Many people like owning a motorcycle. They may ride it to work, or they might only take it out on the weekends for recreation. They may see it as a form of conveyance, but also as a lifestyle.
Many motorcycle owners love nothing more than to get together with other owners to talk about their bikes. They may compare and contrast the different brands. There’s one thing that they can’t deny, though. Owning and riding a motorcycle involves an inherent danger element.
Hit-and-run cases involving motorcycles often happen. A car’s driver might feel that if nobody saw them hit a motorcycle rider, then they can drive quickly away, and no one’s the wiser.
Obviously, that’s deplorable behavior. Any driver must stop after causing an accident, whether they hit another car, a motorcycle, or an inanimate object.
If someone hits your motorcycle and drives away, you may not know what to do. We will discuss that in detail now.
Call the Police
If a car’s driver hits your motorcycle and then drives away, you should first call the authorities. If you have a smartphone on you, then you can call 911. You can ask for police assistance, and if the accident hurt you, then you can request an ambulance as well.
If you don’t have a cell phone with you, then you must ask someone who saw the wreck to call for you. It’s important that you have a phone with you while riding a motorcycle for this reason.
If you’re on a deserted stretch of road with no cell phone, and no one around, then you must try to get back on your motorcycle to go for help. If you can’t, you must hope that someone comes and finds you sooner rather than later.
Assuming you or someone else called the police, then you can tell them what happened when they arrive. You can give them any details about the car and driver that you remember. This information will come in handy later.
Get Medical Attention if You Need It
If you need medical attention, the ambulance’s crew can give you that when they arrive. If you need it, then they can give you a ride to the hospital.
Keep in mind, though, that you must pay for that ambulance ride. If you have medical insurance, that will probably cover part of it, but you will also more than likely have a copay.
That’s why, if you only have a few bumps and bruises, you might refuse further medical attention. If you do this, though, then you won’t have an official medical report from a doctor. You will probably want this later if you file a lawsuit against the hit-and-run driver, so you should at least consider going to a medical facility so a doctor can look you over.
Get Your Motorcycle Out of the Road
If you stay at the scene, then try to get your motorcycle out of the road. You don’t want another car to come along and hit it.
If you have to go to the hospital, and you can’t take care of your motorcycle, then you must trust that the authorities will handle it. You can probably pick it up at the police impound lot or the nearest police station later.
Take Video or Pictures of the Crash Site
If you remain at the crash site, you should probably take plenty of pictures or smartphone videos. You can record the weather conditions, the time of day, the motorcycle’s location, and any visible damage. You can also record any injuries that you sustained.
You can give the police a full report as well. They should give you an accident report when they conclude their investigation.
If you went to the hospital, then you can get that report later. It will likely come in handy if you end up filing a lawsuit. That assumes, of course, that the police catch the driver who fled the scene.
Tell Your Insurance Company What Happened
When you finish getting medical attention, if you needed it, then you can call your insurance company. You must file a claim with them.
You can tell them what happened. It’s best that you don’t speculate about who caused the accident. Just relate the incident and include any details you find relevant.
If you live in a no-fault state, then that will make this whole process easier. If you live in a no-fault state, then it doesn’t matter whether you caused the accident or the car’s driver did. Your insurance company should pay for the motorcycle’s repairs, your medical bills, and any lost wages if you have to miss work.
If you’re in an at-fault state, that becomes a little trickier. You may have to pay for some of those things, at least until the police catch the driver who fled the scene.
Wait to See if the Police Catch the Guilty Party
If the cops catch the driver who fled the scene, then you can sue them. That’s probably advisable. They committed a crime, and they should face consequences.
If you can find a skilled personal injury attorney who handles motorcycle and hit-and-run cases, they can help you to get the compensation that you’re due. You can try to get money not just for the medical bills, lost wages, and so forth, but also pain and suffering and emotional trauma.
In most cases, the police will catch the guilty party. These days, many intersections have traffic cameras. Maybe a passerby shot some cell phone footage. If the car’s driver hit you with some stores nearby, then maybe there’s store camera footage as well.
You can use all of that during the trial. You and your lawyer should try to teach this reckless driver a lesson.
Anyone who won’t obey the law and stop if they hit a motorcycle rider should have to pay a steep price. Nobody should behave that way in respectable society.
