What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident
If you encounter a motorcycle accident while driving in Missouri, you should know some important steps you can take to help the injured and prevent further harm. This article describes how you can help if you see a motorcycle wreck in Missouri and how Sumner Law Group, LLC, can help victims deal with the aftermath.
What Is PACT?
PACT is an acronym that can help you remember the most important steps to take if you encounter a motorcycle accident. The PACT steps are:
- Preventing further injuries – Your first step should be to help crash victims avoid additional injuries. Many people get hurt in secondary collisions while dazed and lingering in the middle of the road. You can help victims by moving them to the shoulder of the road, flipping the kill switch on the motorcycle, and moving vehicles away from oncoming traffic if it is safe.
- Assessing the situation – Once everyone is out of harm’s way, your next step is to evaluate the situation. Take note of apparent injuries to the motorcycle rider or other crash victims. If victims are responsive, ask them whether they feel any pain and if they still have feeling and motion in their extremities.
- Contacting emergency services – Now that you have a rough idea of everyone’s physical state, you should call 911 or contact emergency medical services (EMS). Answer the operator’s questions with brief, truthful statements, so they quickly obtain the necessary information.
- Treating injuries as necessary – While waiting for emergency services to arrive, do what you can to treat crash victims’ injuries. If you don’t know first aid, you can still cover victims to keep them warm, help victims into comfortable positions, apply pressure to deep cuts, and support the head and neck as much as possible without moving them. Never remove a motorcycle rider’s helmet or move anyone complaining of spine or neck pain except in life-or-death situations.
Tips for Preventing Motorcycle Accidents
As a motorcyclist, you can do your part to prevent accidents by:
- Slowing down when riding in poor road conditions or bad weather
- Looking behind you for approaching vehicles when stopping at intersections
- Refraining from riding in between moving traffic or parked vehicles
- Learning how to deal with common road hazards like potholes or puddles
- Following at a safe distance and assuming other drivers cannot see you
- Performing routine maintenance to keep your bike in good condition
Why You Need Legal Help If You’re Hurt in a Motorcycle Crash
Pursuing compensation after a motorcycle accident can be challenging, in part due to pervasive, unfair stereotypes of motorcyclists as reckless thrill-seekers. People in a position of authority over your case – such as insurance adjusters, judges, and jury members – could be biased against you without even realizing it.
When the odds are stacked against you, you need a qualified attorney to advocate for your rights. At Sumner Law Group, LLC, our Missouri motorcycle accident attorneys are dedicated to taking on big insurance companies, dispelling the unfair preconceptions they use to dodge responsibility, and seeking the best possible outcomes for injured motorcyclists.
Contact the Missouri Motorcycle Accident Lawyers at Sumner Law Group, LLC
If you were injured in a motorcycle crash, the team at Sumner Law Group, LLC, wants to help you pursue the compensation you deserve. Contact the Missouri motorcycle accident lawyers at Sumner Law Group, LLC, today for a free consultation.
Brent A. Sumner is the Managing Partner at Sumner Law Group, LLC. He focuses his practice exclusively on cases that involve serious personal injuries. Over the years, he has successfully represented thousands of individuals and families, recovering millions of dollars in compensation for injured accident victims.
