Summer in Illinois brings a kind of relief to us all. The snow clears, the roads dry up, and the air finally softens. For many, that means getting back on the bike, planning road trips, or just enjoying the long daylight hours outside.
But when more people are out, kids are out of school, tourists are passing through, and riders are filling up the highways, roads get crowded fast. The Illinois Department of Transportation has seen it year after year: motorcycle crashes climb during summer weekends.
These crashes do not always happen in dramatic ways. Sometimes, it is a car that didn’t double-check before merging. Other times, it is loose gravel on a bend. “The smartest thing a rider can do is know what steps to take right after a collision,” says personal injury attorney Michael McCready of McCready Law Injury Attorneys.
What You Should Do in Case of a Motorcycle Accident
Keep this guide in the back of your mind. You may never need it, but if that day ever comes, these steps can make the road ahead less chaotic and more manageable.
Don’t Move Unless You Are Safe
You want to get up, move, and shake it off, but that can be risky. Unless you are in immediate danger from fire, ongoing traffic, or a collapsing structure, staying still is often the safest choice.
Internal injuries, such as organ damage or spinal trauma, may not produce symptoms straight away, especially if adrenaline masks pain. Moving without realizing you are in the path of another car could turn a survivable crash into a life-altering one.
Call 911 Even if You Feel Fine
If you skip the call, the insurance company may argue the crash was not serious or question whether your injuries came from that event at all. A police report and EMS notes give your file weight. They show that what happened was real, witnessed, and worth responding to.
Take Photos of Everything
If you can move and it is safe to do so, pull out your phone and start documenting. Photograph your motorcycle from multiple angles, capture any visible injuries, and look around for things like skid marks, broken glass, or pieces of your bike in the road. These photos may later help explain how the crash happened, especially if questions arise about speed, distance, or damage.
Get Contact Info From Witnesses
People who saw the crash may only stay for a few minutes. Some will leave once they hear sirens. Others might assume someone else has it covered. If you do not ask for their contact info right then, there is a good chance you will never find them again.
Accept Medical Care and Keep the Records
Medical records are often the first and strongest piece of evidence in a crash-related claim. Without them, you may face doubt about when your pain began or whether it even came from the motorcycle accident.
Getting treatment closes that gap. The records do not need to say anything complicated; they just need to exist. That first chart, that doctor’s note, or that receipt for physical therapy all help support your version of events, without you having to do the explaining.
Write Down What Happened Immediately
Adrenaline distorts your sense of time and distance. What feels vivid at the scene becomes guesswork an hour later. You may not notice it until someone challenges your version, and by then, it is too late to fix.
Document what you remember before your brain starts rewriting it. Talk it out. Write it down. Include small things like weather, traffic signals, what the other driver said, or how the crash physically felt.
Call a Lawyer Before Talking to Insurance
Insurance companies may sound helpful in those early calls, but their job is to limit what they pay out. Simple statements such as "I did not see them" or "I feel okay" can potentially lead to reduced coverage or delayed compensation.
That is why it makes sense to consult a lawyer first. They can help you get your story straight without jumping ahead or making assumptions. You want your words to reflect what happened, not how you were feeling in the moment.
Final Words
You now have the steps. Use them if you ever need them, and if this accident has already happened and the pain is fresh, speak to a lawyer. Let someone trained in this help you figure out the next right step.
