If you or a loved one has been involved in a motorcycle accident, there are some steps you can take to stay safe and protect your rights. Our Deer Park motorcycle accident lawyers can help you seek justice after a crash caused by someone else’s negligence.
Wearing a helmet is the number one way to reduce your risk of severe injury or death. Helmets can also significantly reduce the severity of injuries to your head and face.
Wear a Helmet
A motorcyclist is much more likely to die or be injured in an accident than a passenger vehicle driver. In fact, per mile traveled in the United States, motorcycles killed more than 29 people in 2019 (NHTSA).
Helmets are an essential piece of safety equipment for any rider. They can help prevent a fatal head injury and save a rider’s life should they be involved in an accident.
The federal government estimates that helmets reduce the likelihood of death by 37 percent when a crash occurs and protect the occupants of a motorcycle from other injuries. CDC data shows that if all riders were required to wear helmets, 37 fewer drivers and 41 fewer passengers would have died in a motorcycle crash over a year.
In addition, a helmet can help reduce medical costs after a car crash. For example, flying objects and certain weather conditions can cause a head injury, and wind noise can affect the vision and hearing of an unprotected rider.
If a motorcyclist is injured in a crash, they may be entitled to compensation from the negligent party. However, they must work with a lawyer to get this money.
Even if a rider’s injuries are minor, they can still suffer severe physical and emotional trauma from the accident. Traumatic brain injuries, for example, can result in memory loss, difficulty thinking, mood swings, and other cognitive problems that have a lasting impact on their lives.
In a severe crash, helmets can also help protect the eyes, neck, and chest. Injuries in these areas can be devastating and require long-term care or surgery.
A good quality helmet should be made from high-quality materials and withstand multiple impacts. They should also be secure and easy to adjust.
While Texas does not currently mandate that motorcycle riders wear helmets, it is strongly recommended to do so. This can be a significant factor in the severity of your injuries and the outcome of your case.
Don’t Admit Fault
If you have been in a motorcycle accident, you must never admit fault to the police or anyone else. This will help build your case and increase the chances of obtaining compensation for damages related to the crash.
Even if you think you are not injured, seeking medical attention as soon as possible after the accident is essential. Failure to do so can lead to medical bills that may be impossible to pay out of pocket.
Moreover, it can jeopardize your ability to obtain total compensation for your injuries in the future. Insurance companies have strategies that will make it easier to deny your claim if they believe you are not as injured as you say you are.
You also want to be sure that you take photographs and videos of the scene, any other vehicles involved, and the conditions on the roadway. This information will be invaluable for your attorney if you pursue a lawsuit.
In addition, you should collect the contact information of any witnesses at the scene or who witnessed the incident. This will help your lawyer better understand the circumstances of the crash and determine whose fault it was.
It is also essential to report the accident to the local police department immediately. Typically, this means calling 911.
If you do not call 911, the police cannot investigate the crash. This could result in a denial of your claim, reducing your ability to recover damages from the at-fault driver.
Similarly, you should not refuse an ambulance if paramedics suggest that you should be transported for emergency medical care. Insurers can use this against you in the future to claim that you were not as injured as you claimed and did not need emergency medical transport.
It is also essential to seek the counsel of a qualified motorcycle accident attorney in Deer Park as soon as possible after the crash. An experienced attorney will know the most effective tactics against insurance companies and how to protect your rights as a victim of negligence.
Get Medical Attention
A motorcycle accident can be a frightening and traumatic event. It can cause several injuries and even death. Thankfully, there are steps that you can take to stay safe and protect your health.
First, seek medical attention immediately after your motorcycle accident. Let a First Responder check you over at the scene and then head to the hospital in an ambulance if they advise you to do so.
If you are in the hospital, get all necessary tests done and follow up with your doctor. The doctor will be able to give you the care you need to recover fully from your accident.
It would help if you also kept your doctor informed about all the injuries you are experiencing so that they can recommend the right treatment plan for you. This will help ensure you receive the care and attention you need. It will also be important in your case if you decide to pursue a personal injury lawsuit against the person responsible for the accident.
Another reason it is crucial to get medical attention after a motorcycle accident is that some injuries may not appear immediately, and they can evolve into severe conditions over time. For example, ongoing soreness or numbness in your neck or back that is not fading after days following the accident could be indicative of significant damage to the nerves in those areas.
Depending on the severity of your injuries, you will want to be treated by a physician specializing in treating motorcyclists.
File a Lawsuit
If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident in Deer Park, TX, there are many things that you can do to stay safe.
Wearing a helmet is essential to protecting you from injuries that could result in permanent disfigurement or disability and the risk of brain damage and spinal cord injury. It’s also essential to get your injuries evaluated by a doctor to determine the extent of your injury.
Another thing that you should do is obtain and preserve any evidence related to the accident, such as photographs of the scene and your injuries. It would help if you also tried to get the contact information of any other drivers involved and their insurance information.
Lastly, call a local law enforcement officer and file a police report immediately. This will allow them to document the facts of the crash and help you build your case.
The police will also ask for a copy of your insurance information. This is an essential step in your case because it will be used to assess the compensation you can receive.
It is essential to understand that the driver who caused the accident can still be liable for damages, even if they were uninsured. The best way to know if you are entitled to compensation is to consult a personal injury attorney in Deer Park, TX.
Your lawyer will help you establish that the accident was caused by negligence. This means that the driver owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, and caused you damages.
You may be able to recover compensation for your damages, including lost wages, medical expenses, and property damage. You may also be able to claim pain and suffering. These damages can be challenging to prove, but your lawyer will thoroughly understand the process and work hard to ensure that you get the compensation you deserve.