Motorcycle accidents can result in serious injuries that may come with expensive medical bills and extensive time off work. If another driver’s negligence caused your injury, you may be able to recover damages.
To improve your chances of collecting from the other party, it is important to gather as much evidence that proves the other driver is at fault as possible.
How investigators determine fault
There is no “smoking gun” in most motorcycle accidents. The determination of who is at fault largely comes down to a review of the available evidence by insurance investigators, attorneys or courts. The more evidence you can gather, the better your chances of proving your case.
Evidence you should obtain to prove fault
The first piece of evidence you need is the police report. It contains a variety of useful information, such as contact information for the other party, names of witnesses, insurance information and the name of the officer who responded to the scene. Witness testimony is also valuable. Make sure your insurance adjuster or attorney has access to contact information for any witnesses. Take photographs of the vehicles, injuries, traffic signs or lights, the road and anything else that seems helpful at the crash site. If your accident occurred near a surveillance camera, you may be able to request this footage. Keep your helmet, motorcycle and clothing that you wore during the accident. Your attorney may want to inspect these items.
You may not need all of these different types of evidence to prove fault in your accident. However, it is better to be over-prepared than under.
