If you experienced injuries in a Florida motorcycle accident and faced medical bills and other accident-related expenses, a West Palm Beach motorcycle accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for your losses.
We have years of experience handling motorcycle accident cases and aggressively work for the best outcome for each client. We built our firm by giving personal attention to our clients and providing the best service possible. Contact us for a free, no-obligation case review.
Our Lawyers Work On a Contingency-Fee Basis
It costs nothing to hire our personal injury law team. That’s because we work on contingency. You don’t pay unless we win. This means that you owe us nothing if we do not obtain money for you at trial or settlement.
Our goal is to get you justice for your injuries. To achieve this goal, we will take whatever steps necessary to ensure that you receive financial compensation from the responsible party.
For a free legal consultation with a motorcycle accidents lawyer serving West Palm Beach, 800-747-3733
Can I Seek Compensation if Another Driver Caused My West Palm Beach Motorcycle Accident?
West Palm Beach is a great city for motorcycle riders — offering sunny skies and scenic views. However, there are bound to be motorcycle accidents where there are motorcyclists and negligent driving.
According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there were nearly 400 motorcycle accidents in Palm Beach County in 2021, resulting in 26 fatalities. During the same year, more than 8,600 motorcycle crashes happened statewide.
If you or your loved one sustained injuries in an accident that was not your fault, you could seek related financial damages from the liable driver. Motorcycle owners can seek compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurance company or pursue awards with a personal injury lawsuit.
We can help you pursue compensation for the following:
- Medical bills
- Ambulance transport to the hospital
- Physical therapy
- Home medical equipment
- In-home medical care
- Rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Burial costs
- Lost earning capacity, if you cannot return to work
- Motorcycle repair or replacement costs
- Pain and suffering
- Enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish
- Emotional distress
We can collect proof of your losses through your accident report, medical bills, repair receipts, employment records, and other documentation that shows your damages.
To seek these damages, we need to prove the other driver in your crash acted recklessly and that this behavior caused your crash. Then, we can file a personal injury claim with their insurer or take legal action.
What Is the Value of Your Case?
Every personal injury case is different, and the value of your potential settlement or verdict depends on factors unique to your accident and injury, including:
- Your age
- Your wages at the time of your accident
- The cost of your current medical care
- The estimated cost of your future necessary medical treatment
- The value of your motorcycle accident damages
- The length of your recovery and how long you are out of work
- Whether you suffered a permanent or severe injury
- The extent of your physical pain, emotional suffering, and mental anguish
The at-fault party’s insurance coverage can also affect how much compensation you may receive. If the liable party does not have coverage above the state minimums, their policy may not fully satisfy your losses.
Our motorcycle accident attorneys will help you identify every dollar owed to you and determine a course of action for seeking the maximum amount of compensation available in your case.
West Palm BeachMotorcycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 800-747-3733
How Can Our Lawyers Prove the Other Driver Caused Your Motorcycle Crash?
All drivers must exercise a duty of care to keep others on the road reasonably safe from harm. If the other driver in your motorcycle crash behaved recklessly and failed to maintain that duty of care, we can hold them financially responsible for their negligence. They become liable for catastrophic injuries, property damage, and potentially other personal losses you suffered because of their actions.
We have to show all of these factors to establish the liability of the at-fault party:
- The defendant had a legal duty toward you. Everyone who operates a motor vehicle in Florida is responsible for driving with reasonable care and observing the rules of the road.
- The defendant breached their duty of care. The other driver’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) exceeded the legal limit. Driving while under the influence of alcohol violates their duty of care. A breach of a legal duty is negligence.
- The negligence caused the accident. The defendant’s alcohol impairment slowed his reaction time and reflexes. He drove into the intersection at a red light and crashed into a car that was in the intersection legally. The motorist’s careless behavior caused the collision.
- Quantifiable damages. You must have measurable losses, like physical injuries, to satisfy the final required element to pursue most personal injury claims.
Proving Negligence Requires Showing How Your Accident Happened
To prove negligence, we must determine how the accident happened. We can turn to police reports, photos of the accident scene, eyewitness testimony, surveillance video, or testimony from accident reconstruction experts to determine who caused your crash.
During our investigation, we may find the other driver engaged in negligent behaviors, such as:
- Distracted driving, including texting, talking on the phone or paying attention to passengers while behind the wheel
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Failing to see your motorcycle while changing lanes
- Ignoring traffic signals or signs
- Reckless driving
We may also find a third party who shares the blame for your motorcycle accident. For example, a motorcycle manufacturer’s defect or a faulty motorcycle part may also have contributed to your accident. Our firm uses various resources to investigate all responsible parties while recovering from your injuries.
Do Florida’s Auto Insurance Laws Apply To Motorcycles?
Florida law requires personal injury protection (PIP) insurance to cover you and your passengers if you own a vehicle with four or more wheels. After a car accident, each driver turns to their PIP policy for compensation.
Most PIP policies provide a maximum of $10,000 in medical and disability benefits if the injured party seeks medical treatment within 14 days after the accident.
However, PIP insurance does not cover motorcycle accident injuries, nor does Florida require you to purchase motorcycle insurance.
What Happens If You Do Not Have Insurance?
Suppose you do not have motorcycle liability insurance coverage, and you caused your accident. In that case, the other driver may hold you responsible for their bodily injuries and property damage.
Not only that, you may have to pay for your own medical bills and personal losses. This is why it is a good idea to maintain insurance coverage for your motorcycle.
If you do not have motorcycle liability insurance but were not at fault for the crash, we can file a claim for your damages with the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Each driver must meet the state’s serious injury threshold in a car accident to file a claim outside their PIP policy. However, you do not have to meet this threshold as a motorcyclist.
What Is the Insurance Claims Process Like After a West Palm Beach Motorcycle Wreck?
Filing an insurance claim can be daunting, especially if you are trying to recuperate from your crash-related injuries. Our firm has skilled and knowledgeable attorneys who take the guesswork out of this process for you.
We will contact the other party’s auto insurer to alert them about your claim and begin settlement negotiations on your behalf with the company. Auto insurers typically want to underpay claims and offer low settlements.
They may also claim you played a part in causing the accident or contributed to your injuries. This is especially true if you were not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Comparative Fault Can Affect Your Claim
While Florida state law allows insured riders aged 21 and older to ride without helmets, many insurance companies have successfully argued that these riders share some blame for their injuries. This is called comparative negligence. If the insurance company can assign fault to you, it can use it to undo your fair settlement.
Under Florida’s comparative fault statute, accident motorcycle accident victims can seek compensation, but the court will reduce their awards based on their percentage of fault. For example, if the court assigns you 30% fault for not wearing a helmet, and you had $100,000 in damages, you would receive $70,000. Insurance agents know the law and will apply it to your claim.
We know how to defend against these tactics to get you the compensation you deserve. We fight to make sure you get the highest settlement offer possible. If the insurance company is unwilling to offer a fair amount, we can file suit and take your case to court.
How Soon After My Accident Should I Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer in West Palm Beach?
In Florida, the statute of limitations only gives you four years from your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. If a family member passed away in a motorcycle accident, you might be eligible to file a wrongful death suit, but you will only have four years to file your case.
We must act before this time expires. Sometimes, the threat of a lawsuit is the only way to convince a stubborn insurer to settle an insurance claim. The sooner you contact us, the more time we have to build a strong case for your compensation. Our personal injury attorneys will:
- File your motorcycle accident claim or lawsuit according to insurance regulations and statutory deadlines
- Collect case evidence, including medical records, police reports, photographs and videos of your crash site, and eyewitness testimony
- Work with expert witnesses who can testify on your behalf, including medical professionals, economists, physiologists, and crash reconstructionists.
- Handle all phone calls, emails, and communications with the insurance adjuster.
- Aggressively represent your best interests during negotiations.
- Represent you during a civil trial if necessary
Throughout your case, we will provide you with regular updates. We pride ourselves on our accessibility and will even give you your attorney’s phone number so that you are never out of touch or left in the dark.
Our West Palm Beach Injury Lawyers Are Ready to Help You
Let the attorneys at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine help you get maximum compensation. As noted above, our motorcycle accident lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, and we offer a no-cost consultation. There is no risk to you.
We have a team of experienced motorcycle accident lawyers ready to help you get justice for your injuries. Contact us today to discuss your options.