If you are looking for a motorcycle accident lawyer in Plantation, you have come to the right place. AskMyAttorneys.com has experienced and qualified attorneys who specialize in the law surrounding motorcycle accidents in Florida.
Where you or a loved one involved in a motorcycle accident? Florida is the most popular state in the nation when it comes to riding a motorcycle. Unfortunately, it is also among the deadliest.
While state and federal officials continue to trumpet the overall decline in traffic fatalities in recent years, little mention is being made of the increasing risk of motorcycle accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced in December that 32,367 motorists died on the nation’s roads in 2011 – a decrease of 2 percent. However, fatal motorcycle accidents increased by 2 percent. Nationwide, nearly 100 more motorists died in motorcycle accidents in 2011 than in the previous year. In all, 4,612 were killed and more than 80,000 riders were seriously injured.
Florida is always among the three most dangerous states for motorcycle riding, along with Texas and California. And it is routinely the deadliest. But those risks wouldn’t be readily apparent from reviewing the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ December release touting a 2 percent decrease in traffic fatalities in 2011 – and a 32 percent reduction since 2005. Yet motorcycle fatalities in Florida were up an alarming 18 percent. Last year, 451 riders were killed on Florida roads, compared to the 383 deaths reported in 2010.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has blamed much of the increase on the popularity of riding; the number of registered motorcycles has increased by 60 percent in the last decade, from 4.9 million to 8.2 million.
Our Plantation motorcycle accident lawyer has created this FAQ section to answer some of the most common questions:
If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, then we recommend doing the following 4 things:
Certainly there are things a rider can do to help reduce accident risks. The Florida Safety Council offers rider safety courses. These courses allow new riders to obtain a motorcycle endorsement on their Florida driver’s license, while permitting veteran riders to improve skills. Completion of the course may also result in lower insurance premiums.
Florida is among half the nation’s states that do not require adult riders over the age of 20 to wear a helmet. Twenty-one states now require helmets be worn by all riders. While there is ample evidence that helmets save lives, there are also many instances where they do not, and some where helmet use may even hinder survival. Thus, wearing a helmet is a personal choice and those riders injured in a crash while unhelmeted do not forsake their rights to pursue compensation from an at-fault driver.
These crashes often result in very serious injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, amputation injuries and disfigurement.
The truth of the matter is that more than half of all motorcycle crashes that involve another vehicle are the fault of the vehicle’s driver. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation reports the leading cause nationwide is a motorist who fails to yield and turns left in front of an oncoming rider.
In many cases, these crashes should be independently investigated because, unfortunately, the same lack of respect that leads motorists to disregard a rider’s rights to the road can also result in law enforcement making a hasty conclusion that the rider was speeding or otherwise at fault.
By contacting a motorcycle accident lawyer in Plantation, he/she can help navigate you through the legal maze and determine your rights.
If you have sustained any life-threatening injuries from a motorcycle accident, then you should proceed immediately to an Emergency Room or call 911. One the injuries are not life-threatening, you can then focus on how to pay for these medical fees. As a "no-fault state", your auto insurance plan will automatically cover the first $10,000 of your medical expenses. If your expenses come to above $10,000 then there are 4 other ways to help cover your medical fees.
This largely depends on who is at fault during the collision. If you are at fault, then your insurance plan should pay for repairing your motorcycle. If another driver is at fault, then their insurance should cover it. However, if they have no insurance, then - depending on your plan - your insurance policy may still be able to pay for this. If unsure, it's always best to consult a motorcycle accident lawyer.
Rafael Gonzalez, Esq.
Our attorneys only charge you a fee if you win your case. In other words, it's a "no win, no fee" arrangement. We only get paid when we do our job well and win the case.
If you or a love one was involved in a motorcycle accident then you need to talk to our motorcycle accident lawyer in Plantation. To schedule a Free Consultation, please Contact Us.
