Were you recently injured in a motorcycle accident?

If so, these next few months should be spent focusing on your recovery. You shouldn’t have to fight the insurance companies and court systems to prove your case and get the compensation you deserve.

That’s why it pays to team up with a motorcycle accident lawyer who can take care of these steps for you!

To help ensure a successful outcome, it’s important to have all of the right documents in place when you meet your legal team for the first time. Today, we’re sharing seven critical documents to bring along as you meet your attorney.

1. Your Medical Records

If you’ve received medical treatment for your motorcycle accident injuries, make sure to bring copies of these records along.

This will be the most critical form of documentation surrounding your case, so take the time to double-check that all of the details are there.

Not only do these records provide concrete evidence of your injury, but they also help reveal the timeline of your injuries, which can prove beneficial when discussing the statute of limitations for your case.

As you’re assembling the data, keep in mind that your personal injury lawyer won’t need your full medical history. Instead, just show medical records that surround your injury and treatment. If you have any time-stamped photographs of your injuries, you can bring these, too.

2. The Police Report

Immediately following your accident, local law enforcement personnel should have visited the scene. While there, they should have created an official accident report or police report.

This report reveals the events that led to the accident and can help you prove blame if someone else’s negligence led to your accident. It serves as definitive evidence of the accident and helps shed light on who the police believe to be responsible.

If you do not already have a police report, you can contact your local police department and request one.

3. Photographs and Videos

If you were physically able to take photos and videos at the scene of your accident, bring these to your initial lawyer’s meeting. As mentioned, you can also bring images of your injuries, especially time-stamped ones that show their recovery and progression.

Today, most smartphones will include an automatic timestamp with any recording or image you capture, along with other kinds of activity data. This is an excellent feature that can help add validity to your case. Without a timestamp, the court could argue that the photos have been doctored or altered in some way or have been taken out of context.

In addition to snapping pictures of the scene itself, you may also have up-close, detailed pictures of the damage that the accident caused to your motorcycle. Bring these, as they can help explain the magnitude of the impact.

4. Receipts and Past Paystubs

Did your accident injuries force you to miss work? If you’ve been recouping at home and tapping into your sick leave, you might find it difficult to pay the bills, purchase groceries, or attend to other daily necessities.

You deserve to be reimbursed for the money you could have made, but you’ll need documentation to support this need. Make a copy of a recent pay stub to show your lawyer what you would have earned if your accident had not occurred.

In addition, take receipts that show any extra injury-related costs you have incurred in the meantime. These can range from prescription medications to physical therapy visits. Without receipts, it can be difficult to justify the amount of compensation you’re requesting, but these small forms can help back up your claim.

5. Witness Information

If you’re ever involved in an accident that results in an injury, it’s always smart to connect with any witnesses who were present at the scene of the event.

These are people who viewed the events preceding your crash and can attest to what actually happened.

Were you able to find witnesses to your accident? If so, see if they would be willing to share their contact information, along with their version of the timeline.

Then, bring that contact information with you to meet your legal team. If you have any written statements from these witnesses, they’ll want to see those, too.

6. Insurance Documentation

Insurance policies are documents that you might not think too much about during your everyday life. Yet, they become critically important when you need to access them following an accident.

These papers can help speed your case along and facilitate communication between your lawyer and the insurance companies associated with your case. If possible, bring a copy of your most recent policy to your first meeting, along with any supporting forms.

If you have any information on the liable party’s insurance policy, you should bring that, too. The same goes for any policies extended by your employer.

7. A Written Timeline of Events

In addition to official police reports, medical reports, and financial receipts, your lawyer will want to hear your account of the accident, too.

When you’re sitting in the attorney’s office, it can be easy to skip over or forget important details. This is especially the case if it has been a while since the accident occurred or if your memory about that day is a little fuzzy.

As such, it helps to prepare as much as possible.

Before you meet, put together a written or typed timeline of the way you perceive that your accident occurred. Include details on what you did before, during, and after the impact, along with the many ways that the aftermath has affected your quality of life.

connect with a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today

If you’re recovering from an incident on your bike, you should be allowed to rest and recover, stress-free. You can do so with the right motorcycle accident lawyer by your side.

When you’re ready to discuss the details of your case, we’re here to help. Our personal injury firm has more than 25 years of experience with clients just like you. Contact us today for a free consultation.