If you’ve been the victim of an accident, especially a hit-and-run accident, there are several things you should do to help you and your legal representation in getting compensation for any injuries or lost wages you might have suffered.
Motorcycle drivers have just as many rights as car and truck drivers, and you must take the following steps in order to protect yourself and your family from more pain and suffering.
Seven Important Steps After a Hit-and-Run Accident
Depending on the seriousness and the injuries you suffered after an accident, try to follow as many of these steps as possible.
- Get Safe and Call the Police!
First and foremost, calm down, get out of the road if you can and make sure you and everyone around you is as safe as possible. Try to control your emotions, as difficult as that might be. Once you’re safe, call the police or get someone to call them as quickly as possible.
- Get as Much Info on the Driver as Possible
If you can get a driver’s license number, that’s ideal. But at the very least, get the vehicle’s color, make and model. If you or someone around you can take a picture, that would be ideal.
If it’s not a hit-and-run accident, don’t let the driver go, even if you think you are unharmed. The adrenaline released into your system might be masking an injury you don’t realize you have, like a neck injury or even a broken wrist.
- Get Contact Information of Any Witnesses
Understand that people will try to help you at the scene, but they’ll also want to go about their own business as quickly as possible. Make sure you or someone you’re with first get their names and phone numbers, at least, even before they tell you what they saw. This will be very important in helping a San Antonio motorcycle law firm making your case.
- Call a Lawyer as Soon as Possible
Calling a lawyer quickly isn’t a selfish move. You want to hire legal representation quickly because they will help you with all of the steps you need to take after an accident, in order to not be taken advantage of by insurance companies or the people that hit you.
- Explain Exactly What Happened to the Police
Give your facts to the police office about what happened because in the event it is a hit-and-run accident, your voice is the only one that matters at that moment. Then ask the officer to repeat the facts back to you, so you can confirm he wrote them down the way you told it.
- See a Doctor ASAP
Whether you feel OK or not, it’s important you go see a medical professional immediately. Don’t wait until the next day. Don’t wait until later in the week. Do it now. You might have injuries you aren’t aware of, and an exam or X-rays might find them.
- Check the Police Report
After a couple days have gone by, contact the officer that handled your accident, or just call the police station, and ask to see a copy of the accident report to make sure everything was correct. If it’s not right, immediately call a lawyer to help you amend it.
Getting an experienced San Antonio motorcycle accident law firm, like Fears Nachawati, is important in getting the most compensation after an accident, especially a hit and run. Give them a call at (210) 858-5383, or come talk to them at their San Antonio offices at 111 Soledad near the Riverwalk. You can also visit their other Texas offices in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and Houston, as well as their offices in Denver and Tampa.