Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

What To Do At The Scene Of The Michigan Motorcycle Accident

First and foremost, you need to ensure your own safety. That means you will need to get off of the road and remain somewhere safe to avoid any further accidents or injury. If others were involved in the Michigan motorcycle accident, you may need to help them reach safety as well. However, don’t move them if their injuries prevent their relocation.

Once you are in a place of safety, assess yourself to see your level of injury from the motorcycle accident. If your injuries are so severe that you require immediate medical attention, call 911.

However, if you don’t require immediate medical assistance, alert the police and wait at the scene of the accident until they arrive. As you wait at the scene for the police, document what took place and by whom. This documentation can include:

• The name, phone number, and driver’s license information of all those involved in the Michigan motorcycle accident
• Insurance information of the vehicles involved
• Photos of the scene, the motorcycle, and cars involved, along with any injuries sustained by you or your passenger
• The contact information and first-hand accounts from any eyewitnesses

You may also want to either write down or use your phone to make an audio recording of what took place. This will help you remember the important events, details, or other pieces of evidence that may be forgotten later on.

Once the police officer arrives, help them accurately fill out their police report by answering their questions and sharing any helpful or important information without admitting fault. Make sure to get the officer’s name, badge number, and the incident number. Once the police report is available, acquire a copy of it.

Seek Medical Attention

Regardless of your condition, you should seek medical care. This is true even if you’re not sure who pays the bills from the Michigan motorcycle accident.

If you are attended to by first responders, make sure to tell them the injuries you have suffered along with any symptoms. The same applies if you’re being seen by doctors, medical staff, and other healthcare professionals.

The reason for this is two-fold:

1. It will help you get all of your injuries cared for as soon as possible, along with helping them find underlying injuries that may not be immediately apparent.
2. It will provide important evidence of what injuries your body has sustained from the Michigan motorcycle accident, allowing you to receive the compensation you deserve when it comes time to settle your case.

Some Michigan motorcycle accident victims don’t go to the doctor because they don’t feel a lot of pain. They may even feel no pain at all. However, it’s important to always receive medical treatment after a motorcycle accident. This is because you may have suffered injury and trauma to your body that is not immediately apparent.

When the human body suffers a traumatic event such as a motorcycle accident, chemicals like adrenaline can be released that give you the strength needed to escape a dangerous situation or help you get to safety. These same chemicals can also mask symptoms and temporarily remove pain, even though you may have suffered severe injury. So even though you don’t feel pain or injury, you may still have suffered trauma without knowing it.

Postponing medical treatment from motorcycle accident injuries can also prevent your body from healing properly under the guidance of medical experts, thus worsening injuries or even causing permanent disfigurement.

Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

The next steps are best handled under the guidance of an experienced attorney who specializes in Michigan motorcycle accidents. This is to help you avoid making mistakes that can cost you benefits, compensation, and other care that you may be entitled to under Michigan law.

Notify your insurance company to apply for No-Fault benefits
Motorcycle accident victims in Michigan have a finite amount of time to apply for their no-fault benefits from their own car insurance company–a max of one year from the date of the accident, according to Michigan Law Section 500.3145.

However, while you are talking with your insurance company, they may try to get you to make a statement that casts doubt on your injuries, release them of liability, or that allows them to legally deny paying damages from your accident.

This is why it’s important to first hire a Michigan motorcycle attorney who understands how insurance companies work, what they legally need to know, as well as what they are not entitled to know. Allow your attorney to provide guidance when applying for No-Fault benefits.

These No-Fault benefits include paying for your medical bills, lost wages from the accident, household replacement services to help you with day-to-day tasks, and attendant care if you are unable to care for daily activities.

Never sign anything or give statements to insurance adjusters
Insurance companies may send you a check, a release form, or other paperwork in an effort to have you release them of any liability, so that they no longer need to pay you compensation or pay for your benefits from your motorcycle accident.

However, a Michigan motorcycle accident lawyer will tell you not to settle your claim for less than what it’s worth–especially while you are still receiving treatment for your injuries and the full effects of the accident haven’t yet been established.

So before speaking with or signing anything from your insurance companies or those of others, make sure to first check with your attorney.

Contact Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

Contact us today if you are ready for help with getting your bills paid, talking with insurance companies and lawyers, and maximizing your benefits and settlement.

Our free consultation will answer all of your questions and requires no obligation.

Call us at 248-702-6641 or use our contact form to set up a free Michigan motorcycle accident consultation.