Shelbyville’s distance from Indianapolis doesn’t make residents immune to dangerous accidents. The city sits at the intersection of I-44, I-9, and I-74. Trucks, private motorists, and corporate drivers all pose a threat to local motorcyclists. Motorcyclists might even find themselves involved in accidents with local pedestrians or bicyclists.
What’s a motorcyclist like you supposed to do in the wake of a dangerous accident? After you’ve worked with medical professionals to treat your injuries, call an attorney. Shelbyville motorcycle accident lawyers can look into the negligence that caused your accident. We can then help you move a civil case forward against a liable party.
You can connect with our personal injury lawyers in Shelbyville today to learn more about your right to motorcycle crash compensation.
How to Recover from a Motorcycle Crash
The process of recovering from a motorcycle accident looks different for everyone. That said, there are universal steps you can take to make the recovery process as easy as possible. These steps include the following:
Work With Medical Professionals
Even if you don’t appear to have life-threatening or otherwise immediate injuries after a motorcycle accident, you need to call emergency services. Motorcycle accident injuries can reveal themselves over time. The sooner you can make yourself aware of those injuries, the sooner you can get the treatment you need to recover.
What’s more, working with emergency responders establishes a knowledge trail. The medical professionals who address your post-accident injuries may later testify as to those injuries’ severity, should you choose to take legal action against an offending party.
These parties can also pass their understanding of your conditions on to your general practitioner or other specialists.
Collect Evidence of Accident Liability
After working with medical professionals, or shortly before they arrive on the scene, you can collect evidence of another party’s negligence. This can mean taking photos of the accident scene or getting witnesses’ contact information. It also means exchanging insurance information with the party liable for your losses.
That said, do not pursue a fleeing party. It is not your responsibility to chase down the person responsible for your accident if they flee from the scene. That responsibility falls to local police officers. You should stay at the scene until authorities and emergency responders arrive.
Fortunately, you can gather evidence of another party’s negligence even if that party isn’t on the scene. Take photos of the damage at the scene. Ask bystanders if they saw the offending party’s license plate number, if applicable. The more data you can leave the scene with, the easier it may be for you to take legal action in the months to come.
Contact an Insurance Provider
If the offending party stays on the scene and provides you with their insurance information, you can file a claim for damages in the days following your crash. This process allows you to secure bandage compensation for your losses. What is bandage compensation? It’s financial support that can help you address your most immediate expenses.
That said, some insurance providers don’t want to part with their money, even in the wake of a dangerous accident. Some insurance claims adjusters may undervalue your motorcycle crash losses. Other providers may outright deny your request for support out of inherent bias or other bad faith behaviors.
What can you do in the face of this disrespect? Call a Shelbyville, IN, motorcycle wreck lawyer. Vaughan & Vaughan can appeal a denied claim on your behalf. Should the need arise, we can sue a bad-faith insurance provider and get you the financial support you deserve.
Consult an Attorney About Your Next Best Steps
You do not have to work with an attorney to get compensation for a motorcycle accident. That said, doing so can make your life easier. Our attorneys ensure that you can focus on your recovery without forgoing your right to civil action.
You can contact us within days, if not hours, of a motorcycle wreck. We can schedule your free case consultation to discuss what right you may have to accident compensation. We can then represent you in conversations with police officers, insurance providers, and even the liable party.
Vaughan & Vaughan’s legal representation comes bill-free thanks to our contingency fee agreements. Our Shelbyville personal injury lawyers only get paid if we win your case. You can learn more about these agreements when you first meet with our team.
Your Case Will Get
The Attention It Deserves
Working With an Attorney Can Net You Motorcycle Accident Compensation
Most motorcycle accident survivors and their families, including you, can request compensation for tangible and intangible losses following a motorcycle crash. These losses can include the following:
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Accident-related stress
- Property damage, repairs, and replacement
- Emergency medical care
- Long-term injury treatment
- Lost wages
- Lost opportunities to look for or return to work
You Must File a Personal Injury Claim on a Deadline
If you want to request any of the aforementioned damages, you need to file your motorcycle accident claim within Indiana’s personal injury statute of limitations, Indiana Code section 34-11-2-4. This statute of limitations gives you two years and no longer to investigate your losses.
There is no fee
unless you win
Vaughan & Vaughan’s Attorneys Fight for You
You can turn to Vaughan & Vaughan in the wake of a dangerous motorcycle accident. Shelbyville attorneys can help you investigate the nature of your crash and bring evidence of fault to a judge’s attention. We can then represent you as you fight for the post-accident compensation that you need to recover.
If you want to learn more about our legal services or if you want to discuss the value of your case, contact our team. You can schedule your free case evaluation with us by calling our office or reaching out through our website.
