Some proof waits. Some of it is gone in days.
Gone quickly
- Traffic and business cameras. Many overwrite in 72 hours to a few weeks. A letter has to go out while the file still exists.
- The bike, if a tow yard or an insurer “disposes” of it. The machine is an exhibit. Do not sign a release of it casually.
- Skid marks, debris, and fluid, after the next rain or the next street sweeper.
- Event data on the car, if the other vehicle recorded speed and brake application.
- The helmet and armor. Replacing them before they are photographed and stored is a common unforced error.
Public entities
A hole, a grate, a signal, or a city driver means a government claim, often within six months. Waiting for the “final” medical report can miss that deadline even when the two-year injury statute is still open.
Written for riders in California as general information from the Bike911 practice of A.G. Assanti & Associates, P.C. It is not advice about your facts, and it is not a substitute for counsel. Deadlines can be shorter than you think.
Related
- After a motorcycle accident, what should I do first?
- Should I talk to the insurance company before a lawyer?
- What happens if I was partially at fault?
- How does a lawyer decide what a case is worth?
- What should I photograph after a crash?
- Can I still claim if I did not go to the hospital?
- When does an insurance company become unreasonable?
- What is the difference between settling and going to trial?
- What actually happens after a case goes to trial?
- Is lane splitting legal, and does it sink a claim?
- Does California helmet law affect a claim?