Motorcyclists forced into accidents on the Generals Highway in Tulare County should get to a safe place first, then contact 911. If riders are left strong enough, they can gather evidence to make sure the blame stays with the at-fault driver. Victims should take photos of the scene and the damage. They should also collect witness contact information and information from the other driver.
Afterwards, victims should alert their motorcycle insurance providers. They should also contact a skilled California motorcycle accident lawyer if they’ve suffered a serious injury like a broken bone or head trauma.
Taking Action After Motorcycle Collisions on California’s Generals Highway
Plenty of riders and motorcycling groups seek the challenge and beauty of rides along the Generals Highway, State Route 180, and State Route 198. Riders are usually traveling up to or back from Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon National Park, and the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The windy, steep route is perfect for riders who want some thrills in the open air. Unfortunately, drivers on the same road can make careless mistakes and even look at their cell phones as the road twists and turns.
They can fail to slow down for the vulnerable motorcyclist in front of them, or the one who is oncoming. Rear-end accident, sideswipes, and head-on collisions can send victims to the pavement to suffer chest injuries, broken legs, traumatic brain injuries and more.
Afterward, motorcyclists should get full help in paying for the best medical care available. They may also need help making up the paychecks they lose while injured. Injured riders can seek compensation from an at-fault driver’s car insurance provider. Unfortunately, when a major injury is involved, insurance adjusters are trained to find ways to get out of having to provide support. They can seek to blame the motorcyclist for the accident or question how serious the victim’s injuries are.
Injured motorcyclists will need all the evidence they can collect in order to fight back against these shady tactics.
Checklist for Motorcycle Accident Victims on The Generals Highway
Immediately after a motorcycle accident, victims should try to protect themselves from further injury first and then call for help. Then, if it’s okay to do so, they should gather as much evidence as possible to prove who was to blame for the crash.
Riders should try to complete these tasks and gather these details after an impact:
- Get out of the path of other vehicles if possible.
- Contact 911. If there’s no cell phone signal, ask someone to drive out to find a signal and call 911.
- Call for an ambulance and get fully checked out by paramedics. Go to the emergency room is necessary.
- Tell officers every detail you can remember about what led up to the accident.
- If you are feeling up to it, start taking photos of the scene with your phone. Get the damage to the car and your bike. Show any visible injuries. Show your helmet if you were wearing one.
- Get contact information from witnesses.
- Get driver’s license and insurance information from the driver unless an officer provides it to you.
- See your own doctor later, even if you have already been to the hospital.
- Keep all evidence. Don’t throw out your jacket, shoes, pants or shirt. Keep your damaged helmet and bike for as long as necessary to settle your case.
- Contact your motorcycle insurance provider as soon after your crash as possible and let them know what happened.
Contact a California Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
If your motorcycle accident only results in some minor scrapes and soreness or only property damage, you may not need a lawyer’s help. But when motorcycle accidents result in more serious injuries, like a broken leg or head trauma, and the fault lies with a careless driver, the protection of a skilled California motorcycle accident lawyer becomes much more important.
Contact Maison Law to talk with a real lawyer about your options in a free consultation. You’ll learn what your injury is worth and how to secure the compensation you need for a full recovery. There’s no obligation, but if you feel we can earn you much more for your claim, you’ll need no upfront money to hire Maison Law. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then, our fee comes out of the settlement an insurer must pay you.
