Services
Document a loss
Support a claim
For carriers and employers
Service areas
Middle Tennessee
- Nashville
- Clarksville
- Murfreesboro
- Franklin
- Hendersonville
- Smyrna
- Spring Hill
- Gallatin
- Lebanon
- Columbia
- Brentwood
- Mount Juliet
- La Vergne
- Cookeville
East Tennessee
West Tennessee
Motorcycle Accident Documentation for Self-Represented Riders
Riders who are handling their own insurance claim can have the motorcycle, their riding gear and the roadway recorded by a licensed Tennessee private investigator. Delator Claims Division documents evidence only. It is not a law firm and does not advise on, value or negotiate any claim.
- Coverage
- 95 of 95 counties
- Dispatch
- 24 / 7 / 365
- Metro response
- Under 60 min avg.
- Statewide
- 4-hour guarantee
What this service covers
A motorcycle crash leaves a different kind of evidence than a collision between two cars. The machine often slides on its side, the rider separates from it, and the two come to rest in different places. Scrapes on the pavement, abrasion on a jacket and a ground-down footpeg each hold part of the sequence. A rider who is hurt is rarely in a position to photograph any of it.
We record those details as they exist on the day of the visit. We do not decide who was at fault, do not speak to insurers on your behalf, do not act as a public adjuster, and do not tell you what the claim is worth or how to use the file. Whatever happens after delivery is your decision, and questions about your rights belong with an attorney.
When riders request documentation
- The motorcycle is sitting in a garage or storage lot, and you want every scrape recorded before it is repaired or parted out.
- The driver says they never saw you, and nobody has photographed what the view from their position looks like.
- Your helmet, jacket and gloves show abrasion from the slide, and you want them recorded before they are thrown away or replaced.
- Gravel, a pavement patch or a surface seam was present where the bike went down, and it could be cleaned up or repaved.
- You were injured and off your feet for weeks, and no one has been back to the roadway since the crash.
What we photograph, measure and note
- Slide and gouge marks
- Scrapes and gouges cut into the pavement by pegs, bars and engine cases, photographed with a scale and measured for length and direction where it can be done safely.
- Abrasion on the motorcycle
- Ground-down levers, bar ends, mirrors, exhaust and bodywork on each side, showing which side of the machine met the road and which did not.
- Helmet and riding gear
- The helmet shell and visor, jacket, gloves, boots and pants, photographed inside and out with wear areas shown close up and labeled by location on the body.
- Lighting and conspicuity
- The headlight, running lights, turn signals and any reflective material on the motorcycle and gear, recorded as found, including switch positions that have not been disturbed.
- Sightlines on the approach
- Photographs from the other driver's position at seated eye height, noting hedges, parked vehicles, hill crests, curves or poles between that position and your lane.
- Road surface condition
- Loose gravel, tar snakes, steel plates, patches, painted markings and drainage grates near the path of travel, with close and wide views.
From request to delivered record
- RequestCall dispatch or submit the request form with the location, loss type and urgency.
- DeployDispatch assigns the nearest available licensed field investigator through the statewide network.
- DocumentPhotographs, video, measurements and factual notes are captured once the scene is safe to work.
- PreserveFiles are timestamped, organized and kept in their original form with a record of who captured them.
- ReportThe package is delivered securely to the requesting party, typically the same day.
Why the evidence in a motorcycle crash is easy to lose
Much of what a motorcycle leaves behind is shallow. Scrape marks from aluminum and plastic are lighter than tire marks and wear away under traffic. Gravel is swept or washed off the surface. The machine is frequently hauled away, sold for salvage or repaired with replacement parts, and the abraded components go in the trash. Riding gear is cut off in an emergency room or discarded at home. Each of these removes a piece of the physical record.
A field visit captures what is left before more of it goes. The investigator photographs the motorcycle and gear wherever you have them, then travels to the roadway you identify and works through the surface, the approach views and any marks that remain. If time has passed and little is left on the pavement, the notes say so. An accurate record of what is no longer there is still an accurate record.
What a neutral record adds beyond your own photographs
Riders often have a few pictures taken by a friend or passerby, usually of the bike lying in the road. Those are worth keeping. What they tend to lack is scale, sequence and the view from the other vehicle. Our documentation follows a consistent order, places a reference scale in close-up images, records where the camera was for each sightline photograph, and ties everything together with dated field notes written by a person with no stake in the claim.
Disagreements in motorcycle claims commonly involve visibility, speed and lane position. Tennessee's modified comparative fault system means the way responsibility is shared can affect a claim. Delator does not offer an opinion on any of those questions for a rider. Our personnel have accident reconstruction experience, which informs what they look for and how they measure it, but the deliverable for a neutral assignment is a factual record, not a conclusion.
Delator documents evidence for people handling their own claim. It does not give legal advice, negotiate with insurers, tell you what a claim is worth, or act as a public adjuster. What you do with the record is your decision.
If you need advice about your rights, deadlines or strategy, speak with a licensed Tennessee attorney.
Common questions about this service
Will you help me deal with the other driver's insurance company?
No. Delator Claims Division is not a law firm and gives no legal advice. We do not negotiate with insurers, act as a public adjuster, or tell you what your claim is worth or what to do with the documentation. We record the physical evidence and deliver the file to you. If you want advice, a licensed attorney is the right source.
My bike has already been repaired. Is there anything left to document?
Possibly. Replaced parts that you kept, your helmet and gear, and the roadway itself can still be recorded. The investigator can also photograph the location's sightlines and surface. The notes will state clearly that the motorcycle was repaired before the visit, so nobody mistakes its present condition for its condition after the crash.
Do I need to be there when the investigator visits the road?
Not necessarily. We need a clear description of where the crash happened and your direction of travel, which you can give by phone or by marking a map. If you are able to attend, you can point out the location in person. The investigator will not ask you for a statement about fault.
What form does the finished documentation take?
You receive timestamped photographs, video where useful, measurements and reference points where the scene allows, and written field notes that describe what was recorded. It is delivered securely, typically the same day. The notes describe conditions only and contain no opinions about cause, responsibility or value.
Available statewide, including
Every Tennessee county is covered. See the deployment map for typical response tiers by county.
Request documentation anywhere in Tennessee
Dispatch is staffed around the clock. For time-sensitive scenes, calling is fastest; the request form works for routine and scheduled assignments.