If you or someone you know has recently been injured in a motorcycle accident, the next steps taken are important for the future. Many bikers realize the importance of staying safe on the road, but the same might not always be said for other drivers.

Bikers have to ensure that they follow all relevant laws and guidelines about safety, such as wearing helmets, signaling properly, and avoiding reckless behavior. But what happens in far too many a motorcycle accident is that another driver is not paying attention and strikes a biker.

The person inside the car when a motorcycle crash occurs has many more safety features in place to protect them: the frame of the car, airbags, and seatbelts are just a few. For a biker who never saw the crash coming, however, there’s little chance to react. A biker can be thrown a few dozen feet depending on the speed of the driver at the time of the crash.

If a biker is indeed conscious after a motorcycle accident, a few steps should be taken in order to help that biker recover from his or her injuries.

These include:

  • Contacting the authorities, even if the damage or injuries seem minor
  • Taking pictures and videos of the accident scene
  • Making a police report
  • Getting medical attention from paramedics or other professionals
  • Contacting his or her insurance company
  • Getting the contact information for any accident witnesses
  • Contacting an attorney

All of these steps play an important role in a biker’s ability to recover successfully from an accident. The next stage for someone who has been injured due to another person’s negligence is to file a personal injury claim, but having these other elements in place can be extremely important for protecting the biker’s rights going forward. Serious injuries are very common with any motorcycle accident, making it all the more important to do the right research and take action promptly after the accident occurs by speaking with an attorney. While not everyone will need to file a personal injury case or enter the litigation phase, having the right information upfront can be valuable.

If the cyclist was knocked unconscious at the scene of the accident, he or she will have to rely on someone else’s account and information to put together a case. That’s part of what makes getting experienced legal help so important during this challenging time, because the cyclist might not even remember what happened or have the ability to pull together the evidence on his or her own.