If you’re a motorcyclist, then you will be aware of the risks associated with riding. Motorbike accidents have much higher rates of fatality than car accidents do. If you’re involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault, then it’s important that you seek compensation. By virtue of being involved in an accident on your motorbike, you could have very nearly been killed. This is why compensation is so important. If the person responsible isn’t punished, then they can go on to potentially injure [or kill] other motorcycle riders.
In this article, you will find out how to get maximum compensation as a motorcyclist:
Preserve Evidence
One of the most important things to do after an accident is to preserve evidence. You can do this by taking photographs of your injuries, the wreck, and the person responsible for the accident. You will also want to write down the contact information of anybody who was around to witness the accident. When you have evidence, it’s a lot harder for the person responsible to claim that they weren’t at fault. It can be difficult to remember to take evidence after an accident but try your best, it could just win you your compensation claim.
Medical Treatment
In addition to preserving evidence, you should seek medical treatment. This is so that you have documented evidence from a doctor or nurse to say that you presented at the hospital or the doctor’s surgery with injuries caused by an accident. This makes it a lot harder for the person responsible to say that you weren’t injured or that you’re exaggerating your injuries. If you go to the ER, then make sure you ask for a written note from the doctor explaining your injuries. It’s common practice for ERs not to keep records or to erase their records at the end of the day.
Value Your Claim
You can value your claim by visiting a personal injury attorney. If you’ve been involved in a motorcycle accident, you should try to visit an attorney that specializes in vehicular accidents. The attorney that you choose to work with will sit down with you to value your claim, estimating how much you can realistically expect to receive. Once you have agreed upon a sum, they will go ahead and contact the person responsible and their insurance company, to notify them of the amount of money you’re asking for.
Turn Down the First Offer
A tip recommended by most experts is to turn down the insurance company’s first offer. This is because they will usually lowball you at first, to see how eager you are to get your hands on money. Your attorney will likely advise that you don’t take the first offer also. When you turn it down, it shows that you’re playing hardball and won’t budge on your original sum. They may make several more low offers, which you should turn down. Try to get as close to your original valuation as possible.
Explanations
When you’re turning down offers, you need to offer explanations to the insurance company, otherwise, they won’t increase the sum that they’re offering you. You need to explain to them why you can’t live on the sum that they’re offering you, explaining the severity of your injuries, mental trauma, and the way that the injury has impacted your life. You’ll also want to notify them of your medical bills, which they need to cover. Make sure you respond with thoughtful, carefully thought-through explanations as to why you can’t accept their offer.
Eagerness
If you want to maximize the amount of compensation that you receive, you need to be more subdued and not overly eager. If you appear too eager, then the insurance company you’re dealing with will continue trying to lowball you until you crack. They might even say that you’re exaggerating your injuries and attempt to offer you nothing, which would mean that your case would have to go to court. Try to keep yourself calm, in meetings remain quiet, and most important of all, let your attorney do all of the talking. Only speak when your attorney tells you to, otherwise, keep your mouth closed.
File Immediately
You need to file your case as soon after your injury as you possibly can. There is usually a statute of limitations in place, which limits how long you can wait after an injury before you make a compensation claim. This is usually somewhere between a year and two.
If you have been involved in an accident as a motorcyclist, then you need to seek compensation. Compensation can help you to recover from your injury, mentally and physically. If you deserve it, then make sure that you get it.
