What Riders Should Do Immediately After a Motorcycle Crash

A motorcycle crash can leave a rider shaken, injured, and unsure of what to do next. Knowing the right steps can protect your health, help prevent further harm, and preserve important information about the incident. Understanding what to do after a motorcycle crash is especially important because some injuries are not obvious at first, and details about the collision can become harder to recover with time.

1. Check for Injuries and Call for Medical Help

Your safety is paramount after a motorcycle crash. Take a look at how you’re feeling, but don’t just assume you’re okay on the basis of being able to stand and walk. A crash can result in a number of injuries including broken bones, head injury, internal bleeding, damage to your neck or spine.

If you think you might be seriously injured, then don’t move and ask someone to call emergency services. Moving an injured person without any training can actually make things worse. Just listen to the emergency operator’s instructions whilst you’re waiting for help.

A helmet will reduce your risk of serious head injury but it won’t prevent all injury. If you do hit your head, go to hospital if you black out, are confused or have a bad headache. Don’t remove your helmet if you think you might have a neck or spinal injury unless you’re in an immediate danger situation or emergency personnel tell you to.

2. Move Away From Traffic When It Is Safe

The scene of the crash can be hazardous with things like moving vehicles, leaking fuel, broken glass and damaged electrics. If you can move about without making your injury any worse, then try to get to a safer position away from the traffic.

If it’s safe then turn off your bike. Don’t attempt to move a bike that’s badly damaged, as that could put you at greater risk. If you can’t move then just signal for help and wait for the emergency services.

Other drivers may not see a bike or an injured rider until they’re quite close. Get someone nearby to alert oncoming traffic from a safe position rather than stepping into the road yourself.

Don’t put your own safety at risk to get your gear or to check your bike. Your safety is paramount.

3. Contact the Police and Report the Collision

If there’s another vehicle involved or anyone is injured, then call the emergency services or the police. A police report will be produced which will record what happened, who was present and what the officers observed at the scene.

Give them the facts as far as you can. Tell them what you remember in terms of the direction you were travelling, the traffic lights, the state of the road and everything you saw prior to the collision. If you’re not certain about anything, then just say you’re not certain rather than make a guess.

Don’t argue with the other driver at the scene. You don’t have to work out who was at fault straight away. A motorcycle crash can be caused by a number of things including the actions of the driver, visibility, road conditions and damage to the vehicle.

Ask how you go about obtaining a copy of the incident report and note down any reference number that the officer gives you.

4. Collect Information From Everyone Involved

Once you’ve got the medical help and the area is safe, gather the relevant information. That will assist you in explaining what’s happened to your insurer and will enable you to answer any questions they may have in the future.

Get the other driver’s name, contact details, plate number and insurance details. If anyone saw the crash then get their names and contact details too. A witness who wasn’t involved may well have seen something that the other people didn’t.

If you can, record the time, date, road and weather conditions and traffic. Take photos of your bike, other vehicles, any injuries, the road markings, any debris and the surrounding area. Take pictures from a variety of angles, not just one.

Don’t put off getting medical care in order to gather evidence. If you can’t get the information yourself, then ask someone you trust to help when it’s safe.

5. Get Medical Attention Even If You Feel Fine

After a crash, the adrenaline will take the edge off the pain for a while. Some injuries (concussion, internal injuries, etc.) won’t present themselves immediately. Other problems can manifest hours or indeed days later.

A doctor can assess your condition, recommend any tests that may be required and let you know which symptoms to be on the lookout for. You simply follow their advice and attend any necessary follow up appointments.

Keep copies of your medical records, prescriptions, test results and any receipts for treatment costs. It’s also a good idea to maintain a simple daily log of your pain, your sleep, any difficulty with movement and things you find you simply can’t do as easily as you used to.

These records will help you and your doctor to see how you’re recovering and can be of use if you ever need to explain how the crash has affected you.

For additional information about motorcycle injury prevention and protective equipment, consult the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s motorcycle safety guidance.

6. Notify Your Insurance Company

Get in touch with your insurer as soon as you can after you’ve attended to the urgent medical requirements. Most policies will have rules about reporting, so check your policy and find out what you need to do in order to start a claim.

Give them the full facts about the crash. Provide any photos, the police report number and all the other documentation they request. Keep copies of all the emails, the claim forms, the repair estimates and any correspondence you have with your insurer.

Be careful about talking about your injuries until you know how bad they really are. You can describe what you do know, but don’t go ahead and make any assumptions about your recovery or your health in general.

If your insurer is asking for a recorded statement, wants you to sign something or is offering you a settlement then make sure you understand what that means before you agree to it. A quick payment may not cover your future treatment or your lost time off work.

7. Preserve Your Motorcycle and Other Evidence

Your bike may well have some very useful clues as to how the crash occurred. The state of the handlebars, the brakes, the tyres, the frame and all the other bits can be very informative. If you can, of course, keep your damaged riding kit (helmet, jacket, gloves, boots etc).

Don’t repair or get rid of your motorcycle prior to documenting its condition and checking whether it needs to be inspected. Keep all repair estimates, towing receipts, storage receipts and any other crash-related expenses.

Keep all the important messages, photos, medical reports and witness details in one safe place. Whilst the incident is still fresh in your memory, write down what you remember. Be sure to include both what you saw yourself and what you were told by others.

If a local business or a car in the vicinity may have recorded the crash, ask them if they can save the footage. Some systems will automatically delete old footage so it’s important to ask as soon as possible.

8. Understand Your Options After the Crash

The cost of a motorcycle crash can go way beyond just the cost of the bike itself. You can end up with medical bills, rehab bills, lost income, damaged kit, and ongoing pain, which can all add up to a cost that you don’t really know until months later.

Who is to blame in a crash is down to the evidence and the applicable laws. You shouldn’t automatically rule out a claim simply because there were multiple vehicles involved or because you didn’t take evidence at the scene.

If you’ve got any questions about who’s at fault, insurance issues, or getting your compensation, then you may want to consider speaking to a personal injury solicitor. They can go through the facts, explain your options and let you know what the time limits are.

Remember that the legal time limits vary depending on your location and the type of claim you have. If you wait too long you can actually damage your prospects of getting compensation so it’s definitely worth getting proper advice as early as possible.

9. Give Yourself Time to Recover

Get back to your normal activities too soon and you’ll actually slow your recovery. Always follow your doctor’s advice as to when you can get back on your bike, particularly if you’ve sustained a head injury, have problems with movement or are still in pain.

Don’t ride a bike that hasn’t been checked for safety following a serious crash. There could be undetected damage to the brakes, steering, suspension or frame even if it looks OK on the outside.

Ask people to help with the rides, the chores and the appointments whilst you’re recovering. Keep a record of your symptoms and if things get any worse or you develop any new problems then call your doctor.

Recovery can be about coping with the pain, the stress, the fear of riding again. It’s about giving yourself the time to work through those things rather than just rushing back into your old way of doing things.

Conclusion

After a motorcycle crash, things can be very confusing, and it’s really helpful to have a plan in place to make the right decisions. Get medical attention. If you can, move yourself away from the danger. Report the incident. Get all the relevant information. Let your insurer know. Keep the evidence and be aware of any time limits that may impact your position.

Most importantly, don’t put your paperwork or your stuff before your health. Taking sensible steps early on can go a long way to helping you recover and cope with the issues that follow a motorcycle crash.