To protect your rights after a motorcycle accident, you should seek medical attention and begin gathering as much evidence as you can. Attorneys can take the lead in gathering the evidence necessary to hold another driver responsible for your losses. At the same time, they can protect your case against aggressive insurance companies.
Additionally, there are steps you can take to protect your rights immediately after the crash. Gathering evidence from the scene can help to bolster a case and be the first step in the pursuit of fair compensation.
Seek Medical Attention
Whether you believe your injuries to be serious or not, seeking medical attention after a motorcycle accident can help your case. Medical documentation can provide proof of your accident-related injuries.
Additionally, some symptoms of injuries may not manifest immediately after an accident. You do not want to accept an insurance settlement only to find that it will not cover the medical costs or reduced earning capacity that later arises due to your injuries.
The last thing you want after suffering a motorcycle accident is to incur further harm due to your injuries. A lawyer from our firm can help you calculate both your current and future losses with proper medical evidence.
The Moments Following the Accident Offer a Unique Opportunity to Obtain Evidence
In every personal injury case, motorcycle accidents included, injured people bear the burden of proving that another party was responsible for the incident. This proof must center around the evidence in the case.
The fact is that much of this evidence is only available for a limited time. As soon as the accident occurs, we recommend that you take pictures and videos at the scene. This can include:
- The resting positions of the involved vehicles
- The current weather and amount of daylight
- Whether any traffic control signals were present or malfunctioning
- Video statements from witnesses who observed the crash
Of course, people should only obtain this evidence if their injuries are not so severe that they require immediate medical intervention. Still, obtaining evidence immediately after a crash can help to protect your rights after a motorcycle accident.
Be Cautious when Talking with the Insurance Companies
Some communication with insurance companies is essential. You should always immediately report the incident to your provider. This can start the claims process, as well as release funds for some of your medical bills.
However, you should be cautious when talking to the other driver’s company. Beyond informing this company that you were in an accident with one of their insureds, this contact should be minimal.
While these companies do have the right to collect an official statement from you, any person seeking compensation after a motorcycle accident can obtain legal representation to help with communications with insurance companies.
Hire an Attorney From Our Firm to Handle Your Case
Once a person hires a lawyer, the other driver’s insurance company must direct all communications to that attorney. An attorney can assist injured motorcyclists with:
- Providing official statements
- Answering questions from insurance companies
- Submitting official demand letters seeking compensation
An attorney can also take the lead in proving fault for the case. According to 735 ILCS 5/2-1116, courts hearing personal injury cases must evaluate the actions of all parties involved in the incident and assign blame accordingly.
If the court believes that an injured biker is more than 50 percent to blame for the incident, it cannot award any compensation. An attorney works to gather the evidence and interpret the law to protect your rights to compensation after a motorcycle accident.
Get Started on the Process as Soon as Possible
Motorcycle accident cases can be extremely complex. Not only do people need to prove that another driver was to blame for an incident, but they must also show how that incident has impacted their lives.
This process can take many months or even a year. At the same time, 735 ILCS 5/13-202 says that people have only two years from the date of the accident to file a case in court.
As a result, acting quickly to gather evidence, measure losses, and demand compensation is vital to success in a case.
Protecting Your Rights After a Motorcycle Accident Demands Swift Action
It is understandable to be confused after a motorcycle accident. Not only do you need to make a recovery, but you also need to understand how to protect your legal rights.
This requires gathering evidence concerning the accident, measuring how that accident has impacted your life, dealing with the insurance companies, and making proper demands for compensation.
The legal team at The Kryder Law Group, LLC can help in each of these areas. We can provide more information about protecting your rights after a motorcycle accident during your free consultation. Give us a call today at (312) 223-1700 to learn more.
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