Riding on two wheels like a motorcycle or bicycle has many more risks than cars on four wheels. You thus have to be aware of your legal requirements when you are in an accident. This way, your lawyer will have a better chance at helping you secure the needed compensation. Here, we detail out what you need to do in the case of an accident.
Checking for Injuries
Make sure everyone is okay and free from any personal injury. Avoid sudden moves after the accident as they may only worsen the severity of the injuries sustained in the accident. Also, ensure everyone gets medical care by calling 911 immediately. Internal injuries are common in motorcycle accidents thus the need for immediate medical attention. This should always be your first instinctive step.
Get Off the Road
After the incident, try your best to get off the road. Move everything and everyone off the road to avoid further accidents. If possible, use signs such as flares or warning triangles and other items to warn other road users of your accident. This will avoid other accidents from occurring.
Gather All the Information You Can
Make sure you gather as much information as you can about the scene of the accident. That includes their names, addresses, phone numbers, insurance information, license numbers, plate numbers, the car make and models, and descriptions of anything else.
Inform the Police
Always call the police as they will keep matters under control. They will help in the ascertaining of any injuries and other such aspects. They will also help you in determining your next steps as far as seeking legal compensation goes. Always be sure of what you say to them. If you are not sure of what happened, do not say anything about it as it may be used against you in a court of law.
Take in the Surroundings
At times it may be hard but try as much as you can to take note of anything you can observe. This includes the direction of travel, the speed limits, the weather and road conditions, the color of the cars involved in the accident and so on. Also, take note of what caused the road accident in the first place. The lighting conditions should also be taken note of as they contribute to the extent of the accident.
Engage Witnesses
Always try to get the most information from those who witnessed the accident. You as a rider may not be in a good position to denote what exactly went wrong hence the need for third party opinion. People quickly forget what happened and noting down the details of the accident will help you set everything straight even before the police arrive.
Be Careful with What You Say
After accidents, most people are not sure of what happened to cause the accident. In most cases, they will even agree to what others are saying even when it’s not true. For this reason, you may get into trouble just agreeing with what people say. At times, you may agree to take the blame even when it’s not your fault. To stay safe, don’t even say sorry as it means you were at fault when you most likely were not. Your lawyer will have a harder time defending you if you have already agreed to take the blame.
All these aspects have legal consequences and should be done carefully. You may forget the law but being careful with what you say or do after the accident determines if you will be compensated or not. Whatever you do, never run away from the accident scene.
Resources:-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fires
http://varneylaw.com/practice/fire-accident/
https://www.canva.com/en_in/