Get to safety, call 911, and get medical attention even if you feel fine. Photograph everything before it moves. Get the police report number. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company before you have talked to a lawyer. What happens in the first 48 hours shapes the claim more than anything that comes after.
The minutes after a crash are chaotic. Adrenaline is up, traffic may still be moving around you, and the instinct is to get up and go look at the bike. Almost every decision that protects a claim runs against that instinct. This page covers scene safety, medical priorities, the evidence to collect, the police report, how to handle adjusters, and the mistakes that quietly wreck a case.
Adrenaline masks serious injuries. Riders have walked away from crashes with fractured vertebrae, internal bleeding, and concussions, and collapsed hours later.
In the 24 to 72 hours after a crash, watch for:
If any of these show up, do not wait for a scheduled appointment. Go to urgent care or the emergency room. For more on how injuries develop after the initial shock, read our article on delayed symptoms after a car accident, which applies equally to motorcycle crashes.
Evidence disappears fast. Rain washes away fluid trails, tow trucks haul off vehicles, witnesses leave. What you capture at the scene may end up being the only record of what actually happened.
These details are what allow a reconstruction later, and they establish whether the other driver actually had adequate visibility and warning.
A police report is third-party documentation of your crash. It records the officer’s observations, statements from the parties and witnesses, any citations issued, and a preliminary read on fault. It becomes central evidence in an insurance claim or a lawsuit.
Under Utah Code 41-6a-402, you have to notify law enforcement immediately if a crash involves:
The investigating officer files an electronic copy with the Utah Department of Public Safety. If law enforcement does not respond to the scene, the operator or owner of the vehicle may be required to file a written report. Failing to file can carry a license suspension.
Even where a crash seems minor, having a report strengthens the claim. Get the report number before you leave, and write down the responding officer’s name, badge number, and agency. For more on Utah’s reporting obligations, see our article on whether you must report an accident in Utah.
Your damaged motorcycle and gear are physical evidence. Repairing, altering, or discarding them before they have been inspected is the kind of evidence destruction that can seriously weaken a claim, and it is difficult to undo.
Notify your own insurer promptly. Your policy almost certainly requires it, and an unexplained delay gives your own carrier grounds to question the claim. Reporting to your insurer and talking to the other driver’s insurer are two very different things.
Adjusters work for the insurance company. Their job is to control what the company pays. A casual remark that you are feeling okay becomes evidence that your injuries were minor, and a recorded statement given without preparation is one of the more effective tools they have.
Keep records of every expense tied to the crash: medical bills, pharmacy receipts, ambulance charges, imaging costs. That documentation is the foundation of the claim.
If the injuries are serious, talk to someone early. Even where injuries seem moderate, an early consultation protects evidence, deadlines, and your position with the insurer.
Robert J. DeBry & Associates offers free consultations and case evaluations for injured riders in Utah, and handles motorcycle cases on a contingency fee basis, which means no attorney fee unless there is a recovery. If you have been hurt in a motorcycle crash, the first 48 hours matter, and every day that passes is a day evidence fades while the insurance company builds its file.
Get to safety and out of traffic if you can move. Call 911 for medical services and law enforcement. Do not remove your helmet unless you cannot breathe. Photograph the scene, the vehicles, and your gear. Exchange information with the other driver. Get medical attention even if the injuries seem minor. Do not admit fault, and do not give a recorded statement to the other party’s insurer.
Yes. Under Utah Code 41-6a-402, a crash involving injury, death, or property damage of $2,500 or more has to be reported to law enforcement immediately, and failing to report can carry a license suspension. Even for smaller incidents, a police report creates documentation worth having.
Yes. Adrenaline masks serious injuries, and internal bleeding, traumatic brain injury, and spinal damage may not produce symptoms for hours or days. Prompt treatment also links your injuries to the crash in the medical record, which matters later. Follow up on every appointment and report any new symptom.
Not without talking to a lawyer first. You have no obligation to give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver’s insurer. Adjusters use them to find inconsistencies and reduce what the company pays. You do need to report the crash to your own insurer, which is a different thing.
Utah statute of limitations gives you four years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit, and two years for wrongful death. Deadlines for property damage claims run separately and are worth confirming for your situation. If a government entity is involved, for example through road design or maintenance, separate notice requirements and much shorter deadlines can apply.
This is general information, not legal advice. Contacting Robert J. DeBry & Associates or submitting a form does not create an attorney-client relationship.