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Important Documentation to Maintain Following a Motorcycle Accident
When you experience a personal injury, especially one that requires hospital or other major medical care, the details may not be immediately important. What pieces of paper you should keep or how you can best document your injuries aren’t typically considerations at the forefront of your mind when you’re recovering from those injuries.
But whether you were injured in a car accident or motorcycle accident — or any other incident, for that matter — knowing how to document your injuries can be important. The right proof may be required to support any personal injury case as you seek compensation for your injuries. And since motorcycle accidents can be expensive, you may want to work with a personal injury attorney to help make your case and cover all the details to ensure the most positive outcome possible.
Keep reading to find out how to document your injuries after a motorcycle accident. These tips are essential when you’re dealing with a motorcycle accident foot injury, knee injury from a motorcycle accident, or another type of injury after a motorcycle collision.
Why You Might Have to Prove Your Motorcycle Injury
The first step after experiencing an injury in a motorcycle accident is often filing an insurance claim. If someone else was at fault in the accident, you would file the claim with their insurance company. The insurance company may offer you a certain amount of compensation as a settlement, but it’s important to be aware of your losses and whether that settlement is appropriate given those injuries and damages.
Insurance companies aren’t in the business of ensuring you have everything you need. They’re in the business of making a profit and may have to answer to shareholders. Because of that, you may need to push the issue by filing a lawsuit.
When you file a lawsuit as the injured party in a motorcycle accident, you are the plaintiff. The burden of proof in a personal injury case rests on the plaintiff. That means that you have to demonstrate that you were injured in the accident and that it was the fault of someone else. You also have to prove the extent of your injuries and how they have caused you financial loss.
Documents to Keep After a Motorcycle Injury
Keeping documentation about your injuries can help you prove everything you need to win a personal injury case. Some documentation to gather and keep when you’ve been injured in a motorcycle accident includes:
- A copy of the police report. This report captures official details about the accident, including how it might have occurred. It can help demonstrate who was at fault in the incident. Police reports also typically include the names and contact information of any witnesses to an accident. That information can help you call witnesses to testify in your case.
- Copies of your medical records. Ask for and keep copies of all your medical records related to treatment after the motorcycle crash. This can include X-rays and doctors’ notes about your injuries. You should also keep ongoing records throughout your recovery for treatment such as physical or occupational therapy.
- Pictures of your injuries. If possible, take pictures of injuries as soon as possible following the accident. You can continue to take pictures to document how long it took for injuries to heal. Photographs can be a good way to document injuries that involve swelling of the legs or other issues that make it difficult to engage in daily life.
Write Down or Otherwise Record as Much as Possible
You can supplement official records from hospitals, doctors’ offices, and law enforcement with your own written or video records.
As soon as possible after the accident, take time to record everything you remember about it. It can be harder to recall details accurately the further you move away from the accident. When you’re involved in a personal injury case, you may hear various accounts of the accident, making it even easier to lose some of the initial clarity. If you record your thoughts in writing or via video, you can reference them in the future.
You might also want to journal or make a video each day to record details about your injuries, how you feel, how your recovery is going, and what impact your injuries are currently having on your life. All of these details can be important in proving damages in your case.
Work With an Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Proving your injuries and seeking the compensation you deserve for your losses isn’t always easy. The insurance company and other parties may work against you, trying to disprove what you are trying to prove. Working with an experienced personal injury attorney can make it easier to stay the course as you seek a more positive future after a motorcycle accident.
A personal injury attorney can even help you gather, organize, and use documentation after such an accident. They might request the police report and any medical records on your behalf and walk you through other information you should be recording and keeping. They’ll also subpoena and interview witnesses and may take pictures of the crash site or hire other experts to help prove the significance of your injuries.
For more information on how a personal injury lawyer can help after you’re injured in a motorcycle accident, contact Jarrett & Price, trial attorneys, today by calling 855-909-3021 to make an appointment.
