A motorcycle accident lawyer in Orlando will investigate the details of your crash, determine liability, and file an insurance claim or civil lawsuit on your behalf.
An attorney can handle all aspects of your case while you focus on your recovery.
What You Should Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Orlando
You should do several things at the scene of an Orlando motorcycle accident, including:
- Calling 9-1-1, which is required by Florida Statutes § 316.065for serious accidents
- Document the scene of the accident with photographs and videos
- Obtain insurance information from other motorists involved in your accident
- Obtain contact information from witnesses
- Obtain a copy of any police report or citations completed by law enforcement officers at the scene of your accident
- Accept medical attention
- Accept ambulance transportation to a medical facility if you are injured
- Contact a legal professional
You may also self-report your accident through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) portal if neither you nor another party involved in the accident contacted emergency services while you were at the scene.
Do Not Rush to Contact Your Insurance Company
Though it may be important that you report your accident to your auto insurance provider in a timely manner, you may want to wait and speak with the team for an Orlando motorcycle accident lawyer before doing so. There are several possible risks in rushing to contact your insurance company, including:
- That you will misspeak or misremember events in a way that affects your ability to obtain compensation
- That you will give an on-the-record statement without being aware that you are doing so
- That an insurance company will attempt to assign fault to you without your knowledge of what they are doing
- That you will compromise your right to compensation in one or more ways
You can bet that yours is not the first motorcycle accident that an insurance company has handled. Auto insurance companies claimed $285 billion in revenues in 2019, per Yahoo! Finance, and must deal with many claims in order to reach that revenue figure. They may have several frequently used tactics aimed at reducing their payouts for accidents, and you could be the target for such strategies.
By hiring a lawyer, you may protect yourself from attempts to violate your rights by insurance companies and other parties. Your lawyer can tell you what you should do at the scene of an Orlando motorcycle accident and guide you through the steps necessary to seek compensation.
You may hire a lawyer on a contingency-fee-basis, which means that you will not have to pay any sum upfront or out-of-pocket for their representation. They will only get paid if they win compensation for you.
Your Lawyer Can Calculate Your Losses
Before negotiating an insurance claim or initiating a lawsuit, your lawyer may need to determine the value of your accident-related losses. By determining how your accident has cost you or your loved one, your lawyer will better understand the awards that you should be entitled to.
Some losses that your lawyer may consider include:
- The cost of ambulance transportation from the scene of your accident
- The cost of emergency department care
- Any other costs from your initial visit to a medical facility
- The cost of damage to your motorcycle
- The cost of follow-up medical care in the days and weeks after your accident
- Your total medical costs
- Physical pain caused by your injuries
- Suffering from pain and psychological trauma caused by your accident
- The income you lose while you are injured
- Long-lasting harm to your earning power, which could include a complete inability to work because of disability
- The cost of psychological and physical therapy for your trauma
As a motorcyclist, you or your loved one may face a greater risk of injury than those in cars, SUVs, and trucks, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains. Without an enclosure, airbags, seatbelts, or four wheels to provide stability, you may have been thrown from your bike and seriously injured because of another motorist’s negligence.
Seeking Compensation Through Insurance or Civil Courts
Your lawyer can explore the possibility of you receiving compensation through an insurance claim, but this may not be possible for any number of reasons. If you choose to pursue a lawsuit in the absence of an insurance settlement, your lawyer can handle the legal process.
Civil courts generally handle non-criminal cases where a person is harmed, and your Orlando motorcycle accident lawyer may be familiar with how such courts operate. They will use any experience and knowledge of the legal process that they have towards your goal of obtaining compensation.
Some of the duties that your lawyer may perform are:
- Gathering and organizing evidence
- Calculating your losses
- Interviewing witnesses
- Filing your lawsuit and all other necessary paperwork
- Handling all lawsuit-related communications
- Negotiating a pre-trial settlement
- Completing a trial if it proves necessary
Your lawyer will aim to negotiate a fair pre-trial settlement that compensates you for your losses. They will also represent surviving family members of a loved one who has passed away because of a motorcycle accident caused by negligence.
You Have a Limited Time to File a Lawsuit in an Orlando Motorcycle Accident
If you were injured in a motorcycle accident, keep in mind you have limited time to act per Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a). Under Florida Statutes, you generally have four years from the date of your accident to move forward with a lawsuit. If the accident was fatal and caused the loss of a loved one, surviving family members have two years to begin civil action by filing a wrongful death lawsuit per Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d).
Starting Your Claim
During the free initial consultation, you can speak to a member of our motorcycle personal injury team about the details of the accident. It is helpful to provide us with as much information as possible, such as:
- Photographs of your injuries and the accident scene
- Contact details of any eyewitnesses
- Contact and insurance details from the other driver
- Information about the attending police officer
- Reports of any medical diagnosis or treatments
- Your own written account of what happened
Don’t worry if you do not have all of the information; we can help you collect this later if you choose to work with us on your case. From the initial consultation, our attorneys can help you understand your legal position and determine a suitable course of action for your situation.
Crash Scenarios that Can Be the Basis of Motorcycle Accident Cases
Motorcyclists realize there are risks when hitting the road. A negligent or reckless action due to another motorist can result in severe injuries. Scenarios that pose a threat to motorcycle riders include:
- Other motorists merging into or turning across the path of a motorcycle rider
- A road user rear-ending a biker
- Vehicles changing lanes into a rider’s path
- Parked vehicles opening doors into the path of a motorcyclist
- Potholes and poorly maintained roads
- Accidents caused by defective motorcycle parts
- Inattentive or distracted drivers
- Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs
- Failure to yield or obey traffic controls and signals
- Aggressive or reckless driving by other motorists
Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine Today
If you or a loved one were injured in a motorcycle accident caused by the negligence of another road user, we can help. We fight to obtain the compensation you rightfully deserve, not just what an insurer wants to pay to protect their profit margins. Other ways our clients benefit from our services include:
- Free motorcycle accident consultation
- Quality of service, maximizing compensation, and speed of settlement are priorities at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine
- Years of experience managing complex personal injury cases involving serious injuries
- No win, no fee claims, no financial risk to you for pursuing your case
Do not wait to call the team for a lawyer, as time may be a factor in obtaining any compensation you deserve. Call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at (407) 500-4000 for a free consultation about our services.
