Approximately 5,300 motorcyclists are killed each year in crashes in the U.S., accounting for a disproportionate number of traffic fatalities on our nation’s roads. In fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that the fatality rate for motorcyclists is twenty-eight times the rate for people in automobiles per mile traveled.
Unfortunately, Florida leads the nation in number of motorcycle crash fatalities and motorcycle injuries occurring each year. With the number of registered motorcycles increasing, we need to drive with caution, looking out for motorcyclists and trying to improve traffic safety in our state.
If you or a family member is one of the unfortunate motorcyclists who has suffered from a serious motorcycle injury, consulting with an experienced Central Florida motorcycle accident attorney can help you regain control of your life. At Malik Law, we represent victims of motorcycle accidents, helping them obtain fair compensation for medical costs, lost wages, pain, and suffering and holding the party responsible for the accident accountable for their actions.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
Many motorcycle accidents that involve another vehicle occur when a car is making a left-hand turn. Often, the motorcyclist is passing the car or going straight through an intersection, and the driver does not see the motorcycle. While this is a common cause of vehicular crashes, motorcyclists are usually much more vulnerable to serious injury because of their lack of protection.
Other common causes of motorcycle accidents include driving while impaired, disobeying traffic laws or signs, debris in the road, uneven or damaged road, poor weather conditions, driver error or inexperience, and mechanical failure. While alcohol is a contributing factor in about half of all motorcycle accidents, motorcyclists are often not responsible for causing an accident. They can suffer very serious injuries because of someone else’s negligence on the road or in the manufacturing of the vehicle.
Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Because of motorcyclists’ lack of protection when on the road, motorcycle accidents usually result in more severe injuries than those from car accidents. Head-on collisions between motorcycles and other types of vehicles often result in a fatality, and even when the injuries are not fatal, they are much more likely to be serious and life-altering.
These serious, life-altering injuries include traumatic brain injury, spinal injury and paralysis, fractured bones, leg and foot injuries that affect mobility, and lacerations that result in scarring or disfigurement. Because of the serious nature of these injuries, it is important to get the legal help you need to obtain fair compensation for necessary medical treatment, therapies and equipment, lost wages, pain, and suffering.
Florida Motorcycle Insurance
After a motorcycle accident, all drivers should seek medical attention and get the help they need to stabilize. If possible, someone should try to record all available information about the accident and check on insurance coverage for injuries.
Unlike Florida automobile drivers, motorcyclists are not required to have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance. Instead, they must have at least $10,000 in medical coverage. Many motorcyclists also have uninsured motorist coverage for their motorcycles to ensure that if they are hit and injured by an uninsured motorist, there will be insurance funds available to help them.
Unfortunately, even when you’ve been cautious on the road and in maintaining insurance coverage, motor cycle accident injuries occur and medical expenses mount. Too often, victims of motorcycle crashes have trouble obtaining the funds needed to get necessary treatment and compensate them for their injuries.
Help from an Experienced Central Florida Motorcycle Accident Attorney
If you or a family member has been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident, the experienced personal injury attorneys at Malik Law can help you get the compensation you need to pay for necessary medical and rehabilitative care, as well as lost wages, pain, and suffering. We can also help you hold the party who is responsible for the accident accountable for their behavior.
Please don’t hesitate to call us at 407-500-1000 or submit the FREE CASE EVALUATION form on our website to get help from an experienced Florida motorcycle accident attorney.
Sources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. (2018, Feb.). Traffic safety facts.
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Powell, T. C. for the Governors Highway Safety Association. (2018, May). Motorcyclist fatalities by state: 2017 preliminary data.
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