Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Port St. Lucie

Port St. Lucie Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Recovering financial compensation after a motorcycle accident is often more challenging than it needs to be. While coping with your injuries, you will need to prove your personal injury claim to the at-fault party’s insurer, and defend against biases many drivers and insurance firms have against motorcycle riders.

Our Port St. Lucie personal injury lawyers have decades of experience handling motorcycle accident claims and helping accident victims navigate the difficult circumstances that accompany them. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine for a free consultation today. Our motorcycle accident lawyers in Port St. Lucie can help you take back control of your life.

What Motorcycle Accident Injuries Can I Receive Compensation For?

Victims of motorcycle accidents can file a claim for compensation covering their injury-related expenses (economic damages) and physical and mental distress (non-economic damages). This might include:

Medical bills
Future medical expenses
Lost wages
Lost earning capacity
Property damage
Pain and suffering
Total or partial disability
Loss of enjoyment of life
Funeral and burial costs, loss of consortium, loss of guidance, and mental anguish (in wrongful death cases)

Our Port St. Lucie motorcycle accident attorneys work with you to evaluate your life before and after the crash. Any differences between the two could be acknowledged in your ultimate settlement amount.

For families who lost a loved one, a Port St. Lucie wrongful death lawyer from our firm can consider your relationship with the deceased to pursue damages that reflect the unique emotional and financial support you lost. We can also fight for the maximum compensation that will help you honor your lost family member according to their last wishes.

How Our Motorcycle Accident Law Firm Determines What Damages You Could Receive

The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine often use the following materials to prove our clients’ need for compensation:

Statements from experts like doctors and actuaries
Medical records
Pay stubs and W-2s
Testimony from your doctors, friends, and family
Out-of-pocket expense receipts for property damage

Don’t worry if, for example, you do not work a traditional job with pay stubs. We can help you collect proof of income from freelance work, gig work, or side jobs.

Our motorcycle collision team also compiles evidence based on your unique situation to show how an accident has affected your life. That includes taking into account your:

Age
Dependents
Hobbies
Independence
Career
Prior health issues

For instance, older individuals may suffer more serious injuries, be less likely to heal completely, and require more medical care. However, since older individuals are closer to retirement, they may be eligible for less compensation for loss of earning capacity than a younger rider whose serious injury prevents them from returning to their job and working their way up in their former career.

By paying attention to these personal details, we work to ensure the insurance companies and liable parties do not offer a generic settlement. Instead, our personal injury attorneys fight for fair compensation that accounts for your specific experiences and losses.

What Are The First Steps I Need To Take After A Motorcycle Accident In Port St. Lucie?

While your Port St. Lucie motorcycle injury attorney can handle most of your case, there are a few things you need to do to protect your health and your right to compensatory damages:

Getting Medical Attention For Your Accident Injuries

The first step in recovering compensation is receiving medical care. This includes attending all follow-up appointments and listening to your doctor’s orders. This is a crucial step because, if you do not receive (and continue) treatment, the insurer can claim you are falsifying, exaggerating, or contributing to your injuries.

The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine urges you to focus on your health before anything else, even speaking to our legal team. While there are time limits to filing a lawsuit—usually two years, according to Florida Statutes § 95.11—we still have time to take action on your case if you call us right after completing your first round of care.

Decline To Give A Recorded Statement To The Accident Insurance Company

You can expect a call from the negligent driver’s insurance company soon after the accident. While this is normal, what you say during this call can jeopardize your entire case.

The insurance adjuster will likely request a recorded statement in which you discuss how the accident happened. The adjuster will use anything you say in this statement against you. They can even twist something as innocent as “I’m sorry” or “I’m okay,” and claim you confessed to causing the accident or confirmed you were uninjured.

If the adjuster asks for a recorded statement, politely decline and direct any questions to our Port St. Lucie lawyers. Despite what they might say, you have a right to take some time to process your motorcycle crash and consult our law firm before committing to an official statement.

Do Not Sign Anything Related To Your Motorcycle Accident

After a crash, insurance companies may offer you money quickly. It may be tempting to take this offer so that you have money in hand and can start to put this traumatic event behind you.

However, taking a settlement now may prevent you from recovering additional compensation later. This can be a problem if your expenses are higher than you realized, if you are out of work longer than you thought you would be, or if your injuries do not heal the way you expected them to.

Let the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine review all paperwork and negotiate for a truly fair settlement before you agree to anything. We will stay in touch with you throughout your case so you always know what is happening and have the information you need to make important decisions.

How Do I Prove The Other Party Is Responsible For My Port St. Lucie Motorcycle Accident?

This is where we come in. The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine gather the information needed to prove the following key points:

As a motorcyclist sharing the road, you were owed a duty of care by other drivers.
Someone’s careless action—such as driving drunk, ignoring traffic signs, or changing lanes without looking—violated that duty of care.
Their careless action caused an accident that injured you.
Your injuries entitle you to compensation for accident-related losses.

We compile evidence that draws a direct line between all four points, showing the relationship between the at-fault driver’s negligence, your injuries, and your right to damages.

Evidence We Can Use In Your Port St. Lucie Motorcycle Case

Evidence can vary based on each case, but information we typically use to establish liability includes:

Photos from the accident scene
Traffic and bystander video
Port St. Lucie Police Department reports
Medical records
Blood alcohol and drug testing
Witness testimony
Expert analysis
Accident reconstruction
Debris and physical evidence

You can provide some of this evidence while our attorneys gather other types. While we appreciate whatever help you can provide, your main priority should be protecting your health. Our personal injury law firm can take over the legal work in your case to decrease your stress.

Could I Be At Fault For A Motorcycle Accident In Port St. Lucie?

In some cases, drivers in cars will try to blame the motorcyclist for causing the accident. This can be especially problematic because there is a widespread notion that motorcycle riders are reckless and disobey laws.

However, just because you were riding a motorcycle does not make you responsible for an accident. As our client testimonials show, the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine brings “unbelievable professionalism” and “attention to detail” to every single case we work on. We make no assumptions about liability until after completing our investigation, so our legal team can:

Identify all parties who contributed to your accident
Assign each party the appropriate share of liability
Prove that you were minimally responsible or completely blameless so that we can maximize your compensation under Florida’s comparative negligence law

Call now to learn more during a free, confidential consultation.

What Forms Of Negligence Can Cause Motorcycle Accidents?

Given the negligence parameters explained above, many actions or even inactions could be grounds for pursuing legal action after a motorcycle crash in St. Lucie County. From a driver distracted by their radio to a government agency that failed to correct a dangerous roadway defect, negligence depends on each case.

That being said, the following are a few accident types that we can help motorcyclists seek compensation for:

Accidents Caused By A Failure To Observe

Because motorcycles are smaller vehicles, drivers may sometimes fail to observe them. This can lead to improper lane changes or turning in front of a motorcycle at an intersection.

Distracted Driving Accidents

Distractions like cell phones, food and drink, or other passengers can prevent drivers from seeing a motorcycle until it is too late. Distracted drivers could merge into a motorcyclist’s lane, cross the center lane, and hit a motorcycle head-on, or rear-end a rider.

Aggressive Driving Accidents

According to the Port St. Lucie Police Department (PSLPD), aggressive driving behaviors include speeding, tailgating, and running red lights. Drivers caught engaging in these behaviors could be fined or, in the case of reckless driving, even jailed. Unfortunately, these deterrents do not stop all aggressive drivers.

At the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine, we believe that no act of negligence is acceptable and that motorcyclists deserve the same level of respect and deference as all other road users. Whether we must confront a negligent driver, an auto mechanic, or Port St. Lucie’s Public Works Streets Division, we want to help you take back control of your life.

How Are Car Accident And Motorcycle Accident Laws Different?

Although cars and motorcycles must follow the same traffic laws, one area where they differ is with insurance.

Florida law requires all car owners to have personal injury protection (PIP) insurance, also called “no-fault” insurance. PIP insurance compensates policyholders for medical costs and lost wages, no matter who was at fault.

The requirement to have PIP insurance does not apply to motorcycle riders. This means that, in most cases, riders must file a claim with the other driver’s insurance to recover compensation.

Do Port St. Lucie Motorcyclists Need to Wear Helmets?

While we suggest all riders wear a helmet at all times, Florida motorcycle riders can legally drive without a helmet if they are over the age of 21 and have the minimum amount of insurance required by law.

However, when motorcycle riders get into accidents without wearing helmets, legal disputes can arise over whether the rider’s injuries, especially head and neck injuries, resulted from the driver’s negligent behavior or the rider’s failure to wear a helmet.

If necessary, our Port St. Lucie motorcycle accident attorneys can retain experts to testify that your injury resulted from the other driver’s negligence, not your decision to forgo a helmet.

What Are The Consequences Of Breaking Port St. Lucie’s Traffic Laws?

When accidents occur, motorcycle riders may suffer severe injuries. Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) reports that the 177 motorcycle crashes that occurred in St. Lucie County in 2023 resulted in 154 injuries and 10 fatalities. Common motorcycle accident injuries, including traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries, often result in lifelong disability and the need for costly medical care.

The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine has been helping accident victims since 2005. If you and your family are suffering because of someone else’s negligence, give us the opportunity to hold them accountable and pursue the damages you need.

Speak With A Port St. Lucie Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Today

The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine can fight for your right to receive full compensation for injuries sustained in a traffic crash. We take no fee unless you recover, and your initial consultation is free.