camera.
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Write Down Any Statements Made.
Write down anything said by the other driver, passengers, or eyewitnesses relating to the accident. This would include any apologies, accusations, statements about distractions, drinking, peed, or anything else about “why” or “how” the accident happened.
Chong Ye is a member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyer and is an active Eagle member of the Washington Association for Justice. The Ye Law Firm is recognized as 10 Best Law Firms by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys. Chong is a first generation South Korean American and watched family and friends taken advantage of in legal situations. He was motivated to become a personal injury attorney to provide honest and trustworthy representation to anyone who suffered a personal injury through no fault of their own.