If you suffered injuries in an accident while riding a motorcycle, you may be entitled to compensation. Since motorcycles are not enclosed like cars and trucks and do not have seatbelts and airbags, riders have little to protect them in the event of a crash. Even if a person on a motorcycle is wearing a helmet to provide protection from head injuries, the individual can be thrown from the vehicle and can suffer other forms of harm. This includes broken bones, back injuries, and lacerations. A person on a motorcycle may even lose a limb or become paralyzed.
You may be unable to work, perform common household activities, and care for your children. Without your income, your family may be struggling to make ends meet. Those sudden and dramatic changes may be straining your relationship with your spouse. Your children may not fully comprehend the situation and may be worried and frightened.
A Tallahassee motorcycle accident lawyer may be able to help you pursue a settlement to compensate you for your losses. Ben Crump Law, PLLC represents clients in Florida and across the United States in personal injury cases.
Call our office today at 800-959-1444 to speak with a member of our staff.
Our Team Can Investigate the Crash and Its Consequences
The staff at Ben Crump Law, PLLC can work to figure out who was liable for the accident. We can start by reviewing the police report to find out if the other driver was cited for speeding, using a cellphone while driving, or another traffic violation. We can interview you and any eyewitnesses and review surveillance or cellphone video of the collision if any exists.
We can also review your medical records to understand the injuries you suffered in the accident, the treatments you have already received, the types of care you may need in the future, and how the crash has affected and will continue to affect your ability to work and your quality of life. It is essential that we fully evaluate all those factors so we can pursue a settlement that will fairly compensate you for your past and future medical expenses, loss of income, reduction or loss of future earning capacity, and pain and suffering.
For a free legal consultation with a motorcycle accidents lawyer serving Tallahassee, call 800-924-3113
Seeking Justice After a Motorcycle Accident
Under Florida Statute 627.736, all drivers are required to have personal injury protection coverage and to pursue compensation via their own insurance policy if they are injured in an accident, no matter who was at fault. If someone is seriously injured and meets criteria laid out in Florida Statute 627.737, however, that individual may file a personal injury lawsuit to seek additional compensation.
PIP can cover medical costs and lost income, up to a policy’s limit. A personal injury lawsuit can pay for additional medical expenses and lost wages, in addition to pain and suffering. If your losses exceed your PIP coverage limits, we may file a personal injury lawsuit against the person who was liable for the crash.
Tallahassee Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Near Me 800-924-3113
How Your Actions May Affect a Potential Settlement
In many cases, an investigation reveals that multiple factors contributed to a collision and that more than one person was responsible. For example, the other driver may have been speeding, but you may have suffered severe injuries in part because you were not wearing a helmet. Under Florida Statute 316.211, a person who is riding a motorcycle is not legally required to wear a helmet if the individual is over 21 years old and is covered by an insurance policy with a minimum of $10,000 in coverage for medical benefits.
Many states have comparative negligence laws that are designed to allow victims to pursue a financial award in those types of circumstances. Florida follows a pure comparative negligence system. That means that you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries even if your actions were mostly responsible for the accident.
The amount of money you would have been entitled to can be reduced by a percentage to reflect your level of liability for the accident. For example, if you were entitled to $100,000 in compensation, but you are found to have been 60 percent liable for the collision, your award can be reduced by 60 percent, or $60,000, and you can receive $40,000 in compensation for your losses.
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Reasons to Retain a Personal Injury Attorney
People who are hurt in motor vehicle accidents sometimes do not hire an attorney to seek compensation because they think they could not afford the legal fees. Instead, they may simply accept an offer from an insurance company.
Victims of personal injuries often greatly underestimate their total losses, including medical care, lost income, and pain and suffering. They may think that an insurance company’s offer is fair, when they may, in fact, be entitled to a much higher amount of compensation. The team at Ben Crump Law, PLLC represents many clients in cases similar to yours. We can work to accurately assess the full scope of your losses and seek a fair settlement. We can negotiate with an insurance company, and if the insurance adjuster refuses to offer a fair settlement, we will take your case to trial.
Our firm operates on contingency. That means that if you ask us to represent you, you will not have to pay us any money unless we obtain compensation for you. Call today for your free consultation with Tallahassee personal injury lawyers from our team.
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Connect with a Tallahassee Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
The law limits the amount of time you have to seek compensation for your personal injuries. According to Florida Statute 95.11, victims of personal injuries usually have four years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit based on a claim related to another party’s negligence.
While four years may seem like plenty of time to act, the truth is that investigating a motor vehicle crash is often a difficult and time-consuming process. Multiple factors may have caused the accident, and more than one driver may be liable. Different parties may give differing accounts of what happened. It may take our team several months to sort it all out.
In many instances, we can negotiate a fair settlement for a client without going to court. In some cases, however, negotiations do not lead to an offer that we believe would fairly compensate someone who suffered serious injuries. We may then decide to take a case to trial to pursue a just award. That may lead to a higher settlement for a client, but it can also significantly lengthen the overall process. In the meantime, the client can continue to have bills pile up and may be unable to work.
The sooner you contact us, the sooner we will be able to begin gathering and reviewing evidence. Call Ben Crump Law, PLLC today at 800-959-1444 to speak with a member of our team.
Call or text 800-924-3113 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
