Should You Preserve Your Motorcycle as Evidence After a New Jersey Car Accident?
If you were recently involved in a motorcycle accident in New Jersey, do you have to preserve your bike as-is after the crash, and if so, for how long?
While you won’t need to keep your totaled or broken motorcycle around forever, you do have to properly document the property damage. Our lawyers can do this by ensuring the appropriate photos are taken and appraisals are done. Photos of the damaged vehicle can be invaluable to accident reconstruction experts as they analyze evidence and work in reverse to determine the collision’s cause. Appraisals will help us calculate relief requests for property damage, which you are entitled to from the at-fault driver. Preserving evidence of the damaged motorcycle can also help us refute comparative fault arguments from the defense to ensure your full financial recovery after a crash. Following accidents, we can locate where motorcycles were towed, have experts review damaged vehicles, and obtain crash reports and other relevant information from law enforcement. Once property damage is documented, you can get your motorcycle repaired.
To get a confidential and free case review from our New Jersey motorcycle accident lawyer, call Jerry Friedman today at 1-800-529-4464.
Why Should You Preserve Evidence of Your Motorcycle’s Damage After an Accident in New Jersey?
Preserving the motorcycle recently damaged in a crash is important for several reasons. Not only will the damage to your bike influence the compensation we seek in your case, but it could also indicate liability for your losses. With comparative fault being an issue in so many motorcycle accident lawsuits, preserving damaged vehicles is particularly important, as otherwise, victims’ damages might be unfairly reduced.
To Aid Accident Reconstruction Experts
The damaged motorcycle can help accident reconstruction experts as they assess the collision’s cause. For example, the point of impact to your vehicle and other property damage can indicate the at-fault driver’s speed and direction of travel. In addition to preserving evidence of property damage to their motorcycles, victims can take photographs of apparent debris at the scene and the motorcycle’s final landing position in relation to the other vehicle. These photos can also help experts reconstruct accidents and determine what happened. When assessing damage to motorcycles, experts use complex physics calculations and principles to reverse engineer collisions. Without photos of the motorcycle involved, reconstructing the crash could be much more challenging. Before leaving the scene, photograph the at-fault driver’s car, as you might not have access to it again.
To Get Property Damage Appraisals
Preserving the motorcycle and getting property damage appraisals will also help us calculate relief requests for injury complaints. Accidents with larger vehicles might leave motorcycles totaled and their owners entitled to compensation for their fair market value. We will need to submit appraisals to prove this compensation is due, which is another reason why preserving evidence of your damaged bike is paramount after a crash in New Jersey. Underestimating property damage could lead to lower recoveries for victims, which we can help avoid by considering and recording all compensable losses victims incur. For example, we will also seek compensation for your most impactful damages after the crash, which will most likely be medical expenses and lost wages.
To Prepare for Comparative Fault Arguments
New Jersey is a modified comparative fault state under N.J.S.A. § 2A:15-5.1. While this could affect any victim, it often comes into play in motorcycle accident claims, as preconceptions about bikers and their adherence to traffic rules compared to passenger car drivers might jeopardize some victims’ recoveries. Bikers or any victims found partially liable for their injuries due to shared negligence will see their damages lowered proportionally. Photographic evidence of property damage showing impact points can prove that at-fault drivers hit victims and that victims did not contribute to accidents. While photos of damaged motorcycles are valuable in overcoming comparative fault defenses, other evidence is typically necessary, such as eyewitness accounts, expert testimony, and videos from nearby security cameras. Because of this, we will also prioritize gathering such evidence immediately after accidents in New Jersey.
How Long Do You Have to Preserve Your Motorcycle as Evidence for a New Jersey Accident Lawsuit?
When motorcycle crashes happen, bikes might be seriously damaged, and victims might be badly injured. Being unable to ride the motorcycle away and having to go straight to the hospital could make you lose track of your bike, which we can help address. Once evidence of the damage is documented with photos and appraisals, you can get your bike repaired or replaced.
When police officers respond to motorcycle accidents in New Jersey, they may facilitate a tow truck for victims, particularly if they are very hurt. We can contact the local police department that responded to your accident to confirm where your motorcycle was towed so we can help you collect it. We can also get the crash report from law enforcement at this time. Though inadmissible as evidence in your lawsuit, the accident report can help us gain more insight into the collision and its possible contributing factors.
After helping you track down your bike, our Cherry Hill, NJ motorcycle accident lawyer can ensure the appropriate appraisals are done and have experts review the vehicle for all indications of liability. Preserving evidence of vehicle damage after accidents is much more challenging when victims do not involve the police, so always call 911 after a crash, especially if your motorcycle is badly damaged.
Try to preserve the scene as well with photos. First responders will likely clear the area of any debris quickly to keep other drivers safe, so taking pictures immediately is often important. If you are badly hurt, you can ask police officers or eyewitnesses to snap pictures of relevant details. For example, tire marks on the road could indicate the negligent driver’s speed and help accident reconstruction experts. Nearby traffic signs, road imperfections, or other environmental factors that could be relevant are also important to photograph and preserve. Pictures of the entire scene might help us identify eyewitnesses, nearby security cameras that might have recorded the accident and other information that would benefit your case.
Call Jerry in New Jersey to Discuss Your Motorcycle Accident
Call Union City, NJ motorcycle accident lawyer Jerry Friedman at 1-800-529-4464 for help with your case.
