Motorcycle Accidents

Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, has spent decades building a reputation of advocacy among local motorcycle riders.

Our motorcycle injury lawyers in Lee County know most riders enjoy their motorcycles responsibly in Southwest Florida. They know and respect the risks. They plan the safest route, ride with friends, and ride defensively. Statistics continue to show the vast majority of motorcycle accidents involving another vehicle are the fault of the other vehicle’s driver.

Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, operates FLBikers.com, a website dedicated to safe riding and promotion of family-friendly motorcycle events throughout Southwest Florida. For more than a decade, our Lee County motorcycle accident lawyers have provided headline sponsorship of Cape Coral Bike Nights, as well as fundraisers for Bikers for Babies to support the March of Dimes, and the Southwest Florida chapter of American Bikers Aiming Toward Education.

Motorcycle Accidents: Causes and Recovery

Statistics continue to show that Florida is the most dangerous state in the nation for motorcycle accidents and the risks continue to grow.

Nationwide, more than 5,000 riders are killed each year, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association. Fewer than 2,500 riders were killed each year through the 1990s. Per mile traveled, motorcycle riders are 28 times more likely to be killed in a traffic collision. More than 500 riders a year are killed in Florida, accounting for nearly percent of all road deaths.

Top causes of motorcycle collisions in Lee County include:

• Failure to yield: This is the top cause for collisions involving other vehicles. Typically, a driver pulls out in front of a rider or turns left into the path of an oncoming rider.
• Distracted driving: Motorcycles are small and thus more difficult to see. It also takes an extra moment to perceive how close a rider is or how fast a motorcycle is traveling.
• Rear-end collisions: These collisions are more common than you think, and often occur when a driver does not allow a rider the time to get his balance and proceed through an intersection after being stopped at a traffic light. Even slow speed crashes typically result in serious injuries to riders.
• Accident avoidance: In some cases, a rider is forced to leave the roadway or otherwise crash a motorcycle in order to avoid an at-fault driver who fails to yield. In many of these cases, the vehicle’s driver does not stop. A rider’s own uninsured motorist (UM), underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage will often be vital to making a recovery in such cases.

A negligence lawsuit to recover compensation after a collision requires victim to prove fault and determine full extent of damages (including cost of rehabilitation, lingering disability, lost wages and pain and suffering).

• Proving Fault: Victims must prove defendant violated a duty to act with reasonable care in proving negligence claims under Florida tort law, as outlined in Florida Statute 768.
• Determining Damages: Many injury victims fail to realize the importance of proving damages. At-fault insurance companies will often offer a quick settlement in exchange for signing a waiver of future claims. While these insurance adjusters may seem responsive, in reality they are attempting to settle your case before the full extent of damages can possibly be known.
• Collecting Damages: Obtaining just compensation for victims often hinges on the ability to collect an ultimate injury settlement or damage award. If an at-fault driver lacks insurance, or carries Florida’s mandatory minimum insurance of just $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and $10,000 property damage coverage, your injury law firm must look for other liable parties. This may include making a claim against your own insurance company through an uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) claim.

Our Lee County motorcycle injury lawyers have decades of knowledge and experience in building these cases. Beginning with a thorough investigation of crash causes, our team of lawyers, investigators and outside medical, legal and investigative consultants will work to identify all defendants while formulating a comprehensive demand for damages. Our settlement demands are backed by our long track record of litigating these cases in the courtroom.

If you or a loved one is injured in a motorcycle accident in Southwest Florida, call us for a free and confidential consultation to discuss your rights, 24 hours a day/7 days a week. There are never any attorney fees unless we are successful in winning a recovery on your behalf.

If you or someone you care about has been hurt, contact the Lee County motorcycle accident lawyers at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured. You pay us no fees unless we win.