Motorcycle Accidents

What should you do following a car accident?

Many people wonder what is the best thing to do after a car accident to help preserve their case and make sure they are crossing their T’s and dotting their I’s. Here are the top things you should do following a car accident to make sure everything goes smoothly in case you have a personal injury car accident case and need to hire a Seattle car accident injury lawyer.

  1. Take pictures of the car accident – there is nothing more telling of how a car accident actually happened then a picture of where each car is right after the car accident and the damage to each car. Make sure to take pictures of the road, your car’s placement, the other car’s placement, and the damage to each car. These pictures can tell who is at fault, how hard the impact was, and the conditions of the road at the time of the collision.

2. Get witness contact information – some times car accidents may seem cut and dry but that all can change when the other driver talks to their insurance company. A witness who saw the car accident that may be in another car or a pedestrian can help convey what actually happened in the car accident and who had the red light or who had the right of way. Getting their phone number could be the difference in who is deemed at fault. These people may leave once they see everyone is ok or have things under control so it is important to look for these people quickly.

3. Call the police – it’s not always necessary to have the police come to a car accident and exchanging information may work just fine, however, it is important to call and file a police report if you are hit by someone and they leave the scene without exchanging insurance information or they don’t have insurance, as you may need to by contract law due to your car insurance and uninsured motorist policy, that you will need to use. Police reports are not 100% determinant of who is at fault for a car accident as the police did not actually see the car accident happen, however, they can act as another witness who saw the scene of the car accident and collects witness information and insurance information strengthening your case.

4. Exchange information with the other driver – It is very important to get the other person’s insurance information at the scene of the car accident. If the person says they don’t want to go the insurance route, you should push for their insurance. Not going the insurance route can severely hurt your case if you are injured and need to find the person to determine if they actually had insurance so that you can use your uninsured motorist insurance policy to cover your damages.

Most people try to avoid insurance because they don’t want to hurt the other driver financially, but this is the reason everyone has insurance so they don’t have to pay anything more than their premium every month or 6 months. Not going the insurance route only hurts the injured victim and doesn’t save the other person money, who otherwise would have only had to pay an increase in premium for a car accident that was their fault. You pay more going this route as it is much harder to for you to get your bills paid timely and get the compensation you need and deserve for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage caused by the other person in the car accident.

5. Call an ambulance or take yourself to urgent care – If you are injured in the car accident, it’s important to get checked out by a doctor immediately to make sure you are ok. Car accidents can cause severe injuries to your neck, brain, and other parts of your body that need to get checked out right away. It’s best to go to urgent care right after a car accident if possible to get checked out. You can go the next day if it is too late at night. Urgent care usually has less people and can get you evaluated quicker than the emergency room. If your car is not driveable and you are severely hurt, call and ambulance immediately.

6. Call a Seattle car accident injury lawyer – It is important to preserve your case and make sure everything is in line and a Seattle car accident injury lawyer can make sure you are doing everything necessary with your insurance company to do this. Additionally, the defendant’s insurance will not pay for your medical bills until you settle with them (unless you were a pedestrian, bicyclist, or passenger and the at fault driver had personal injury protection (PIP) auto insurance coverage), this is why it is extremely important to know how your medical bills are going to be paid without having them go to collections and have a plan. A personal injury lawyer will be able to give you all the options to make sure your medical bills get paid or are not sent to collections. Options include using your car insurance personal injury protection (PIP) policy to pay for your medical bills, medical insurance, or having the provider wait to get paid out of the settlement.

7. Call your insurance company and report accident – It’s very important that you report the car accident to your own insurance company to set up your claim and document your case. You most likely have insurance coverage that you will need to use to help your case so you need to report it to your insurance company. Your rates should not go up because of a car accident that was not your fault. If for some reason they try to say that your rates are going up, you should talk to an agent on the phone and tell them you are going to go to another insurance company. I am sure they will change their minds and keep your rates the same, they want your premium every month.

If you or someone you know were injured in a car accident, give Cherin Law Firm, PLLC a call today for a free consultation on the phone 206 850-6716.

Andrew CherinWhat should you do following a car accident?
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Motorcycle cut off and crashes, who is at fault?

If you are injured in a motorcycle accident in Seattle, you should hire a Seattle personal injury lawyer to look into the facts of your case. Most insurance companies are biased against motorcycle riders and feel like they are unsafe people in general. However, this is not the case. Motorcyclists are just like every other person who enjoys the freedom of driving with the wind in their hair/helmet.

Motorcycle riders are susceptible to greater injuries than car drivers in car accidents

Motorcyclists are also far more vulnerable to being severely injured in a car accident. Motorcyclists are more prone to being injured in a car accident because they do not have the safety equipment like a seat, head rest, insulation of a big car, safety belt, and windows from protecting them. Motorcyclists are prone to being thrown from their bike if they are in a car accident, which is the equivalent of being thrown through a windshield in a car accident.

Motorcyclists are susceptible to aggressive drivers – who are at fault for car accidents

Motorcyclists are just like all other drivers on the road, plus a little more maneuverability. However, when someone cuts off a motorcyclist, they cannot merely slam on their brakes and be ok. When a motorcycle slams on its brakes, it severely increases the ability of the driver to be thrown over the handle bars or the bike from sliding out. This means if a car drives in front of a car at the last second and the rider ditches their bike or falls off, the car that cut off the biker is at fault for any resulting injuries to the motorcyclist.

 Motorcycles are hard to see but it is not their fault

Some people claim that motorcycles are hard to see so they cannot be at fault for cutting off a motorcycle, illegally changing lanes in front of them, or coming into contact with them on a lane chance. Not heading the right of way to a motorcycle driver while going down the street is not a good excuse for car drivers who cause a motorcycle driver to fall off their bike and crash. The car driver will be at fault 100% of the time.

Motorcycle riders need help collecting evidence

Being injured in a motorcycle accident can leave the driver of the bike unconscious, whereby they cannot defend themselves if the other driver says the motorcycle driver was driving too fast, speeding, etc. that caused them not to see the motorcycle. There is a bias against motorcycles that are street bikes because people believe these people are racing at all times. This could not be further from the truth. However, this is why it is important for motorcycle riders to have mounted cameras on their bikes to act as an independent witness in case no one sees the motorcycle accident.

If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, contact a Seattle motorcycle accident injury lawyer today for a free consultation. We are paid out of the settlement so there are never any out of pocket fee costs to you. Call today (206) 850-6716.

Andrew CherinMotorcycle cut off and crashes, who is at fault?
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70% of Motorcycle Accidents Occur Where?!

Riding a motorcycle is fun to do in the summer time. The wind in your face, the feel of the open road, the freedom to go wherever you please, it doesn’t get much better than that. Everyone knows the inherent risks of riding a motorcycle, but the benefits often outweigh the risks. The thrill of the ride.

Motorcycles are dangerous because of their vulnerability to crashing and high likelihood of severe injuries suffered by the rider if there is a crash. Motorcyclists are only protected by the protective clothes they wear like leather coats, jackets, vests, and pants – of course the helmet as well. Any time a rider is struck by a car, there is a high likelihood of hitting the pavement and even being run over by other cars.

Motorcycles are often hit by cars because people in cars do not see them. However, when I think of not being able to see a motorcycle, I think of not seeing them on the freeway when someone merges and doesn’t see them. However, would you be surprised to hear that 70% of motorcycle accidents occur at intersections?! I was when I saw this. The reason behind this was that drivers were not likely to see the motorcycle when they were turning across the intersection into the motorcycle because they were looking for a car, much larger object.

Along with this statistic, it would not be surprising then to know that nearly 2/3 of motorcycle accidents are the fault of the car driver and not the motorcycle rider. Not being able to see someone riding a motorcycle is not an excuse, as you would imagine.

What can you do to prevent being hit by a car if you are on a motorcycle to avoid an accident?

  1. Wear bright colors – if a car cannot see you, they will pull out in front of you or merge into you. Bright colors on your helmet, bike, jacket, legs, etc. are not just for style but are for safety as well.
  2. Avoid driving in bling spots – driving a motorcycle is all about avoiding risks. Riding next to a car is a huge risk. Try to be up in front of a car or a ways behind it so you don’t get hit by it.
  3. Don’t drive near parked cars – if you see parked cars, assume someone is going to open their door and give yourself some space. If a car door opens in front of you, you are in trouble because it will knock you off your bike and you won’t have time to react in most cases.
  4. Drive defensively – When approaching intersections, drive slow so that people can see you and you have time to react or accelerate if need be. You should assume no one sees you and everyone is an obstacle that could take you down. Make sure you have an eye on the car that wants to turn at the intersection in front of you, they may not see you and start their turn. You need to be prepared to take evasive action and at a high speed, you are most likely going to drop your bike and hit the pavement. Driving slow gives you the option to speed up or go a different direction if need be to avoid a collision.
  5. Avoid driving at night and in inclimate weather – Night time and heavy rain or snow is not a good time to ride a bike. If it is already tough to see you in the day time, how much easier do you think it will be to see you at night or in a rain storm? Everything should be done to give you the best ability to be seen and be safe on the road.

If you are injured in a Seattle motorcycle accident, call today for a free consultation. We are paid out of the settlement and not hourly so everyone can afford a Seattle personal injury lawyer but you cannot afford not to hire one.

Andrew Cherin70% of Motorcycle Accidents Occur Where?!
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