Many love the thrill of riding a motorcycle and it is not uncommon to see motorcyclists on the roads of Long Island. However, along with the enjoyment of riding a motorcycle, it’s important for motorcyclists to understand the risks. Especially in higher traffic areas like Long Island, severe accidents are absolutely a possibility. No matter how safe of a driver you may be as a motorcyclist, you cannot account for how other drivers respond to sharing the road with a motorcycle.

If you unfortunately do find yourself in a motorcycle accident, these tips are essential so that in addition to the tragedy of getting injured in a motorcycle accident, you are also not drowning in medical expenses.

Seek Medical Attention

Motorcycle accidents have a greater risk of causing injury than a typical motor vehicle accident. Motorcyclists have much less protection and no airbags to prevent the laws of physics to launch a driver at a high velocity.

If you are a motorcyclist involved in an accident, even if you feel very little pain, do not let the adrenaline fool you and seek medical attention right away.

File a Police Accident Report

It is always a good idea to call the police to the scene of the accident. Doing so will ensure that everyone is safe and the details of the accident are properly recorded. However, it is also possible to file a police report following the accident.

Gather names of witnesses if possible

If you were injured in an accident due to the other drivers negligence, having witnesses to the accident is important to prove this. The other driver may try to deny or minimize being the cause of the accident, so having third party witnesses will help validate the events of the accident.

Contact your insurance company

Even though New York is a no-fault state, motorcycle drivers are not covered by no-fault insurance. Therefore, the motorcyclist will need to speak to their private health insurance provider to pay for the medical expenses.

If you do not have private health insurance you will need to put any medical bills through Medicaid or Medicare. If you did not have Medicaid at the time of your accident you can apply for Medicaid after the accident.

Speak to a personal injury lawyer

The medical bills following a motorcycle accident can really add up, especially for injuries that have a long recovery time. Additionally, long recovery could also mean lost wages for being unable to work for a period of time. This is why it’s important to speak to a personal injury lawyer. They will help an injured person receive compensation for all the economic losses caused by the motorcycle accident including medical bills, property damage, lost wages and pain and suffering. They will guide you through the process from the beginning to the end. An early investigation will also help preserve key evidence in your case.

Motorcycle accidents can be especially scary. During these traumatic scenarios, you might not naturally be thinking about recording evidence for a personal injury claim, but following these steps can really help a motorcyclist in the long run financially. At Palermo Law, we have helped personal injury victims receive their compensation for motorcycle accident injuries for over twenty years. We offer free no obligation consultations and don’t charge any fees unless we win your case. So if you have been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, feel free to give us a call.