A motorcycle accident has the potential for being a life-altering, if not life-threatening, experience. Due to the lack of structural protection provided by cars and trucks, being in a motorcycle accident will typically involve more serious and long-lasting injuries. But, regardless of whether your injuries are relatively minor muscle aches and bruises or the more serious broken bones, brain damage or coma, a motorcycle accident often means putting your life on hold.

Jerome Foreman & Associates, P.C., is a Chicago Metro Area law firm that has successfully represented injured plaintiffs in motorcycle accidents over the last 30 years. Retaining our firm means that you can leave the legalities in our capable hands and concentrate on your healing. Our legal service is a one-on-one commitment only found in a mid-size law firm. If you have questions about the legal process in a personal injury claim, please feel free to contact us.

I’ve Been in a Motorcycle Accident, Now What?

What you do or, more importantly, fail to do immediately following a motorcycle accident can have a significant and potentially harmful effect on your personal injury claim. Granted, the first thing you need to do is to take care of yourself. You also must make sure the police are called by either making the phone call yourself or ensuring somebody else has called.

When the police arrive, they will survey the accident scene, interview witnesses and involved parties, make estimates as to property damage and file an official accident report. However, it is essential that you to keep careful notes of what you saw and heard at the accident site. Begin with your injuries, making detailed notes as to your injuries and pain symptoms, no matter how minor. You should also note the injuries of other parties, exact location of the accident, time of day, weather conditions, direction of travel, how the incident unfolded, license plate numbers and all vehicle damage (from both before and after the accident).

The next step is to seek medical treatment. No matter how minor you think your injuries are, go to the nearest emergency room for a full examination. Take extra care to tell the medial personnel about all of your injuries and sources of pain and always double check they write it down as you recall describing it. Failure to do so may jeopardize your personal injury claim.
Along with your notes, you should document your injuries and property damage with photographs. If you have visible lacerations, bruising, or broken bones, you should take photographs at regular intervals during the healing process. A picture is worth a thousand words is certainly true in this instance.

Also, other than the police, you should not give recorded or unrecorded statements, discuss the accident or your injuries with anyone other than your immediate family, or sign any releases prior to seeking legal counsel. An attorney will guide you through the insurance process.

At Jerome Foreman & Associates, P.C., our clients are the most important people in our office. We offer free initial consultations, home and hospital visits, Spanish translators, and we work on a contingency fee basis. If we don’t make a recovery on your behalf, we do not collect attorney fees. When you retain our firm, you can trust that your case is in capable hands, leaving you to concentrate on the healing process. We are available 24/7 at 312.961.6824.