Road accidents are common enough – luckily, when we’re contained within a large chunk of metal surrounded by advanced crumple points and air bags, most car accident victims can escape with minor injuries at low speeds – unless of course you are a pedestrian or the impact was at high speed on a motorway. But – what about motorcyclists?
It’s no secret that accidents involving motorcycles can end up in absolute tragedy. There is plenty of government advertising instructing drivers to Think Bike!, and look, look, and look again when coming out of junctions, changing lanes, or turning in to side roads. Motorcycles are far harder to spot on the roads, particularly at night. Every driver should be continuously vigilant for motorcyclists at all times. If you spot one, you should keep them in mind all the time.
Unfortunately, it’s been common knowledge for years that you are far more likely to be involved in an accident as a motorcyclist – in fact, previous statistics have accounted for seven times more likely. So the general lessons to be learnt are for drivers to ensure to be far more aware of motorcyclists, and for motorcyclists to take extra care on the roads.
So – what should you do if you are involved in an accident as a motorcyclist?
Make sure you get yourself checked over by a medical professional first. Your safety helmet and protective flame retardant suit should have helped to protect you; but even if you feel fine, go to the nearest hospital or walk in centre.
Make sure to exchange details with any other vehicles involved – if you’re badly injured, call the emergency services or ask someone to call them on your behalf (although I’d like to think someone would do this for you anyway!). If you are too badly injured, the police will take the necessary action to get information from the other party’s involved.
STOP! – Before you call even your own insurers, find a specialist solicitor with experience in dealing with road accident and motorcycle claims. It’s likely your insurers will advise you that you have the benefit of Legal Expense Insurance, or “Legal Protection”. We advise you to avoid going down this route, as in many cases all your insurers will do is sell the details of your claim on to another solicitor for a referral fee. Sometimes, they have a panel of, say 10 or 12, solicitors – all bidding for your claim. It’s the highest bidding law firm that grabs the case – i.e. the one that’s paid the most to buy your case. The fee paid out is not recoverable from the other side – so it can only really come out of either your compensation, or the running costs for your claim.
As a motorcycle accident victim, it’s likely you need a more qualified injury lawyer with particular expertise in road accidents and motorcycle claims. Make sure you go direct to an independent law firm and cut out the middle men (i.e. your insurers) and ensure you get a lawyer with a full budget to spend on you and your case. After all, with less money to spend on your claim, how is the solicitor going to ensure to fight tooth and nail to ensure you get 100% of the maximum compensation you are entitled to have?
You may also find that you need treatment – perhaps some physio, chiropractic, or osteopathic treatment – to assist with your recovery. Getting an independent expert injury lawyer with a full budget means you should get the full works, and more! For example, as an independent firm ourselves, we:
- Will organise private medical care from the outset of the case on your behalf with no costs for you to pay – ever! Even if your case is lost, we will recover any treatment fees using an insurance policy. As its private, it’s quicker, more convenient, and a can be a better service than using the NHS.
- Organise your bike to be repaired fast – with the option of hire and replacement whilst your baby is in the bike shop!
- Update you every 14 days – firstly, because we love our clients and love to keep in touch with you! Secondly, so you are always in the know about your claim, and you can experience firsthand just how quickly we work.
The moral is to always get your own independent specialist injury lawyer to represent you for your claim. Avoid the middlemen, and definitely avoid dealing with the other insurers directly. Get an expert on your side on a genuine No Win No Fee basis, and you can’t go wrong! On a proper no win no fee, you pay nothing win or lose.
