10 Steps to Take After an Oklahoma Motorcycle Accident
Riding a motorcycle is a popular pastime in the United States. But, just one mistake can lead to an accident happening with deadly consequences. Riding a motorcycle comes with very serious risks. If an accident happens, a motorcycle rider and their passenger are extremely vulnerable to suffering severe, disabling injuries. Also, motorcyclists tend to report high rates of death when accidents happen. For instance, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that in 2020 5,579 motorcyclists died in crashes. These lives lost accounted for 14% of all traffic fatalities that year. The NHTSA indicated that the number reported in 2020 of fatal motorcycle accidents was the highest since 1975.
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in Oklahoma, or if you lost a loved one, speaking with an attorney is a good way to figure out what your options are for obtaining financial compensation. Taking action sooner than later to speak with an attorney can help you get the claims process started quickly after a crash. This gives you a greater ability to gather as much evidence as possible while also ensuring that you do not miss the statute of limitations for filing a motorcycle accident claim in Oklahoma.
You may reach out to an Oklahoma City personal injury attorney at Putnam Law Office for more information.
Steps to Take After a Motorcycle Crash in Oklahoma
If you enjoy taking your motorcycle out for rides, it can be helpful to familiarize yourself with what you should do if you are ever in a motorcycle accident in Oklahoma.
- Call 9-1-1 to get police and emergency medical professionals to the accident scene.
- If you can, take videos and pictures of the accident scene.
- If you can, exchange information with the other driver. This would include the name of the driver, their driver’s license number, contact information, and insurance information.
- If you speak to the police you can tell them if you believe that the driver was either inebriated when the crash happened or if they were seen using a cellphone and were distracted when the crash took place.
- Keep your words to a minimum. After a crash, avoid apologizing or accepting any amount of blame. There is not much you need to discuss with other drivers except for the exchange of information.
- If you can, and there are witnesses, you may ask them for their contact information.
- If your injuries require immediate medical treatment then you may be transported to the hospital via ambulance. But if you do not need emergency care you should still not delay in seeing a doctor as soon as you can after the motorcycle accident.
- Inform your insurance provider that the motorcycle crash happened and start a case file. Do not provide an explanation for how the crash happened or make a recorded statement without the assistance of an attorney.
- Keep all documentation related to your motorcycle accident arranged and organized so you can easily access it.
- Speak to an attorney about your motorcycle accident. You can call the Putnam Law Office at 405-724-7701 and schedule an initial consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney.