How to Prepare for a Phoenix Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit

If you drive one of the 8.6 million registered motorcycles in the United States, getting into an accident is likely your worst nightmare. If you’re currently living out this unimaginable situation, though, it’s important to remember that compensation is available.

To get money to cover your injuries and property damage, you must prepare for your motorcycle accident lawsuit thoroughly. Unfortunately, this is often easier said than done, but it’s much simpler when you have the knowledge and legal assistance necessary to proceed.

Read on to learn how you can prepare for a motorcycle lawsuit in Phoenix so that you can reach a fair settlement.

Document Everything After the Accident

After a crash, you must seek medical care right away. If you have broken bones, sprains, bleeding, whiplash, joint tears, or any variety of head injuries, you may have a serious issue.

This could be even more problematic for motorcycle drivers because you are more vulnerable when unprotected by a vehicle shell. Even if you don’t have visible injuries, it’s a good idea to talk to a paramedic. Your health comes first.

Regardless of whether or not you need medical help, it’s important that you immediately document everything after a motorcycle accident. Get the license plate and insurance information of the driver that collided with you. This is important regardless of the type of vehicle they were driving.

Make sure that you take photos of any injuries and damage to your bike. Snap pictures of the other driver’s vehicle, too. You don’t want them to claim more damage later than there was.

Speaking of pictures, you also will want to take some of the collision sites. Street signs will help your lawyer place the accident and potential road hazards could impact your legal case.

Avoid Common Post-Collision Mistakes

Preparing for a lawsuit is a stressful time, but you’ll need to be vigilant about where you share the anxiety and stressors that come with it. Talking to friends and family privately is usually alright assuming that you don’t put anything into writing. Just make sure that you’re not in a public place where anyone might overhear you.

Taking to social media, on the flip side, is never okay. Posting bike and injury photos might make insurance agents and opposing lawyers think you aren’t suffering as much as you say they are. They may claim that you don’t deserve compensation if you were well enough to post on social media.

You also cannot say anything about the nature of the accident in writing. A simple “I’m okay” is easy for insurance agents to twist into an assertion that you weren’t injured. Since companies will likely monitor your pages and posts, this could be detrimental to your case.

Repairing your motorcycle is another common mistake that you should avoid. The bike is a huge piece of evidence during the litigation process, and patching it up will make the accident look less serious.

Besides that, reconstruction experts after the accident could be asked to testify about the severity and nature of your crash. Physical property (like the bike) could help verify the claims you and these professionals make.

Find a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

At this point, a lot of people start talking to their insurance agency to file a claim. Don’t do that!

Insurance agents want to pay as little as possible, so they’ll do their best to make sure that you don’t get the compensation you’re due. They’ll ask questions to trip you up and make you understate the severity of your accident. You’ll fall into these pitfalls because you lack experience talking to them, as any reasonable person in a stressful situation would.

Finding a motorcycle accident lawyer is the next step toward filing a lawsuit. These experts know the ins and outs of the negotiation process and understand how to talk with insurance agents. They’ll ensure you get what you’re owed… assuming that the attorney you hire is a high-quality professional.

Ask the Right Questions

A lot of finding the right attorney lies in the questions that you’ll ask during your consultation.

Inquire about the specific experience that an attorney has. You want someone who’s been in the game for 10+ years so that you can feel confident about the quality of your representation. You also want to make sure that the lawyer has handled cases like yours and specializes in auto accidents.

Any lawyer worth their salt will be happy to give you details on how they won these cases as well. Make sure to ask for specific stories and situations. You also might want to inquire about how they plan to bring this same drive to your case and help you win.

Also, ask about their rates and how they expect to be paid. Most personal injury lawyers take contingency fees, meaning that you’ll pay a certain percentage of your earnings after they win the case for you. This is ideal because you’ll never lose more money than you have and the attorney will have a concrete reason to do their best with your case.

It’s important to also ask for references from any potential hire. Reading testimonials and reviews can give you a broad picture of what it’s like to work with a car accident lawyer. Still, direct communication with satisfied clients can give you a more specific understanding of what to expect.

Prepare Necessary Accident Documentation

Once you hire a reputable Phoenix attorney, they’ll help you identify and determine the paperwork you’ll need to file your case. This is largely going to determine the types of damages that you can collect. Some possibilities include:

• Money to cover medical bills after your injuries
• Compensation for any wages you lost because injuries stopped you from working
• Temporary disability if you can’t resume work for a while 
• Permanent disability and loss of quality of life
• Non-financial damages like pain and suffering compensation

To get the most compensation possible, be thorough when describing your case to your attorney. Please don’t leave anything out and make sure to gather all of the files, images, and reports that they ask for. This will ensure that the attorney can create an ironclad case when negotiating with insurance agents and opposing lawyers.

Gather Photos

Print the photos that you took while on the accident site. Give them to your attorney for examination so that they get a clear picture of what happened. Make sure that your images showcase road hazards, weather conditions, and the precise nature of your injuries and bike damage.

Prepare Medical Bills and Wage Slips

If you’re looking for medical bill compensation or money to make up for lost wages, you’ll want documentation of the funds you lost. This will help your lawyer determine how much they think they can recover for you in damages.

If you’re unable to get these documents promptly, your lawyer might be able to request them for legal purposes. You’ll get them more quickly this way, especially because medical records can take months for a person to get. Your lawyer will be able to get them more urgently to construct a stronger case.

Keep Police Reports Handy

You likely filed a police report at the site of the accident. Request a copy from the local authorities (or, better yet, ask your attorney to do so). Your lawyer can examine these reports and put together a picture of what went down during the collision. 

File an Insurance Claim

At this point, your attorney will help you file a claim with your insurance company. They may also need to talk with the other driver’s insurance agent. This will require them to have all the paperwork that they inquire about, so keep it ready and accessible.

Make sure that you hold onto any documents that your attorney uses during the litigation process. This might include correspondence with the insurance agent, transcripts of calls, updated police reports, and more. Your lawyer will keep these documents at the ready, but they also will likely be able to give you copies if you ask.

File a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit Today

While a motorcycle accident lawsuit can be a stressful challenge, it’s worthwhile when you get the compensation that you rightfully deserve. At Sweet Lawyers, we’re committed to helping you assess accident documentation and create a strong case. We’re excited to talk with you about the litigation process and how you can prepare for your accident settlement.

When you work with us, you’ll know that you’re getting top-notch representation with our 98% success rate. Contact our Phoenix auto accident lawyers to learn more about preparing to file a lawsuit the right way.