Motorcycle accidents are all-too common occurrences in Florida. Since the weather is so beautiful, so often in our state, riders love to get out and enjoy it. Unfortunately, these awesome rides can sometimes be marred by collisions that can lead to severe injuries – and worse. If this has happened to you, gathering strong evidence will be your best chance of obtaining compensation.
The Eberst Law Firm has a team of skilled attorneys with years of experience helping motorcycle accident victims get the money they deserve. Put that knowledge to work for you by scheduling a free consultation. You can call 1-888-CALL-JON, or you can contact us online to get in touch.
Whether the cause of the accident was a distracted driver, poor road conditions, or anything else, there are several types of evidence that could greatly strengthen your case. Here are just a few examples.
1. The Police Report
This can be one of the most powerful pieces of evidence in your motorcycle accident case. Whenever a motorcycle accident occurs, that will typically result in an injury. When that happens, a police officer will go to the scene of the accident to begin an investigation. If one has not yet arrived, call 911 and a law enforcement officer will be dispatched. Don’t let anyone try to talk you out of reporting the accident – if they do, it will probably be because they know they’re at fault.
2. Pictures and Videos
Videos and photographs are powerful as well. If your accident occurred in a populated area, the chances are that some sort of camera captured what happened. It could have been the dashcam of a police vehicle that was behind the accident, a traffic camera, or a security camera stationed outside a convenience store, or a nearby office building. Your attorney will work to obtain that footage to help prove that you weren’t to blame for the wreck.
If possible, try to take photos of the scene with your smartphone to gather even more evidence. Try to do so from several different angles, so you can provide your attorney with the most complete picture of the accident possible. Also, take photos of any accident debris, any nearby damaged objects, such as guardrails and signposts, and skid marks. These could prove to be an invaluable help to your case.
3. Witness Statements
There might have been people near the scene who saw what happened. Try to get their names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses so that your attorney can contact them. If the witnesses can stay long enough to speak with the investigating officer, that could also help your case significantly. But even if they don’t, as long as you have their information your attorney can get in touch with them later so they can make a statement.
While there are a lot of reasons why you should hire an attorney as soon as you can, talking to witnesses is among the most important. As time passes, witnesses’ memories of the accident can sometimes fade. There are some witnesses who will no longer want to talk after a certain amount of time goes by. Hiring a legal representative immediately can make it much more likely that witnesses will be able to help your case.
4. Expert Witnesses
You might have done everything right. You followed the law to the letter while on your bike, but an accident still happened. If you’re going to have the best possible chance of getting the money you have coming to you, there will be no such thing as too much evidence. In addition to collecting the types of evidence in this article, your case may also benefit from the help of an expert witness.
Experts routinely testify on behalf of accident victims. They can reconstruct the accident, clearly spelling out why they believe the collision occurred. Other types of experts may be able to help as well. Medical experts, for instance, can testify as to the severity of your injuries, and how much it will cost to treat those injuries.
The Eberst Law Firm has relationships with several types of expert witnesses. We may call on one to help prove the accident was not your fault.
5. Medical Records
It will be important that you keep all documentation regarding the treatment you’ve received. This means all doctor’s notes, prescription and hospital receipts, test results – everything. This documentation will go a long way toward proving not only how much you’ve already paid for your treatment, but also how much more you will likely have to pay until you’re completely recovered.
6. Proof of Damages
Damages are the financial and emotional losses you’ve incurred due to the accident and your injury. In order to make sure you win your case, you’re going to need to show proof of those losses. In addition to keeping all of your medical records, you also need to keep documentation of the money you’ve lost because you can’t work, as well as proof of the damage to your property that occurred.
It will be critically important that you realize you need to keep every piece of paper, and every email and text, that can in any way show what you’ve lost. That will be your best bet when it comes to receiving full and fair compensation for those losses.
Talk to a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today
There are a lot of factors that will go into determining the amount of money you can expect to receive as the result of your accident. One of them, unfortunately, is motorcycle bias. There are a lot of people who will assume the wreck was your fault, simply because you were on a bike. However, a strong attorney will know how to defeat that bias so you can get what you deserve.
At The Eberst Law Firm, we’re passionate about making sure our clients receive fair compensation for the suffering they’ve been forced to endure. We not only know how to gather evidence, we also know how to handle motorcycle bias, and make sure it doesn’t affect our clients’ cases. Schedule a free case review by using our online form or calling 1-888-CALL-JON.
