Did you know that motorcycle accident claims in Toronto are amongst the most common types of claims in the GTA region? And, some of the most devastating injuries are being suffered after these accidents, even worse than after any other type of motor vehicle accidents. The thing is that even the best motorcycle riders can be involved in an accident at some point of time. The big question that you need to ask yourself is “Are you prepared to deal with aftermath of being involved in a motorcycle accident? Do you know anything about specifics of motorcycle accident claims in Toronto or wherever in the province of Ontario you are? God forbid you have to ever face any situation of this sort. But if yes, then what is the best options for you?” If the answer to any of these questions is No, then you have come to the right page.
What should you do after a motorcycle accident?
One of the first things that you need to keep in mind is that whenever a motorcycle accident occurs, you need to be pretty clear about things before you make any statements, as anything said haphazardly can be used against you. So, no matter what happens – never admit that the fault is yours. Don’t forget that whenever such traumatizing scenario occurs, it can never be certain who was at fault. Let me take you through the journey one step at a time:
- Check for injuries
When you have been involved in such a troublesome scene, the first thing that you need to do is look for injuries that you might have incurred because of the accident. Listed below are some of the most common types of injuries that are observed in motorcycle accidents:- Head/neck injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Fractures and broken bones
- Concussions
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Skin abrasions
While damage may vary depending on severity of an accident, yet any of these injuries can lead to devastating consequences on health of an individual in the future. This is the reason you need to be aware of the benefits that you can avail by filing for a motorcycle accident claim in Toronto or any other city / town in Ontario you are located in.
P.S. At the time of an accident, in order to avoid anything worse happening, get out of the roadway as quickly as possible, because there could be other vehicles rushing on the road that might give rise to even adverse circumstance.
- Collect as much info as you can
Now that the doomsday has struck, you need to try and put yourself together, and start with the remediation work after the accident. This will help you avoid any further troubles from approaching and at the same time ensure that you are able to file a rightful claim and get the compensation from your insurance company and/or the person who was at fault in the accident. So, in order to gather information at the scene, here is what you can do:- Exchange phone numbers with the driver who was involved in the accident
- Get his address, insurance information and license number
- Note down the plate numbers
- Trace the car make, model and description
All this can prove to be helpful in order to file for a motorcycle accident claim in Toronto, GTA or wherever you live in Canada.
- Let police come to the rescue
Regardless whether the accident is a minor one or involves some major factors, you must get in touch with cops so that you can easily file for a claim. Filing a police report can easily fetch you the claim for all types of losses that have been incurred as a result of the accident. Don’t forget that there are certain injuries and damages that don’t appear even after weeks of the accident. So, what can you do during such circumstance? Well, this is the reason why filing a police report becomes so important. The report is a proof that the accident occurred and because of that accident you are suffering from these injuries that have appeared after a certain period of time. - Talk to witnesses
If possible, you must try and talk to the witnesses in order to gather as much information about the accident as possible. As they say, memories fade quickly so try to make a note of the things that you get to know from the eye witnesses, record their views and comments, and keep them safe with you. These can help you quite a lot with your claim filing process. - Don’t admit it was your fault
Now this is highly significant and important at the same time. It is a huge possibility that after traumatic experience of the accident, your brain might not be thinking straight. Therefore, admitting to anything at that time would be not a great idea. Try to gather your composure and calm yourself down before you actually make any comments or statements. You must not forget that any statement made at this point of time can be easily used against you and have serious consequences in the approaching time. So, try to avoid making comments in such a situation.
All this explains everything that you need to do at the scene of the accident which can help you not just avoid any future complications, but at the same time prove to be helpful in filing for a motorcycle accident claim.
Now, let us move to the most important part in this topic of discussion and that would be “what damages are covered under a compensatory claim filed for a motorcycle accident?”
Well, we’ve put together a list of major points:
- Damage to the property – There is no need to explain that during a motorcycle accident, there is going to be damage done to vehicles. Now, a motorcycle accident claim entitles you to get compensation for the entire amount that you have spent on repair work done in order to bring your vehicle back in shape, and that too from a place of your choice. So, you don’t have to worry about any sort of damage that has been incurred to your bike. All you have to do is get rightful help from a legal professional and file for a claim. With right guidance from an expert in this field, you can be sure to get fair compensation as per the damage done to your two-wheeler.
- Physical Damage – Coming to the most serious part of the claim, i.e. paying for the physical damage that you have incurred. This is highly important as physical injuries caused during the accident might leave you in a condition wherein you need to take extensive medical treatment to get out of the condition. By filing for a claim you can eventually get reimbursement for all the medical expenses that you paid to get yourself back on the right track and reaching to the state of being medically fit. And we talk about medical expenses and injuries only but there can be other aspects that need to be talked about.
First of all, there can be instance where medical injuries are beyond repair. Under such circumstance the person at the receiving end of the accident, suffering from injuries, is entitled to get compensation for the following damages:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental trauma faced as a consequence of the accident
- Loss of future earning as a result of permanent damage (loss of hearing or any other permanent form of disability)
P.S. In case the damage goes beyond this and even your partner has to suffer because of the injuries caused during the accident, then you can get compensation for that as well. This is called the compensation for loss of companionship. After all, whenever the accident takes place, it is not only the person involved in the accident that suffers, but the friends and family also go through tough time. So, the person responsible for the accident must also pay for damages that he/she has caused because of reckless driving or negligence that has led to someone else’ loss.
All that explains the basics of compensation, motorcycle accidents and what all you can do when stuck in such adversity.
How can a personal injury attorney help you with your claim?
Now you have an idea about all this, but can you still take care of the filing process on your own?
Well, it depends. If damage is minor, which you think you can get fixed on your own and don’t require too much hassle, then getting it done on your own may be the reasonable choice. However, if there is serious damage and you are going to file a claim for the same, then getting in touch with a legal professional will be the best idea.
Make you aware about the parties that you can sue – depending on the condition and situation that led to the accident, the attorney can help you to sue the parties that were responsible for the damages. Here is a look at the parties that you can file claim against:
- Other drivers – If there were other drivers involved in the accident, then a lawyer can help you gather all the required information and file the motorcycle accident claim against the person(s) responsible for your accident. Without professional help, getting the claim can prove to be an uphill task.
- Faulty manufacturing – While motorcycle accidents are generally expected to occur because of negligent driving, there are cases in which drivers have to suffer due to manufacturing fault in a vehicle. This is where a lawyer can come to your rescue as well. By identifying that the problem was in the vehicle and not in your driving, the lawyer can help you fight for the compensation. An important thing that’s worth mentioning here is that whenever you buy your vehicle, the law permits you to sue the dealer in case a faulty vehicle was sold to you. All this falls under the product liability law.
- Government fault – This is one of the scenarios which are highly unexpected to come to your mind unless you are with a professional. There can be instances when you have to go through an accident simply because the road was damaged or any other instance where some fault of authorities has led to an accident, such as non-maintenance of road signs, bad road conditions etc. Under such circumstances you can file for a personal liability claim and sue the authorities responsible for the trouble.
Time frame for filing a claim
Last thing to keep in the back of your mind when you are going through such a situation is to file your claim on time. A delay in filing means that you are not going to get your compensation. The time frame varies from province to province. There are provinces which require you to file for the compensation within a year from the time of the accident, while there are others that give you the leverage to file within a couple of years as well. In Ontario the time frame is 2 years.
This is the reason why you need to get in touch with a personal injury lawyer right away, whenever such an adverse situation arises, and he/she will help you with all the legal formalities in the best way.
That’s about it!
This completes the information about motorcycle injury claims in Toronto and what you can do when you are involved in such an adverse incident.
P.S. Don’t forget to do a thorough research before you actually get in touch with a lawyer, as there are so many legal firms out there who claim to be the best ones. You must only choose the one with experience and expertise in handling the matters in which you are stuck.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a motorcycle accident and needs top-level representation and care, please call motorcycle accident lawyers at
1 (844) 722-5246 or Book your FREE consultation.
