Should You Call the Police After Your Motorcycle Accident?

Following a motorcycle accident, it’s important to call the police and ask them to come file a report. What should you say when they show up, though? Find out in a new blog post from Motorcycle Lawyer Pro.

Should You Call the Police After Your Motorcycle Accident?

Being involved in a motorcycle accident is scary; it’s only natural to feel disoriented in its aftermath. To help you process what happened and mount a full recovery, you’ll need to seek help, including assistance from a seasoned motorcycle accident attorney.

In addition, we recommend seeking help from the police. Specifically, call the police following the accident and ask them to come file an official report. This may sound intimidating, or simply like it’s a hassle, yet it’s an important step in establishing your insurance claim and bolstering any ultimate legal case.

Calling the Police Following Your Accident

According to our motorcycle lawyers, it’s wise to always call the police, even if you feel like the accident was fairly minor.

You can do this simply by phoning 911. If there are obvious injuries at the accident site, you’ll want to have a full team of emergency responders dispatched. But if nobody seems badly hurt, you can just ask the 911 dispatcher to send a police officer to make a report.

In some instances, the police may decline; this is especially likely if they are extremely busy and your accident is very minor. In most cases, however, an officer will show up at the accident site pretty expediently.

What Will the Police Do?

It’s the job of the officer on the scene to get a good sense of what happened, and to articulate it in an official report. As such, you can expect the officer to do the following:

• Talk to each driver and to any passengers who are present at the scene, collecting their accounts of what happened.
• Making notes about the vehicles involved, any additional property damage, injuries, etc.
• Sketching a representation of the accident scene, illustrating what happened to cause the collision.

Generally speaking, this is a straightforward process. You won’t be asked any hard questions; you’ll simply be asked to share your version of what happened to cause the accident.

Tips for Talking to the Police

Our motorcycle accident lawyers offer these tips for interacting with the police:

• Try to stick to the facts and leave emotions out of it; getting angry or throwing blame at the other driver isn’t going to help your case. Just try to calmly explain what happened.
• Don’t admit fault and don’t apologize… even if you do think you were to blame for the accident. Allow the officer to reach their own conclusions.
• It’s generally best to keep your account short and sweet. There’s no need to give your life story! Just tell the officer what happened in the moments leading up to the accident.
• Ask the officer when you will receive your own copy of the police report. Note that it will usually be a week or two before it’s mailed to you.
• On the off chance that an officer declines to show up and file a report, make sure you do some fact-finding of your own; take photos of the accident scene, and gather contact information from the other parties involved.
• After the officer leaves, that’s a good time to call your motorcycle accident attorney to fill them in on the details of the incident.

Talk to an Experienced Motorcycle Accident Attorney Today

As you seek assistance in the wake of a motorcycle accident, don’t hesitate to call our team of skilled motorcycle accident lawyers. Reach out to Motorcycle Lawyer Pro to set up a consultation, or to ask any questions about what to do in the aftermath of a collision.