Motorcycles are fast, fun and economical. They can also be dangerous. Skilled and experienced riders know how to drive safely and ride defensively, but when another driver suddenly turns left in front of an oncoming bike, even the most skilled and experienced rider can only hope to avoid serious injury or worse in the crash that is bound to occur.
Florida has averaged over 9,000 motorcycle crashes annually in recent years, leading to 2,000 incapacitating injuries, 5,500 other injuries and 541 deaths every year. Florida has the second-highest number of motorcycles in the country but sees more crashes than any other state. In Broward County, statistics show an average of 700 crashes every year, causing nearly 600 injuries and over 30 deaths annually.
Motorcycles make up about three percent of motor vehicle registrations in Florida yet account for 20% of traffic deaths. Motorcycle accidents are often serious or deadly, and when they occur, you need a skilled and sophisticated Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyer on your side to help you get the best result. Rosen Injury Law, P.A. offers five-star customer service to clients and the assistance of a Florida Board-Certified Specialist in civil trial law. With Rosen Injury Law, P.A. on your side, you’ll be well-positioned to achieve success on your Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident claim, getting the medical care and compensation you need to deal with the damage done to you.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Fort Lauderdale
One of the most common ways motorcycle accidents happen in Fort Lauderdale is when drivers make a left turn in an intersection into the path of a motorcycle approaching from the other direction. The driver either misjudges the speed or distance of the bike or doesn’t even notice the motorcycle at all. Often there is little the motorcyclist can do other than slow down as much as possible to lessen the impact, but frequently the motorcyclist isn’t able to avoid a collision. These crashes can be serious or fatal to the motorcyclist but might not physically harm the other driver much at all.
Similar motorcycle accidents happen in other situations where the driver doesn’t yield the right-of-way to the motorcyclist or doesn’t notice the motorcycle before it’s too late. Motorcycles are smaller and less frequent on the road, so drivers often don’t spot them or think to look out for them. This is a phenomenon known as inattentional blindness or perceptual blindness, where people fail to notice objects in their environment due to lack of attention.
Failing to check blind spots and signal before making a turn or lane change can cause any kind of motor vehicle accident, but motorcycles are especially prone to becoming a victim of this type of driver negligence.
Finally, some drivers behave aggressively or recklessly around motorcycles and don’t respectfully share the road with them, such as by crowding them or cutting them off. Even if the vehicle doesn’t collide with the motorcycle, this behavior can still cause the motorcyclist to lose control and crash in a single-vehicle or “phantom” car accident.
What If I’m Injured in a Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident?
Unlike motor vehicle drivers, or even bicyclists or pedestrians who get injured in a crash, motorcycle riders aren’t covered by no-fault Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. Florida law does not require PIP for motorcycles, and insurance companies don’t bother to offer it.
No PIP coverage means no “no-fault” benefits, so injured motorcyclists have no choice but to pursue fault-based claims against the negligent driver who caused the accident. This requires proving that the other driver was negligent and that their negligence caused the crash, and also proving the injuries and damages that resulted. On the plus side, it is possible to recover much higher damages in a fault-based claim over and above what no-fault PIP benefits provide.
Being successful on a negligence claim requires the assistance of a skilled and experienced personal injury attorney. Persons who try to settle insurance claims on their own never receive as much as a good attorney could get for them. Eric Rosen is a Board-Certified trial specialist with a number of multi-million dollar verdicts under his belt. When insurance companies are up against Rosen Injury Law, P.A., they are dealing with a known quantity who won’t fall for the standard tricks and tactics designed to avoid liability or limit a payout below what it should be.
Rosen Injury Law, P.A. fights the bias many hold against bikers and the tendency to hold motorcycle riders at least partially responsible for a crash. Even if the rider wasn’t wearing a helmet – which is not required under Florida law – we work to see that our client’s recovery is not unfairly diminished.
Help With Motorcycle Accidents in Fort Lauderdale
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident, call Rosen Injury Law, P.A. at 954-787-1500 for a free consultation. There’s no fee until after we recover compensation for you.
