From serious bodily injury to missed time at work to emotional stress and financial strain, the effects of a motorcycle accident are numerous. If you or a loved one were hurt in one of these crashes, you could be facing the most difficult time of your life. You don’t have to face it alone and without financial certainty.
A Fort Meade motorcycle accident lawyer at Dismuke Law is ready to stand by you and help you fight for the compensation you deserve. A member of our personal injury legal team will help you understand your rights and options when you call our Ask Dave line for a free consultation.
Motorcycle Accident Victims in Florida Have a Right to Compensation From the At-Fault Party
Motorcycle accidents can be life-altering. Injuries, such as road rash, head trauma, fractured bones, or spinal cord damage can leave you debilitated for weeks, months, or years. Your ability to work or perform simple everyday tasks could be significantly inhibited.
If you can’t work, you can’t make money. If you can’t make money, you can’t support yourself or your family. On top of that, the mental strain of the entire situation can leave you with feelings of despair in addition to other distress.
Under the laws in Florida, you are entitled to recover financial compensation for all the harm the motorcycle accident has caused you. The at-fault party must pay to restore your life to its condition prior to the crash. That includes paying you for losses, such as:
- Medical expenses
- Motorcycle damage
- Lost income due to missing work
- Travel costs
- Physical therapy
- Mobility aids
- Mental anguish
- Bodily injury
- Lost quality of life
- Additional pain and suffering
Our motorcycle accident attorney serving Fort Meade, FL will help ensure you recover all of the compensation you are owed.
How Our Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Serving Fort Meade, FL Support Your Claim for Damages
A motorcycle accident lawyer serving Fort Meade, FL can calculate the total value of all your viable losses. We will compile the documentation to prove your economic losses, like your medical bills or pay stubs.
Additionally, we secure the appropriate evidence to show your pain and suffering, which may include testimony from experts in medicine, mental health, or life care planning, as well as family members and employers. It’s essential for us to have a complete picture of your losses in order to ensure we demand a proper settlement amount.
Can Motorcycle Accident Victims Sue for Pain and Suffering in Fort Meade, FL?
Yes. Motorcycle accident victims can sue the at-fault party for pain and suffering. Unlike drivers of vehicles with four or more wheels, riders are not restricted in the compensation they can recover. Florida financial responsibility law requires motor vehicle drivers to carry personal injury protection (PIP).
The same law also stipulates that these drivers are not entitled to pain and suffering unless the severity of their physical injuries meets certain criteria, known as the serious injury threshold. Motorcyclists are not required to obtain PIP insurance nor is this coverage available to them. As a result, riders can sue for all their damages with no restrictions, assuming they do not share in liability for the crash.
Florida’s New Modified Comparative Negligence Law Could Affect Your Motorcycle Accident Claim
Due to changes in Florida law, the state now uses a modified comparative negligence system. Injury victims who are more than 50% to blame for an accident they are involved in cannot recover compensation from the other party.
Previously, the state used a pure comparative negligence system. This allowed anyone hurt in a personal injury accident the opportunity to seek damages regardless of their percentage of liability, but compensation was reduced in proportion to your blame. If you were 75% responsible for the crash, you could still file a claim against the other driver for the remaining 25% of your damages.
Under the new system, you must only bear 50% or less of the liability to recover damages. This could affect your case, so you should reach out to our law office to find out how.
A Fort Meade Motorcycle Accident Attorney Can Help Determine Liability
Our motorcycle accident attorney serving Fort Meade, FL is here to help you sort out who caused the crash. We may investigate your accident to find evidence of negligence from the other party. Was the other driver texting or talking on the phone? Did the driver fail to yield the right of way to your motorcycle? Was the driver following you too closely? Did the driver attempt to move into your lane without looking?
Numerous scenarios might have played a part. We may also consider other avenues of compensation if it appears other sources may have contributed to the crash, such as the motorcycle tire manufacturer or the other driver’s employer if the driver was on duty at the time.
Statute of Limitations for Motorcycle Accidents
Personal injury victims filing lawsuits for negligence no longer have four years to do so. After changes to some of the personal injury laws in Florida, the statute of limitations for lawsuits based on negligence is just two years from the date of the accident.
Injured motorcyclists or families of deceased riders cannot afford to wait around contemplating legal action. It’s imperative that you contact the Fort Meade motorcycle accident attorney at our firm as quickly as possible to ensure you do not lose your legal right to recover compensation from the at-fault party. Our attorneys can ensure your lawsuit is filed in court before the statute of limitations runs out.
We Can Take Your Motorcycle Accident Case With No Upfront Fees
When you work with a motorcycle accident attorney serving Fort Meade, there are no upfront or out-of-pocket fees to pay. Our law firm takes cases on a contingency fee agreement. We only collect our legal fees if we successfully resolve your claim with financial compensation. It’s our way of eliminating the barriers to justice for injury victims no matter their economic status.
Call Dismuke Law for a Motorcycle Accident Attorney Serving Fort Meade, FL
With Dismuke Law, you have more than 18 years of legal experience and the advantage of a board-certified trial lawyer backing you. We know how to build a court-ready case that demands fair compensation, and we are willing to go all the way to trial to secure a victory for our clients. Call us for a free consultation and get compassionate and responsive legal help from a Fort Meade motorcycle accident lawyer today.