If you sustained serious injuries in a motorcycle accident—especially if someone’s negligence caused the crash—you may have the right to financial compensation for your injuries and damages.
Are your medical bills piling up? If you cannot return to work, your house payment and utility bills may also press on your mind—not to mention the medical care you need to recover.
The Law Firm of Anidjar & Levine can help. We can help protect your legal rights and fight to obtain a fair settlement for your injuries. Contact us today at 800-747-3733 to set up a free meeting with a motorcycle accident lawyer in Port Charlotte.
Why Are Motorcycle Accidents So Dangerous?
Many Florida residents choose to ride a motorcycle for pleasure or as a primary mode of transportation, which makes crashes unfortunately common in the Port Charlotte area. According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (HSMV), motorcycle crashes exceeded 10,000 in 2015. More than 500 of these accidents resulted in a fatality.
Some of the most common causes of motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Other drivers often put motorcyclists in danger by engaging in reckless behavior, like:
- Distracted driving;
- Aggressive driving;
- Speeding;
- Tailgating;
- Failing to yield the right-of-way;
- Failing to see a motorcyclist;
- Making illegal turns; and
- Making illegal lane changes.
Road conditions are another common cause of motorcycle crashes. These hazards can include:
- Road debris;
- Road construction;
- Insufficient roadway markings;
- Poor traffic control systems;
- Poor roadway maintenance; and
- Absent or temporary signage.
Life-threatening, long-term, and permanent injuries commonly result from these crashes, as riders have little protection on a bike and are especially vulnerable to the negligence of others on the road. Some common injuries include:
- Broken bones;
- Dislocations;
- Contusions;
- Burns;
- Sprains and strains;
- Back injuries;
- Neck injuries;
- Head or brain injuries;
- Amputations;
- Internal injuries; and
- Death.
Who Was at Fault for My Motorcycle Accident?
When someone else’s negligence causes an accident, Florida law views that person as having liability for any injuries or damage that result.
In the case of motorcycle crashes, other motorists frequently cause the accident. These accidents may also occur because of hazards in the roadway, street construction, poor traffic control, or poor traffic signage.
Motorcyclists may sometimes share fault in an accident. However, these incidents occur more often due to the negligence of another person or company—or even a municipality or other government entity.
To determine fault and liability for your injuries, we must examine the circumstances of the incident. This requires studying accident reports, interviewing witnesses, obtaining photos of the crash site, or even using accident reconstruction experts to provide expert testimony.
Once we can identify the at-fault party or parties, we can begin the process of documenting your claim and submitting it to the insurance company.
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How Much Is My Claim Worth?
One of our next tasks will be placing a dollar value on your motorcycle accident claim. To accomplish this, we will evaluate the type and severity of your injuries, as well as your other damages. Your medical bills, lost wages, and other actual damages—the value of your bike, for example—will all contribute to the claim.
More importantly, we will ascertain the type of medical treatment and care you will need in the future. This may include the care of doctors, surgeons, physical therapists, rehabilitation, and personal care providers. If you will need assistive devices—like a wheelchair—or modifications to your home or vehicle, we will also include those values. We may call on medical experts to provide testimony about how your injuries will impact your future.
Also important to your claim will be your prognosis for going back to work. We will include any projected estimates on your future lost income and loss of earning potential in the total value of your motorcycle accident claim.
Your claim may also include sums for pain and suffering and for the loss of life’s enjoyment. If you sustained any permanent or long-term physical injuries—such as paralysis or the loss of a digit, limb, or organ—we will assign a monetary value to those injuries and include it in your claim.
What Will a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Do for Me?
Once you have us on your side, you will not have to worry about meeting claims deadlines, filing paperwork, or documenting your bills. We will submit your claim and negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf. Throughout the entire process, we will protect your legal rights and your right to seek compensation for your injuries.
We understand exactly how the system works and know how to negotiate with the insurance company to obtain the best possible outcome for you. We will work diligently to hold the negligent party responsible for the harm they caused you.
In many cases, the insurance company will dispatch their legal team to try to convince you to settle. It is imperative that you never speak with or give a statement to the insurance company or its lawyers—and never sign any documents without your attorney’s advice. The insurance company will attempt to minimize their losses at all costs. They can best accomplish that by convincing you to sign away your legal rights.
We can protect you from accepting an inadequate offer. If the insurance company refuses to negotiate a financial settlement or otherwise acts in bad faith, we will prepare your case for court.
Although a financial settlement cannot truly compensate you for the damages you have suffered, it will provide for a more secure future and ensure you get the ongoing treatment and care you need.
Talk to a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Port Charlotte Today.
At the Law Firm of Anidjar & Levine, we provide professional representation to victims of motorcycle crashes.
We also offer free consultations to help you understand your legal rights and how the insurance claim process works. Contact us today to schedule an appointment. We can come to your hospital room, if your injuries prevent you from coming to us.
Call 800-747-3733 today to talk to our motorcycle accident lawyers in Port Charlotte.
