Motorcycle accidents can put you and any passengers you’re carrying in serious danger. You have to take careful steps in the hours and days following your accident if you want to come away from your losses as securely as possible. What are those steps, though, and how do they impact your recovery in the long term?
Vaughan & Vaguahn’s motorcycle accident lawyers in Indiana have become pros at answering the question, “What should I do if I’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident?” You can turn to our team for guidance in the days after an accident. We, in turn, can help you get back on your feet physically and financially.
Call for Help
The first thing you need to do after a motorcycle accident is call for help. First responders throughout Indiana can help you address any immediate injuries and stabilize yourself or your passengers.
If you have access to a phone after an accident, use it to call 911. If the person responsible for your accident remains on the scene, or if there are bystanders nearby, you can also ask that these parties get in touch with first responders for you.
Whatever you do, do not try to address your or a passenger’s injuries yourself. Get to a safe location and wait for first responders to arrive. You should only take medical action if you’ve been trained to perform CPR or otherwise care for another person’s health.
When to Call a Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Indiana’s first responders include its firefighters, police officers, and ambulance drivers. When, then, should you contact a motorcycle accident attorney after a dangerous collision?
You have the right to get in touch with a motorcycle accident lawyer within minutes of your accident. While you should contact first responders before anyone else, your next call can be to an attorney. Our motorcycle accident lawyers can join you at the scene of your accident to speak with the police on your behalf. We can also:
- Gather bystanders’ contact information
- Prevent a liable party from misrepresenting your losses
- Reach out to your insurance provider to begin discussing your right to post-accident coverage
That said, you do not have to call motorcycle accident attorneys straight away after an accident. You should prioritize your and your passengers’ medical attention. So long as you reach out to an attorney before your motorcycle accident statute of limitations expires, you can explore your right to post-accident care and compensation.
How to Communicate With Insurance Adjusters
If you’re riding a motorcycle in Indiana, the state requires you to invest in minimum liability insurance. You also have the right to invest in more comprehensive coverage to protect yourself from the financial outcomes of a dangerous accident.
If you want to take advantage of the insurance coverage you’ve been paying for, you should reach out to your provider within 24 hours of your motorcycle accident. You can speak with an insurance claims adjuster and establish an initial estimate of your case’s total value.
That said, don’t take an insurance adjuster’s word regarding the value of your losses at face value. You have the right to call on an attorney and request a separate estimate. After all, insurance adjusters work for a business. They want to prioritize that business’s bottom lines.
Comparatively, motorcycle accident lawyers work for you. You can count on an experienced attorney to estimate the total value of your case with your best interests in mind.
Determine the Value of Your Losses
How do you determine the total value of a motorcycle accident case, though? You look at both your economic and non-economic losses. The economic damages you may deserve after a motorcycle accident can cover the quantifiable bills you have to contend with. These can include your:
- Medical care
- Ambulance ride
- At-home living aids
- Lost wages or opportunities for alternative employment
- Property repair, replacement, and overall damage
Comparatively, your non-economic damages do not generate bills. Instead, you have to estimate the value of these damages by looking at state precedent and state-approved multipliers. Our team can do the math for you and ensure you can factor in your emotional distress, mental anguish, and/or pain and suffering alongside the rest of your losses.
Pursue Compensation
You’ve worked with your insurance provider and gotten a bit of basic coverage. You’ve tended to your and a passenger’s injuries and are mostly back on your feet. Now you can pursue legal action against the party responsible for your accident. You can do this through one of two means. You can either go to court with your case or negotiate a settlement.
No matter which path you choose, you need to fill out a motorcycle accident civil complaint. A civil complaint, submitted to a judge and applicable staff, informs an Indiana court as to the nature of your accident, the value of your losses, and the evidence you have naming a particular party liable for your losses.
Only once your complaint moves forward can you summon a liable party to either a trial or negotiations. Negotiations tend to resolve more quickly than a motorcycle accident trial, but you may have to compromise when demanding applicable compensation. Comparatively, going to trial puts your right to motorcycle accident compensation in the hands of a judge.
Neither of these paths forward is better than the other. Rather, it’s up to you to determine which best suits your purpose. You can determine how you want to move forward during an initial case consultation with Indiana’s motorcycle accident attorneys.
Our Indiana Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Can Make Your Recovery Easier
If you need help contending with the aftermath of a motorcycle accident in Indiana, turn to attorneys who know how to guide you toward recovery. Vaughan & Vaughan can help you understand what rights an accident entitles you to and how you can most effectively enact those rights.
In turn, our Indiana motorcycle accident lawyers can help you secure the support you need to deal with the bills that come in the wake of your accident. You won’t even have to worry about legal fees while your case is in progress, thanks to Vaughan & Vaughan’s contingency policy. You can discuss this policy and our other services in more detail during a free case consultation.
Contact us today by reaching out online or calling our office. Let’s get your case consultation scheduled before your statute of limitations expires.
