Your 2020 Baton Rouge Car and Motorcycle Accident Guide
When you get into an accident, there’s an intense rush of emotions. That’s true no matter if it’s a big crash or small fender-bender. Thoughts are rushing all about your head about what to do. Are you hurt? Is your vehicle salvageable? But if you have an accident plan in place beforehand, you can work to ensure you get what you deserve, or protect yourself if you’re at fault. As specialists in vehicle accident law, WCW has some advice to prepare you in case of an accident.
What Should A Car Driver Know?
No matter if you drive a large pick-up truck or a small micro car, everyone can get into a car accident. And no matter if it’s your fault or not, you need to prepare for it beforehand. Not just physically, but legally as well. Start by keeping your insurance, license, and registration up-to-date so you can avoid any unnecessary legal troubles.
If an accident does occur, there are five important steps to take.
- Ensure the safety of yourself and everyone in the car.
- Contact the police for medical assistance and to file a police report.
- Gather necessary information such as damage, driver information, what happened, etc.
- Contact your insurance company with the information you collected.
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible. Depending on the severity, the injuries may not be noticeable right away.
What About Motorcycles?
Even though most drivers are in cars, motorcyclists are statistically 29 times more likely to suffer fatal injuries. Because of this fact, motorcyclists have to be much safer on the road to make up for the inherent dangers.
As a motorcyclist, you should be aware of several things as well.
- First being that insurance companies are more likely to side with the other party’s claim due to the “reckless nature” of motorcycles. This treatment, while unfair, only gives more incentive to be safer.
- While it does not prevent all injuries, a helmet will help prevent major head trauma, so it’s a good start.
- Besides physically, you also want to protect yourself legally. Many motorcyclists do their own maintenance or trust it to someone who may not be insured. This can lead to improper upkeep, which can get you in trouble with the law on top of possible accidents.
- Most motorcycle accidents actually don’t happen on the highway. They usually happen on city roads or state roads and with high population counts. This means Baton Rouge is a perfect place for a terrible tragedy. It’s up to you to stop it before it happens. Be particularly careful of cars making sudden stops, changing lanes unexpectedly, and opening doors.
What To Ask Your Attorney
As your attorney, it’s our job to help you to the best of our ability. However, we cannot tell you what you need to know if you do not ask. Before meeting with us, be sure to write down the important questions. Think of it as an interview. Here are a few examples of good questions to start with:
- How many years have you been in tort law?
- How many accident victims do you meet a year?
- Do you have experience with my type of vehicle/accident?
Next, you’ll want to ask our team what we think of your situation and what results we expect. Depending on your situation, this answer could vary. Then it’s time to discuss fees. Not just the legal fees, but the costs car crashes bring about. You want to make sure you cover all your bases so we can do our best to give you a strong case.
Get To Know More From WCW
If you enjoyed our Baton Rouge Car Accident Guide, find out more by looking at our blog. You can also ask us any questions you have by sending us a message or giving us a call at 225-383-4010. Additionally, if you’re currently looking for someone to take your vehicle accident case, we provide a FREE and CONFIDENTIAL consultation with the call. Let’s begin on your case today.