What Should You Do After A Motorcycle Accident In Burbank, Glendale, or Pasadena?

After you or a loved one is injured in a motorcycle accident, it is essential that you don’t adversely affect your ability to recover money for you injuries.  To maximize your compensation, you must protect your legal rights to recovering for your injuries.

1. Remain at the scene of the motorcycle accident

Absent being unconscious or having been transported to the hospital, it is essential that you remain at the scene of the motorcycle accident.  While at the scene of the motorcycle accident, normally a Burbank police officer or a California Highway Patrolman will be called to the scene of the motorcycle accident to prepare a report of the accident and any injuries involved. 

Exchange license and insurance information with the other drivers involved in the motorcycle accident.  Get their work and home contact information in case you or your insurance company needs to reach them at various hours of the day.  As you probably have more serious injuries than the other motor vehicle drivers involved in the motorcycle accident, be aware of what you are saying, and attempt to tell the Burbank / Glendale / Pasadena Police or CHP officers your contact information and the events of the motorcycle accident as you observed them. 

It is also important to stay at the scene of your motorcycle accident and to exchange information, because failure to do so may result in a criminal hit-and-run charge being brought against you.

2. Do not accept responsibility or fault for the motorcycle accident

Upon being involved in a motorcycle accident suffering from serious injuries, you may be focused more on your injuries than the events which immediately preceded your motorcycle accident.  It is, however, important that you communicate to the Burbank / Glendale / Pasadena Police Officer at the scene of the motorcycle accident so it will be entered into their police report.  Simply tell the Burbank police officers the facts which led up to you being hit by the other negligent driver.  Do not accept responsibility or fault for the motorcycle accident, as you are not in a mental state immediately following this motorcycle accident, and you are not aware of all of the facts and how negligent the other drivers were.

Also, when speaking with insurance companies or the police officers, do not attempt to minimize your injuries.  There are injuries which may be immediately observable, but there may be further injuries which have not or could not yet be observed, such as brain damage.  Additionally, do not sign any documents in which you are accepting liability for the accident or are accepting a settlement for your injuries until you speak with our Burbank Glendale Pasadena Motorcycle Accident Attorneys and Lawyers so you are properly informed of your rights.  Failure to do these things may prevent you from recovering any money for your injuries, lost wages, or future unknown injuries resulting from this motorcycle accident.

3. Get contact information for witnesses to the motorcycle accident

Most people these days have busy and hectic schedules which will prevent them from remaining at the scene of your motorcycle accident.  It is essential to get their contact information prior to them leaving the scene of your motorcycle accident.  Depending on the respond time of Burbank police officers, they may attempt to leave before the Burbank Police arrive.  This is why it is essential to obtain any and all contact information of these witnesses.  At a minimum, get their names, phone number, and e-mail address.
 As for the other drivers involved in your motorcycle accident, it is essential that you get their Full legal names, their current address, their home and work telephone numbers, their driver’s license numbers and their insurance information.  If they will not provide you with this information, document their vehicle license plate numbers, VIN number and vehicle type.  Additionally, call the Burbank, Pasadena, and / or Glendale police if they are attempting to or have already left the scene of your motorcycle accident.

4. Document Your Motorcycle Accident

Take pictures of your motorcycle accident, being sure to get various angles and the wreckage of your motorcycle and the other motor vehicles.  Document the physical damage to your motorcycle, any skid marks, the weather conditions, the traffic signals, if any, and even picture the witnesses and the negligent drivers who injured you in this motorcycle accident in Burbank, Pasadena or Glendale.

5. Seek Medical Attention For Your Motorcycle Accident Injuries

If you are suffering from serious or critical injuries as a result of your motorcycle accident, immediately be transported to the Emergency Room to have your injuries checked and treated by a trained medical physician.  Even if you were involved in a minor motorcycle accident, it is beneficial for you to be seen immediately by a doctor and to receive an MRI to make sure that any brain damage or brain trauma is treated immediately.

Failure to be treated, or delaying the time from your initial injury to the date you first see a doctor gives insurance companies an opportunity to argue that your injuries wouldn’t have been as severe if you had sought immediate medical attention.  Therefore, by seeking immediate medical attention, you may actually be able to recover more compensation for your injuries because the insurance companies would probably be unsuccessful in making these delayed treatment arguments. 

Additionally, as you will be reimbursed for your medical expenses, it is essential that you retain all of your medical bills, physical therapy bills and treatment records, such as prescriptions.  The more records you keep, the easier it will be to prove your injuries which in turn will make it easier to recover money damages.

6. Out of Pocket Expenses

Similar to keeping medical records, it is also essential to keep records of any out of pocket expenses which are directly related to your motorcycle accident.  There expenses would include a car or motorcycle rental fee, lost wages, and motorcycle repair costs.

7. Pain and Suffering

Immediately following your motorcycle accident, it is essential to begin recording the pain and suffering you are experiencing which is directly related to your motorcycle accident.  This is achieved by recording all pain and difficulty you are now experiencing as a direct result of your motorcycle accident.  Some topics which you may want to discuss are:

• Routine physical activities you can no longer do or are reduced
• Gym
• Running
• Golf
• Swimming
• Reduced Mobility
• Basketball
• Baseball
• Other Athletic Activities
• Pain Standing
• Pain Sitting
• Pain Walking
• Pain Running
• Pain Going Up Stairs
• Pain Going Down Stairs
• Numbness in your Hands or Arms
• Numbness in your Feet or Legs
• General Numbness
• Pinched Nerves
• Headaches
• Memory Loss
• Changes in your vision (things are now blurry)
• Loss of sense of smell
• Loss of taste

8. Hire a Motorcycle Accident Attorney or Lawyer

Although it is listed last, it is by far the most important thing on this list.  Immediately after you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, you should contact an experienced Burbank, Glendale, and Pasadena Motorcycle Accident Lawyer to begin looking out for your interests who can begin talking with the insurance companies to help expedite your settlement where you can get back to your life as it was prior to your motorcycle accident.  Our Burbank Motorcycle Accident Attorneys are available to provide you with a free confidential initial consultation, so please call us today at 800-704-8237.