Florida Motorcycle Collision Lawyers

Motorcyclists face the dangers of our roads every day without much more than their gear and their wits to protect them. Without a cage of reinforced steel for a shield, even the most careful motorcyclists are at significantly greater risk than drivers for serious injuries. Minor accidents that a driver could walk away from could take riders and their machines off the roads for months. And unfortunately, the majority of Florida motorcycle crashes are caused by the carelessness of other motorists -- almost always the drivers of passenger cars and trucks. In fact, according to the Hurt Report, a definitive study of motorcycle accidents, the number-one cause of motorcycle accidents is the failure of other drivers to see the motorcycle until it's too late.

Another key finding of the report is that the majority -- three-fourths -- of motorcycle accidents studied involved another vehicle. And among those multi-vehicle accidents, two-thirds were attributed to the other driver's failure to yield the right of way to the motorcycle. Put another way, this means half of all motorcycle accidents are caused by drivers who illegally violate the rider's right of way! The most common type of multi-vehicle accident the researchers found was a front impact for the bike, in which a driver turns left in front of an oncoming motorcyclist. The study found that intersections were the most likely place for such an accident, with drivers often running traffic signals. Among the quarter of the accidents studied that were single-vehicle accidents, rider error caused two-thirds; most of those errors had to do with taking turns too fast, which can cause a "slideout."

The Hurt Report attributes only a tiny fraction of accidents to road defects such as potholes and cracks in the pavement -- just two percent. Vehicle failure, such as defects in the design or manufacture of the bike itself, accounted for just three percent of the accidents. But in all of those cases, fault for the accident can be traced to someone who has a legal duty to keep us safe: a government agency or a manufacturer. A government agency -- local, state or federal -- charged with building and maintaining roads has a duty to make sure those roads are designed correctly and well-maintained. A corporation offering motorcycles and motorcycle parts for sale must ensure that those products are safe and free of defects. If either entity fails in that duty and a motorcyclist is injured as a result, it can and should be held liable for the results.

Florida motorcycle accidents cause serious damage -- broken bones, head injuries, wrecked bikes, insurance headaches, weeks of missed work and huge bills that can make it hard to move on with your life. If you've been put in a similar situation by a careless driver, you have the right to hold the driver responsible for his or her actions in court. An experienced Jacksonville Florida motorcycle accident attorney can help you recover not only the costs of your medical and repair bills, but also negotiate with insurance on your behalf and secure compensation for your lost earnings, pain and suffering and future medical needs. Contact our office in Jacksonville today for a free evaluation of your case from one of our skilled Jacksonville motorcycle crash lawyers.