What to do After a Madison Motorcycle Accident

What you do or fail to do immediately after a motorcycle accident can provide crucial evidence to support your case or give the insurance company a way out of paying you. Seemingly innocent statements you make at the scene of the accident can be twisted into an admission of fault. If possible, call our experienced Wisconsin motorcycle accident attorneys from the scene of the accident.

• If you can move, get out of the danger zone. That means out of the road, so you do not get hit by another vehicle, and away from fuel leaks. More than half of all motorcycle accidents result in leaking fuel. If you had a passenger, try to get your passenger to safety, too.
• Call the police. If anyone is injured ask for an ambulance when you call. Err on the side of caution when it comes to seeking medical attention. If you even suspect that you are injured, get emergency medical attention. Head and brain injuries are very common in motorcycle accidents and you may not realize that you are injured. Your memory may be affected and you may not even remember if you had a passenger.
• When everyone is safe start collecting information, but do not discuss the details of the accident with anyone. If others involved want to talk let them, and make a mental note of anything they say that amounts to accepting blame.
• The information you should collect includes:
  • Contact information for everyone involved. This includes other drivers, their passengers, and any witnesses. Gather their full names, phone numbers, and addresses.
  • License plate numbers, make, model, and color of all vehicles involved.
  • Insurance information for all drivers involved.
  • Names and badge numbers of any police officers who respond to the accident.
• Take pictures of everything, even if you are not sure whether it is significant. We can always discard any unneeded photos. Pictures should include:
  • All of the vehicles, their license plates, and any damage. If there is no damage, look for paint marks indicating the point of impact.
  • All of the people present and any injuries.
  • Any objects that you, your passenger, your bike, and any other vehicles may have struck.
  • Skid marks – yours and theirs.
  • Anything else that may have been a factor such as potholes, sand or gravel on the road, uneven road surface, and obstacles.
• Contact a Wisconsin motorcycle accident lawyer right away. He may want to send someone out to the scene of the accident immediately, before evidence can be lost or disposed of.
• Report the accident to your insurance carrier as soon as possible.
• Do not talk about the accident. Do not talk to anyone else’s insurance company representatives.
• If you plan to ride your bike from the scene of the accident, make sure that everything is in good working order. Do not try to ride away if you even suspect that you could be injured. If you feel confused or drowsy you may have a brain injury which can cause you to lose consciousness while you are riding.
• Write everything down as soon as possible while the details are still fresh on your mind.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a motorcycle accident in Wisconsin, please call the Wisconsin motorcycle accident attorneys of Boller & Vaughan LLC at 608-268-0268 or submit an online questionnaire. Your initial consultation with the Wisconsin motorcycle accident lawyers of Boller & Vaughan LLC is free of charge and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery of funds. In many cases, a personal injury lawsuit must be filed before an applicable expiration date, known as a statute of limitations. Please call right away to ensure that you do not waive your right to possible compensation.