What You Have to Do If You Get In a Bike Accident

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You’re cruising down the street on your bike, and all of a sudden, bam, you’re in a bike accident. Certainly not something any motorcycle enthusiast wants to become part of, but it happens way too often and it’s just the risk of riding a motorbike.

Thankfully, you get away with just a few scuffs on your body and a little damage on the bike. But what should you do now? Of course, you can just calmly wait for the police to come but what you’ll do after that, or while you’re waiting for the police officers to come can help you a lot in the near future, especially if you end up in court.

So, let’s get over a few things that you should definitely do if you get in a motorcycle accident.

Call the police right after you’ve made sure everyone is safe and there’s no one hurt.

Getting into a road accident is quite dangerous when even a small fender-bender can cause significant damage to a bike rider.

Make sure you’re fine, and the other participants in the accident are okay too. Then call the police and calmly wait for the officers to arrive.

If you believe there’s a need for an ambulance, then make sure to request one as both can be done on the same call. Make sure to limit any conversations about the accident with the other driver and let facts, proof and the officers to determine what has happened.

And speaking of proof…

Make sure you preserve any evidence as it will play a crucial role if you need to prove your innocence.

Most drivers and bike riders have a dashcam or a helmet cam that records their journeys. The thing is, a dashcam records only about ten minutes, then deletes it, then records again. If you don’t manually stop the recording, you won’t have a video proof of how the accident occurred and who’s at fault.

Make sure to pause both yours, and ask the other party if they have one. That way at a later stage, if you have to involve a motorcycle attorney to help you in court, you’ll have all sides of the accident.

Don’t forget also to document your injuries.

While you may not have a lot of injuries, it’s important to note everything and if possible record it on video. This would later serve as proof if you need it.

Make sure you ask the other party to do the same, and if possible try to document both your and their vehicle for any damage that may have occurred at the time of the collision, as well as noting any previous damage that was previously there.

Lastly, collect witness and driver statements.

This is probably the last thing you should do, after you’ve made sure you, and everyone else is safe.

Try and record the statements of everyone involved, even pedestrians who have witnessed what happened. Take out your phone and record their names, statements and if possible a phone number to contact them if you need to.

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Samantha Acuna is a writer based in San Francisco, CA. Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Entrepreneur.com, and Yahoo Small Business.