How do you recover from a motorcycle accident? San Francisco lawyers recommend that you hold negligent drivers, manufacturers, and related parties accountable for your losses. California’s personal injury statutes give you the right to demand financial support from the parties that refuse to take care of you on the road.
Omega Law Group’s team of personal injury lawyers in San Francisco wants to help you get the settlement you deserve. We have decades of experience that we’re prepared to use to settle your case in or out of court. You can connect with us free of charge to learn more about how we can advocate for you.
Walking Away from a Motorcycle Accident: What to Do
When you walk away from a motorcycle accident, it is in your best interest to take the following steps to fast-track your recovery:
Work With Medical Professionals
You may not realize that you’re contending with serious injuries until after you’ve walked away from the scene of an accident. Why? Because shock is powerful. As time passes and your shock fades, you may feel yourself starting to develop muscle soreness, muscle weakness, and other symptoms of highly impactful injuries.
If you want to get ahead of the kind of injuries that can take you out of commission for a considerable amount of time, get in touch with a medical professional as soon as you can after an accident. If emergency responders come to the scene, you can request that they create a report going into detail about your health.
You can alternatively reach out to your general practitioner, note that you’ve been in a recent accident, and request an assessment. Doing so helps you get ahead of any undetected injuries and allows you to create a record of the physical losses you sustained due to someone else’s negligence. You can later use that record in your fight for compensation.
Document the Scene
If you’re on your feet after a motorcycle accident and don’t need immediate medical attention, we recommend that you document the scene of your crash. Take pictures, if you can, and connect with bystanders to gather their contact information. It’s also incredibly important that you get insurance information from the party responsible for your crash.
That said, do not pursue anybody who flees the scene after your accident. If you notice the person responsible for your crash driving or running away from the scene, take pictures and get what information about them you can. Do not interact with a fleeing party directly. Doing so can put you in harm’s way and complicate your recovery.
Don’t feel bad if you can’t get all of the relevant information from your scene. You can later pull police reports to get more information about the nature of your accident. Our team of motorcycle accident lawyers in San Francisco can also reach out and connect with parties who witnessed your accident should you choose to work with us.
Discuss Filing an Insurance Claim
If you can safely get a liable party’s insurance information, you can use that information to file a motorcycle accident claim for damages in the days following your crash. Be warned, though. Most insurance providers have an inherent bias against motorcyclists.
Insurance claims adjusters may attempt to reduce the value of your claim or even deny your right to compensation. If you find yourself struggling against an insurance provider’s bad faith behavior, consider letting a motorcycle accident attorney know. Omega Law Group can step in and help you get the support you deserve.
Our attorneys can also recommend that you initiate a personal injury case against the party responsible for your crash. Personal injury cases can help you recover damages if your liable party doesn’t have California’s minimum liability insurance or if an insurance provider continually refuses to acknowledge the validity of your claim.
Should You Pursue a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit?
Pursuing a motorcycle accident lawsuit allows you to recover damages you might not receive from an insurance claims adjuster. It also allows you to exercise more control over your recovery, as you get to choose whether you negotiate for the support you deserve or you go to trial.
The majority of motorcycle accident cases settle out of court, meaning that you can receive the settlement you need to start paying your bills without ever seeing a judge. We recommend that you meet with an attorney to discuss what kind of settlement you want to negotiate for so you can accurately request compensation for all of your accident-related losses.
The losses you integrate into your claim can include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Emergency medical care
- Emotional distress
- Lost wages and/or income
- Property restoration and rentals
When to File a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit
You have two years, according to California’s statute of limitations, to bring information about your motorcycle accident forward in civil court. Most courts consider evidence that is more than two years old to no longer accurately reflect the nature of the accident it describes.
As such, the courts can waive your rights to accident compensation if you try to file a case after your deadline expires. If you’re worried about staying on top of your filing deadline, consider connecting with the San Francisco motorcycle accident lawyer and delegating responsibility for your investigation to the professionals.
Omega Law Group Can Protect Your Future
Omega Law Group wants to help California’s motorcyclists get back on the road. If you’re struggling to pay the bills associated with your recent accident, you can contact one of our representatives. Working with our San Francisco motorcycle accident attorneys allows you to fight for the loss-based damages you need to recover financially.
Our team wants to make it as easy as possible for you to get the legal advice you need to navigate California’s civil system successfully. Your first motorcycle case evaluation is free of charge. If you’re ready to take action or if you have questions about your right to legal support, contact us today.