If you ride a motorcycle you are more vulnerable than any other road user and accordingly if you are involved in an accident it can be a very traumatic experience regardless of how serious the road traffic accident was.

Injuries in respect of motorcyclists tend to be quite serious as motorcyclists do not have the protection afforded to other road users such as car drivers etc.    As a consequence, the injuries tend to be much more serious like broken bones, multiple fractures etc.

If you are involved in a motorcycle accident it is very often the case that the accident is not your fault.  If this is the case, then there are a number of steps you should follow:

1. Get medical attention.

It is important for you to assess immediately the extent of your injury and as soon as is possible thereafter to seek medical attention as to maintain your health must be a number one priority.  In addition, going to the local A & E Department of the nearest hospital will also provide a record of the fact that you were in an accident and the extent of your injuries etc. which will be necessary in a subsequent legal case should you decide to pursue one.

2. Report to the Gardai/Police.

When you have gathered all available information it is important for you to contact the Gardai as soon as possible after a road traffic accident occurs.  The Gardai may well attend the scene, particularly if there are serious injuries to any of the parties involved in the accident.

However, owing to finite resources, the Gardai do not always attend the scene of road traffic accidents and it is important that you gather all the available information and report the matter to the nearest Garda Station where the accident occurred at your earliest convenience.

Where serious accidents occur, the Gardai may require statements from the parties involved.  It is important to remember that you are not obliged to give a statement, but it may well be in your interest to do so.

3. Collect the Necessary Information

As soon as the accident has occurred and you have assessed your injuries, it is important for you to collect as much information in respect of the accident as possible.  If you are in a position to move around, then you should do all or as many of the following steps as possible:

  • Take photographs of the scene on your mobile phone;
  • Get the name of the driver/drivers of the other vehicles involved;
  • Get names and addresses of any witnesses;
  • Get the registration numbers of the vehicles involved;
  • Get insurance particulars to include policy numbers in respect of the vehicles involved;
  • Details of the name, number and station if the gardai attended the scene of the accident;
  • If an ambulance is called, request details of the ambulance personal, which department they come from i.e. Fire Service or HSE.
  • Retain all information to include dashcam footage if available in respect of the accident;
  • As a matter of course, it is important that you report the accident to your own insurance company as you are obliged to so do;
  • Contact Quinn Solicitors Experts in Motorcycle claims if you are interested in pursuing a claim for Personal Injuries arising out of your motorcycle accident, to discuss your case as soon as possible for you after your accident. It is important to remember that you only have two years from the date that you were injured to bring a claim for personal injuries and accordingly it is important that you act reasonably quickly following your road traffic accident as it is necessary to gather in quite a lot of information before the matter can be progressed in a meaningful way.

Since July 2004 all personal injury claims in Ireland must be submitted to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board under the terms and conditions of the Personal Injuries Assessment Act 2003 as amended.

When a claim is submitted to the Injuries Board Quinn Solicitors will also liaise with the insurers for the offending vehicle involved in the accident to see if your matter can be compromised/settled on terms to be agreed between the parties.  This is to ensure that no unnecessary delays occur in your case and it is important to note that the vast majority of cases are dealt with in this way i.e. are compromised/settled before Court hearings.

In addition, it is very important for you to keep a careful note of all expenses that you incur as a result of the accident such as medical expenses, loss of earnings, material damage to your motorcycle, clothing etc.  These may be claimed back at a later stage in the proceedings.

Where you have been injured in a motorbike accident* and that accident is the fault or negligence of another person, then you may wish to pursue a personal injuries claim and if so please contact us here >>

Irrespective of whether that accident happened in a public place such as a park or footpath, your work environment, in a retail area such as supermarket etc, you may also have been injured in a road traffic accident or in an accident on farm machinery or a building site, do not hesitate to contact us.