Motorcycle accidents of all types are highly tragedic. No one on earth would not expect sweet moments after a motorcycle accident. As an aware motorcyclist, you must wonder what to expect after a motorcycle accident?
Expect the police to arrive and take you to the hospital after a motorcycle accident. Then if you were at fault, the opposite party(if any other vehicles involved) might file a case against you.
In figures, Motorcyclists are involved in more accidents per mile traveled than cars. A motorcycle accident can happen, as it’s not abnormal in the US. But the problematic situation is the aftermath.
You don’t know what to do. You will face legal complications, financial consequences, injuries, lawsuits, etc.
Wait, calm down! Don’t worry at all. We will be discussing how you can minimize the problems after a motorcycle accident in one package. Keep on reading to find out a world of possibilities.
What’s going to happen after an accident?
Okay, you can’t just sit back and relax after a motorcycle crash like any other day. The day and the following days won’t go as usual at all. I’m not demotivating my readers. But the actuality is that many motorcyclists don’t know what to expect after a motorcycle collision.
Typically, You will be facing the scenarios mentioned in the picture consistently. Expect the troubles of a motorcycle accident to stay at least 2-3 months. Starting from injury, injuries, loss of wages, and medical bills – there are a lot of headaches.
As a result, they mess up things out of panic and tension. You should be aware of the consequences of a motorcycle accident and take steps. We are going to discuss this topic below.
Internal injuries from a motorcycle accident
Firstly, you will undoubtedly have major or minor injuries when you commit an accident. The intensity of damages will depend on three factors:
- Speed limit
- Type of crash
- The environment of the accident.
- Road hazards that cause crashes
A recent study by NHTSA showed that using certified helmets can decrease dying by up to 37%.
However, let’s get back to the expectations. According to a report, most two-wheeler crashes cause head, leg, and neck injuries.
How long does it take to heal from a motorcycle accident?
Most motorcycle crash injuries are long-lasting. Minor physical damages may get resolved within a few weeks, whereas significant injuries can take years. You can expect to recover internal injuries within a lower timeframe if the injuries occurred at a lower speed.
Secondly, you will be facing legal complications.
The legal difficulties is a bit informative topic. I’ll explain the matter in short in the separate section below.
Most importantly, If you fail to deal with the legal complications and take steps accordingly, you might have a merciless punishment, although if you were at no fault.
Sadly, many motorists make this mistake unknowingly. According to statistics, 36% of motorcyclists don’t get compensation or insurance for silly mistakes.
But you do have a chance to know further in the below.
If you want to know your chance to survive a motorcycle accident, read our post: Chances of dying in a motorcycle accident.
Legal complications after a crash
The severity of legal complications mainly depends on the reality of the accident. For example, if the accident occurred due to your fault and no other vehicle was involved in the accident, you won’t face any legal complications. Such type of accident is called a one-vehicle involving an accident. And these collisions often occur due to riding accident-prone types of motorcycles that are speedier.
But if a one-vehicle accident occurred and caused any problem to the road or other objects, it might be a crime. The police may file a lawsuit against the at-fault party in this case. In response, hiring an accident lawyer and gathering evidence to prove the matter is necessary.
On the other hand, Most motorcycle accidents involve passenger cars or pedestrians. If you ever face an accident, expect another party to be involved, which you don’t want.
And in multiple vehicle accidents or pedestrian-to-vehicle accidents, one party will be liable for the accident because an accident can’t occur without fault or mistakes.
Take legal steps
As a result, the innocent person can file a case against the opposite party for compensation for the losses.
If you were at no fault for an accident, file a case against the at-fault party. After proving the liability, the at-fault party will be obliged to compensate the injured party.
So, are you clear on what to expect after a motorcycle accident? Not a cup of coffee for sure. Now the question arises what the recovery time is?
Motorcycle accident recovery time in injury is between 3-5 months for significant damages and 1-2 months for minor injuries. And to get compensation or insurance, it may take a month for typical cases and six months for a complex issue to pass the legal complications.
Learn more by clicking the orange link above.
You will pass legal complications as soon as you follow the proper guidelines. If you don’t deal with the law correctly, things can worsen.
So, the crucial question is, how do you recover from a motorcycle accident?
How do you recover from a motorcycle accident?
Recovering from the consequences of a crash is a challenging experience. You got injured, can’t work, and your days are not going as usual. As a result, you lose wages, time, and money due to getting injured and hospitalized.
But how do you recover from these unexpected troubles quickly? Yes, there is a way out for motorcyclists. It’s seeking insurance. If you follow the guidelines and take steps according to necessity, you have a high chance of getting a satisfying motorcycle crash settlement.
But don’t expect to get insurance from scratch! The insurance carrier will try their best to avoid your insurance claim. They will claim you instead to be a reckless driver. After all, it’s their business; they don’t exist to provide compensation regularly.
You have to prove that you were at no fault for the motorcycle accident. Convince the insurance adjusted with evidence and make warnings.
Above all, if you fail to make them understand, hiring an accident attorney would be the ultimate decision. It will signal to the company that you’re damn serious about your insurance.
Let the attorney fight for your insurance. Attorney helps maximize insurance because they are experts in accident laws at local and national levels.
Interestingly, the contingency fee for your accident attorney can be a win-win structure. You don’t have to pay upfront to the attorney. This way, you will pay the attorney a percentage of what they get you.
We have talked to different lawyers and know that the average contingency fee for accident lawyers can be anywhere between 33% to 40%. If you get $50,000 in insurance, you must pay $16,500 on the lowest example.
How long does it take to heal from a motorcycle accident?
The healing timeframe depends on how you were injured. If you ensure good hospitality and the best care for your internal damages, you can expect to minimize your injuries as soon as possible. Let’s look at the chart below for the injuries that mostly happen and the average time needed to heal these injuries:
Brain injury
The brain sits at the top of your body and is the root of your life. About 72.6% of motorcycle injury victims get brain damage. Brain injuries include Coup-Contrecoup Brain Injury, brain contusion, and sometimes death due to overpressure. Fortunately, studies show proof of getting up to $100,00 in insurance for brain injuries. You can expect insurance if you were involved in a wrongful accident. Brain injuries take the longest time among all parts to get healed. Usually, It may take up to a year for significant brain injuries. You have a 60% to 90% chance of recovering your internal brain damage from a motorcycle accident. Sometimes, removing the helmet after a crash can cause even further damage. It is mandatory to wear helmets still after a crash due to striking chances on the open road.
Spinal injury
Spinal injuries are not life-threatening. It can drastically change your daily routine on how you live. Most people do not die from spinal cord injury, although it can still be quite severe. A spine injury settlement can be as high as $1,000,000 per case. Many people have won big with their spinal cord injury claims, and you could be next. Healing for spinal injury cases can take anywhere from 3 to 4 months. A lot of people nowadays suffer from such injuries. However, when it comes to the question: What to expect after a motorcycle accident? There are other possible severe injuries on the list too.
Whiplash
It is a neck injury due to forceful pressure on the neck. Whiplash is a common injury caused primarily by rear-end car accidents. It is chiefly called motorcycle road rash. Studies show that average whiplash settlements range from $10,000 to $100,000 for minor neck injuries. The compensation can be 1 million to 5 million for significant neck damages. In this case, the other vehicle involved in the motorcycle accident will make the settlement. However, whiplash problems to resolve within 3-4 weeks. But significant impacts can lead to permanent neck joint failure.
What to Expect From The Involved Vehicle After a Crash?
The motorcycle is a lightweight vehicle. As a result, the motorcyclist can take the vehicle to a high speed in seconds. Passenger cars, in comparison, are 78% more secure than two-wheelers.
According to a report, ¾ of all motorcycle accidents involve other vehicles, most often a passenger car.
Surprisingly, A report by NHTSA shows that there were an estimated 737,100 hit-and-run cases in 2015.
If the other party hit you, caused an accident, and ran away, they will get no lenient decision by the court. Expect the court to take your case after an accident seriously. The court seriously punishes motorists who hit and run away, disregarding other drivers’ life.
Check More: What Should You Do If Your Motorcycle Tipped Over
Motorcycle accident recovery stories
Theoretical explanations won’t help you to a greater extent to conclude. I felt a lack of practicality in this article. Therefore, we included some motorcycle accident recovery stories to help our readers to a greater extent.
We have collected these stories from individuals in the motorcyclist community. For your information, Several motorcycle communities are in a group with us. As a result, we can provide plenty of information from practical individual experiences.
A recovery story
The story below will probably convince you about what to expect after a motorcycle accident.
Hi, I’m Vicente Avila. I’m originally from India but bought up in San Diego, California. So, let’s start the story from my motorcycle.
I use a Kawasaki Ninja motorbike for traveling purposes. Once I was traveling on the road SR-7 in San Diego. I suddenly felt my gear shifter wasn’t working and looked into that while riding for seconds.
A white passenger car, probably a FORD F-SERIES pick-up in that short period, hit me and ran away. Fortunately, I was at a speed of 40 mph, and neither the involved car was that fast.
However, After that accident, the emergency medical service took me to the hospital. Thankfully, I was conscious and wrote down the cars’ numbers. It helped me to file a case against that negligent driver. Most importantly, I could get a satisfactory settlement for my injury bills, loss of wages, and other accident-related expenditures.
I advise motorcyclists to write down as many facts as possible if they ever face an accident and stay conscious. You can forget the crucial evidence later out of panic. For example, I could forget the car number if I hadn’t written it.
Check the settlement concept of a motorcycle accident claim.
Compensation
Yes, you can and have the right to expect the best compensation for your accident-related losses. You have to ensure that you have the necessary evidence for the accident. Wondering how to collect that?
You must contact a lawyer to investigate the matter if you don’t have information and evidence. As a general individual, you can’t gather information later if you don’t write down and gather information following the hours after an accident. In other words, it won’t be easy, and you will need proficiency.
On the other hand, it’s a matter of moments for an accident attorney to gather evidence like witnesses, CCTV footage, information regarding the accident, etc.
But as I expect my readers are not reading this article after waking up from an accident, I include some crucial activities to gather evidence after a crash:
- Take out your notepad/smartphone/paper and note the facts you remember. Don’t avoid this method even though you assume you will remember the facts. Note the car number, how the accident happened, and environmental attributes.
- You will most probably have a crowd centering on an accident and you. Note down the contact information of the witnesses. It’s vital evidence.
- Don’t forget to seek medical attention if you don’t see anyone calling them.
Conclusion (What To Expect After A Motorcycle Accident8)
Even though you have a world of possibilities to overcome the aftermath of a motorcycle accident, it’s your obedient duty to ride safely. Plenty of motorcycle collision occurs every day across the US.
If you don’t want to be one of them, drive safely and smartly.
Thanks for reading this article with cordial love. Get in touch with us if you need help with anything. Stay tuned!