You might be injured, but even if somehow, miraculously, you’re not, motorcycles accidents are terrifying.
You could have been killed, and while you’re thanking your lucky stars that you’re still alive, it may be hard to remember what you should do next.
If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, or even if you simply ride a motorcycle and are worried about an accident in the future, read on. This informative post will tell you everything you need to know so you can take the right steps if and when the time comes. Hopefully, it never will.
1. Stay Calm
The first and most important thing to do if you are in a motorcycle accident is to stay calm. Again, a motorcycle accident is likely one of the scariest experiences you will ever have in your life. However, you need to stay calm so you can assess your injuries and the damage to your bike, and so you can make sure that anyone else involved in the accident is ok.
2. Call 911
Even if you don’t think that you have any injuries, it’s crucial that you call 911 or the local emergency number. The police will be dispatched to your location along with emergency medical services. Remember, both of these agencies’ primary goal is to help you and others involved in the accident. They can even send you an air ambulance to pick you up as Air Ambulance 1 does.
3. Keep Your Helmet On
You may feel fine after the accident. Adrenaline is running through your body and if you’re hurt, you may not even realize it. Unless you are having difficulty breathing, keep your helmet and other protective gear on and let professionals remove them for you when they arrive to check you out. This will help you to avoid hurting yourself further.
It’s also important that you seek medical attention even if you think that you are okay. Oftentimes, serious injuries from motorcycle crashes are not visible and are internal. You may have a head injury despite your helmet, or you may be suffering from internal bleeding. Allow medical professionals to evaluate you and if they feel you should go to the hospital for further tests, listen to them.
4. Call Your Insurance Company
Let your insurance company know that you were in an accident as soon as possible. They will have many questions for you; be sure to answer them as completely as you can.
If another party was involved in your accident, don’t forget to collect their information at the scene if you are able. Your insurance company will need it. However, if it was not possible to speak to the other party at the time of the accident, the police will include their information in the accident report.
5. Hire a Lawyer
If you’ve been in a motorcycle accident, you should hire a lawyer as soon as possible. Even if no other party was involved in your accident, there may be property damage, and you could soon be the target of a lawsuit. Look for a law firm like McCutchen Law Firm in Fort Smith, Arkansas, that specializes in personal injury; you can check out their website at https://www.mccutchenlawfirm.com/.
Further, your insurance company will likely want to offer you as little as possible for your possible injuries and the damage to your bike. An experienced lawyer will help you get the payout that you deserve.
Drive Safely and Avoid Motorcycle Accidents
Hopefully, you’ll never have to worry about dealing with a motorcycle accident, but if you do experience one, now you know the five things that you should do first. Motorcycles are a lot of fun, but they can be dangerous, too. Be careful out there on the road and drive safely to keep you, others, and your beloved motorcycle safe now and onward into the future.
If you need a personal injury lawyer in Fort Smith, Arkansas, we’d love to help! Please give us a call today.