Grappling With the Fall Out of a No Contact Motorcycle Accident
It’s an unfortunate fact that motorcyclists experience both injury-causing and fatal accidents at a dramatically higher rate than drivers of cars. Although efforts to improve motorcycle safety and awareness continue, tens of thousands of people experience serious accidents on their bikes every year. However, not every incident involves a car physically striking a motorcyclist and his or her vehicle.
So-called “phantom” crashes occur when a motorcyclist must maneuver severely to avoid a much more serious collision. These are also commonly referred to as a no contact motorcycle accident. For example, in a no-contact motorcycle accident, a driver may merge into a biker’s lane without warning, causing them to swerve out of the way, lose control, and wreck. How can you prove that another driver was at fault if there was no physical collision? There are several steps you should take as soon as possible if you have been involved in a no contact motorcycle accident.
Step 1 After a No-Contact Motorcycle Accident: Call Police Immediately
As soon as you’ve determined that you are okay, call the authorities immediately after your no contact accident. If you have been hurt or have lost your cell phone in the accident, ask anyone nearby to call 911 for help — especially if the other driver does not stay on the scene and you were involved in a hit and run motorcycle accident in San Diego. Wait for the police to arrive and give your account of the accident, being as detailed as possible. Avoid confrontations with the car driver and do not make a statement that could be construed as placing yourself at fault. The police report will be very important in proving fault later.
Step 2 After a Not At Fault Motorcycle Accident: Gather Evidence
There are several key pieces of information that you need to gather following your not at fault motorcycle accident. Note the license plate number of the vehicle involved in the accident if possible. Some motorcyclists choose to use specialized dash camera installations or use a helmet-mounted camera to take a video of all their rides to provide a visual record should another drive negatively impact them. Although they can require an investment to get started, using such systems can provide you with invaluable evidence, and clear proof of another’s driver fault.
Step 3 After a No Contact Motorcycle Accident: Seek Statements From Nearby Witnesses
If there are any eyewitnesses to the accident who remained on the scene, gather their contact information to provide to a motorcycle accident attorney in the future. Check with any nearby businesses to see if anyone inside saw the accident occur and can attest that the other driver’s actions caused you to lose control. These statements can provide additional weight to other evidence such as the police report and be very important in showing that the driver at fault violated the rules of the road in a way that caused your accident.
Step 4 After a No- Contact Motorcycle Accident: What Happens if the Other Driver Flees the Scene?
Hit and run accidents are one of the biggest challenging types of no-contact accidents. In some cases, a driver may not even realize that they caused you to wreck. In others, a panicked driver may deliberately flee. In these hit and run motorcycle accidents in San Diego, do not chase after the individual and potentially spark a road rage incident. As before, call the police immediately and leave the detective work to the detectives. If you have the license plate number, locating the driver won’t take long.
Step 5 After a Not At Fault Motorcycle Accident: Find a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Near Me
While you focus on your recovery, when it comes to filing a successful motorcycle accident claim, leave your case in the hands of a legal team with in-depth experience of motorcycle accidents. The complexities of no-contact accidents make them a challenge. Instead of shouldering that stress yourself, take the facts of your case and the evidence you’ve gathered and contact a trusted local legal team such as HHJ Trial Attorneys. Together, you and your lawyer can prove fault and seek the compensation you deserve for the incident.
Testimonial from Miguel, a Motorcycle accident Victim in San Diego
I referred a family member who had been involved in a motorcycle accident and HHJ went above and beyond. They were able to resolve the case for much more than ever expected and really helped explain every step of the process to them. They even went as far as to provide some great advice on what to do with all of the money he received to ensure he didn’t blow it all being that he was younger. Because of their hard work and the results I have seen I refer anyone who asks me about a good personal injury attorney. Everyone I have referred has nothing but great things to say about them and so I know that they really know what they are doing.
