With the gorgeous weather in Aventura and the Miami area, it is no surprise that there are motorcyclists on the road all year round. However, while riding a motorcycle is fun, freeing, and even economical, it can be risky. Since these smaller vehicles ride alongside large passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, riders are most vulnerable if a collision occurs with another vehicle. After a crash, injured riders should partner with an experienced Aventura motorcycle accident lawyer to ensure their legal rights are protected.
While all drivers should understand how to share the road with motorcyclists safely, there will always be negligent—or even intentionally dangerous—drivers who can cause accidents. There are also additional factors that expose motorcyclists to harm, including defective bikes or treacherous road hazards. Whether you're traveling on Biscayne Boulevard or heading to the Aventura Mall, collisions can happen anywhere around town.
If a motorcycle accident injures you, don't face the insurance and legal system alone. A dedicated motorcycle crash lawyer in our Aventura office can help you navigate the personal injury claims process and recover the compensation you deserve from the responsible driver.
What Injuries Can Our Aventura Motorcycle Crash Attorneys Handle?
There are many kinds of protective gear designed to safeguard motorcyclists. However, a motorcyclist wearing the maximum amount of protective equipment is still never fully shielded from the possibility of a severe injury if a crash occurs.
For example, a helmet cannot protect you from head injuries 100% of the time. In addition, a motorcycle does not include the structural safety components of a car or truck to protect the rider. As a result, a motor vehicle can collide directly with a motorcycle causing severe bodily injury to the motorcycle rider.
Aventura motorcycle accidents can result in many types of traumatic injuries, and often, a motorcyclist will sustain numerous injuries from a single incident. The following are some examples of temporary or permanent injuries our motorcycle accident attorneys in Aventura can handle:
- Skull fractures
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI), head injury, or brain damage
- Arm injuries, including broken bones
- Nerve damage
- Leg injuries, including broken bones, torn muscles, tendons, or ligaments
- Serious neck and back injuries
- Internal hemorrhaging
- Internal organ damage and other internal injuries
- Spinal cord and spine injuries
- Loss of limbs
- Friction burns (“road rash”)
Motorcycle Accident Injuries are Often More Severe Than Car Crash Injuries.
Motorcycle injuries can be catastrophic and have lifelong effects on an accident victim. For instance, a complete spinal cord injury can cause a victim to be paralyzed and lose all sensation in the body below the point of injury.
Likewise, a severe traumatic brain injury can result in a long-term coma, loss of memory, and permanent cognitive, physical, and behavioral impairments. Many victims of such catastrophic injuries cannot work again and require long-term physical care.
In addition, motorcyclists who are thrown forward from their bikes often hit the ground face-first. This can result in multiple facial injuries, including a broken jaw, broken cheekbones, a broken nose, and serious damage to the teeth.
These injuries can often require surgery and can involve a painful recovery. For instance, a broken jaw must generally be wired shut for weeks, preventing the victim from eating or talking normally. Injuries to the face can also permanently disfigure a motorcyclist, which can cause emotional and mental distress.
How Can You Request Financial Compensation For a Motorcycle Accident in Florida?
Aventura motorcycle crash damages can include any accident-related losses, including wages, medical bills, pain and suffering, and other expenses incurred due to the accident.
Florida law provides several different ways that individuals can recover money for their injuries. Some of these methods include:
- Filing a claim for medical payment coverage under your auto insurance policy
- Pursuing PIP benefits that are available through your personal automobile insurer
- Recovering damages from third-party sources, such as uninsured or underinsured automobile insurance
- Seeking compensation from the at-fault driver's liability insurance carrier
In several states, including Florida, crash victims need to prove their injuries happened because of the reckless driving or negligence of another motorist to recover damages.
How to Determine if You Are Eligible for Damages After a Motorcycle Collision in Aventura
Before you can request damages from another person, you must prove who was responsible for the crash. Florida uses a comparative negligence standard in personal injury cases. This means an injury victim can pursue damages from another person as long as the injured person is not more than 50 percent at fault for the collision that caused the damages.
In other words, if you are found more than 50 percent responsible for your accident, you will not be able to collect damages. If you are less than 50 percent at fault for the crash that caused your injuries, you can recover financial compensation, but your award will be reduced by your share of responsibility.
For example, if you were riding your motorcycle and an SUV pulled into your lane without warning, you might be able to file a claim against the SUV driver. You would likely be able to prove that the SUV driver breached their duty of care to ensure the safety of other motorists.
In addition, your injury claim would be strengthened if you can prove the driver was negligent because they were:
- Speeding.
- Texting and driving.
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
- Eating or drinking
- Applying makeup.
- Changing lanes without signaling.
- Drifting out of a lane.
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident caused by another person's negligence, contact our Aventura motorcycle accident lawyers today for a free consultation.
What Compensation Can Be Recovered in an Aventura Motorcycle Crash Claim?
Recovering from motorcycle accident injuries can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars when considering past and future medical costs and other expenses.
Ambulance transportation, medical bills for hospitalization, surgeries, rehabilitative care, and motorcycle repair bills can add up quickly. These bills, compounded with lost income if the injury caused missed work, pain and suffering, emotional distress, and other losses, can often create life-long financial stress for many people.
Fortunately, Florida law allows injured accident victims to seek fair compensation from at-fault parties. In addition, the family of a person who dies due to a motorcycle accident may be compensated after filing a wrongful death claim.
The Personal Injury Damages A Motorcycle Accident Attorney Can Recover For You
The experienced motorcycle accident attorneys at Dolman Law Group can assist you with recovering compensation for the following:
- Pain and suffering: Since Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage through your insurance provider does not cover pain and suffering, you will have to file a negligence claim to receive this compensation. To determine your compensation amount, the court will consider certain factors, including your injuries and the duration and extent of your pain.
- Lost wages: As a motorcycle accident victim, you could claim financial compensation for lost wages due to accident-related injuries. You can also receive damages for the time you need to take off work to recuperate and attend doctor visits.
- Past and future medical expenses: You can file for compensation for medical care, emergency visits, surgeries, hospital stays, and more if the motorcycle accident directly caused your injuries.
- Loss of consortium: Accident victims may not be able to maintain the same relationships after their ordeal. The spouse of someone who was injured or lost their life in a motorcycle accident could be eligible for compensation for damages due to the loss of companionship. Also, minor children could be awarded compensation if they lose the assistance, aid, society, services, and companionship of a parent due to a negligent crash.
- Emotional pain: You and your family could receive compensation for the mental anguish and emotional pain you face following the incident. Emotional suffering includes feeling embarrassed, frightened, sad, nervous, and worried.
If you were involved in a motorcycle accident and you believe this may have been caused by a driver's negligent behavior, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury lawyer as soon as possible.
The Dolman Law Group has represented the rights of many injured traffic accident victims, including motorcyclists. We understand the risks that motorcyclists face, and we work to hold negligent parties liable for causing injuries. Please get in touch with our office for more information.
Who Caused Your Aventura, FL, Motorcycle Accident?
To hold someone liable for your injuries and losses following a motorcycle accident, you must identify which parties may be legally responsible. In motorcycle cases, this is often one of three types of parties: other motor vehicle drivers, government entities, or motorcycle manufacturers.
An experienced motorcycle accident attorney will negotiate with insurance companies and other parties on your behalf to ensure you receive a fair settlement.
Other Motor Vehicle Drivers
Drivers can collide with a motorcycle for many reasons, and it is often because the driver was negligently operating their vehicle. Unfortunately, distracted driving is one of the leading causes of motorcycle accidents.
Motorcycles are difficult to see on the road when a driver is paying full attention. However, when distracted drivers are texting or engaging in other activities, they can easily miss seeing a motorcyclist and crash into them.
Additional driver negligence includes speeding, tailgating, aggressive driving, and drunk driving.
Government Entities
Government agencies in charge of maintaining roadways commonly neglect to take adequate care of the roads. While potholes, large pavement cracks, and other hazards can be dangerous for any vehicle, these are especially dangerous for motorcyclists and can cause them to crash.
Motorcycle Manufacturers
Companies that make and sell motorcycles sometimes fail to issue a safety recall and may sell a defective motorcycle with faulty parts. These parts may malfunction and cause a motorcyclist to lose control and crash suddenly. The company that sold the bad part may be held liable for accident-related losses in such situations.
The process of litigating a motorcycle accident claim will depend on the entity responsible for the accident, the seriousness of the motorcyclist's injuries, and other factors. Our law firm understands the unique legal issues that may arise in each type of case, and we are here to help after your motorcycle crash.
How Our Aventura Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Can Help You
Motorcycle accidents can leave victims with catastrophic injuries and can cause extensive emotional, financial, and personal losses. At Dolman Law Group, we are committed to helping accident victims get the compensation they are entitled to and provide aggressive and practical legal advice and representation.
We will review the facts of your Aventura personal injury lawsuit at no cost, and if we work together, we won't collect legal fees until we recover accident-related damages for you from the at-fault party.
Call Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA, or fill out our online contact form to schedule your free case evaluation with an experienced Aventura motorcycle accident lawyer today.
Dolman Law Group Accident Injury Lawyers, PA - Aventura Office
PERSONAL INJURY LAWYERS20200 W Dixie Hwy Suite 801,
Aventura, FL 33180
(954) 302-7068
What Our Clients Have to Say:
“So happy I chose Dolman Law Group!!! My experience with the law firm right from the start was fast, friendly and understanding. I started treatment for my injury right away, and while I was focusing on getting better the firm was fighting for me. Incredibly happy with the outcome, thank you to Brent and the team for all the hard work and updates.”
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chelsey Lambert
January 2019
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