Gainesville Motorcycle Accident Attorneys
Gainesville Motorcycle Accident
Nationwide, more than 50,000 motorcyclists are injured and almost 2,000 are killed in traffic accidents every year. Compared to per mile travel in a car, motorcyclists are 37 times more likely to die in a collision than someone in a motor vehicle.
Beginning July 2000, Florida eliminated the legal requirement that all motorcycle riders wear helmets. Today, motorcycle helmets are mandatory only for riders under the age of 21 who do not have medical insurance coverage of at least $10,000. When the helmet requirement was dropped, biker fatalities climbed by 81% in Florida from 2001-2003, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The Gainesville motorcycle accident attorneys at Farah & Farah remind us that an estimated 117 deaths could have been prevented during 2001-02 in Florida if the motorcycle helmet law had not been changed.
There is a bit of good news - NHTSA reports that in 2009, motorcycle helmet use nationwide was 67%. In fact, the federal agency reports that over the past five years motorcycle helmet use has been steadily increasing.
Gainesville is in Alachua County, and state statistics show a slight increase in motorcycle fatalities and injuries in 2009:
- Alachua County had 5 motorcycle fatalities in 2009, a jump from 3 in 2008, and 7 in 2007.
- Alachua County has 128 motorcycle injuries in 2009, 115 in 2008, 119 in 2007, 101 in 2006 and 63 in 2005.
- 15 people were involved in fatal accidents in Gainesville in 2009.
- Gainesville motorcyclists have benefitted from a 15-hour skill and safety course, required for new Florida riders to obtain a license in July 2008.
- Gainesville, as well as the rest of Florida, is seeing the return of the older baby boomer riders and a more mature attitude toward safety.
If you have been hurt in a Gainesville motorcycle accident, it is very important to contact the Florida offices of Farah & Farah immediately so that we can preserve evidence that might not be available with the passage of time. Witnesses must be identified and the evidence from the accident site must be preserved and recorded, along with the physical evidence so we can uncover the at-fault party.
Contact Farah & Farah with your questions on how to deal with insurance claims and negotiations that may make the difference between being fairly compensated or not compensated at all. Please do not sign any legal forms from the insurance company without first consulting with a Gainesville personal injury attorney. Any assistance we can offer begins with one phone call 1-800-533-3555.