BOCA RATON MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT LAWYER

Representing Injured Motorcyclists in the Boca Raton Area

Motorcycle accident injuries can be devastating, and for far too many victims, they are fatal. It is important to hold negligent drivers accountable for the injuries they cause motorcycle riders. This deters unsafe driving habits, and it can protect other innocent motorcycle riders from being injured in the future. It also protects your legal right to be compensated for the injuries and losses you suffered at the hands of a negligent driver.

The experienced motorcycle accident attorneys at Demand the Limits know how to prove liability and damages in these types of cases. They are highly skilled negotiators who know how to demand fair compensation for all your losses. Call (561) 600-3555 to schedule your free case evaluation.

Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

There are many common causes of auto accidents, such as impairment and distracted driving. In addition to these, there many factors that are specific to motorcycles, and it is important for riders to be aware of them in order to reduce the risk of injury. Tailgating, lane splitting, and improper lane changes are especially dangerous to motorcycle riders. It is already difficult for drivers to see motorcycles, and when you drive aggressively or move quickly, it can be even more difficult for drivers to see and avoid you. This makes it more likely that you will be involved in a motorcycle accident. If you are found to be partly or wholly at fault for causing a motorcycle accident, you will be unable to recover the full value of your losses. This means your legal rights will also be impaired as a result of dangerous riding behaviors.

Distracted Driving in Motorcycle Accidents

Thanks to smartphones, navigation programs, and built-in entertainment systems, Florida drivers are more distracted than ever. This has fatal consequences for far too many motorcycle riders. Motorcycles are already difficult for drivers to see because they are smaller and have less lighting than passenger vehicles. Distracted drivers have even less of a chance to see motorcycle riders. Drivers who allow themselves to be distracted from the road are negligent, and they are legally responsible for compensating injury victims for the losses they cause.

Common Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents

Here are some of the most common injuries our personal injury lawyers see in motorcycle accident cases:

• Head trauma (this can lead to brain damage)
• Trauma to the spinal cord (this can cause paralysis or painful nerve damage)
• Bone fractures
• Degloving of the hand (This involves the skin being literally peeled away from the interior soft tissue and bony structures of the hand. It can lead to painful – and permanent – nerve damage.)
• Road rash

Motorcycle Accidents Cause Severe to Fatal Injuries

Motorcyclists struck by a vehicle could be injured by the crash’s initial impact, by being dragged on the ground by the other vehicle, or by getting thrown off their motorcycles. Because of inadequate protection, motorcyclists often sustain multiple injuries, which can include:

• Soft Tissue Injuries – Severe soft tissue and musculoskeletal injuries, such as torn tendons, ligaments, or muscles, may need extensive surgery and months of rehabilitation to let you partially or fully recover the use of your injured hands, feet, or limbs.

• Road Rash – Motorcyclists that get thrown off their bikes are likely to suffer multiple abrasions, cuts, and bruises. Sometimes, they can be dragged along the road, which can result in degloving injuries, which involve huge skin patches being torn from the underlying tissue. Additionally, profuse bleeding that’s not promptly resolved can make the injured motorcyclist go into shock, which can be deadly.

• Multiple Fractures and Amputation – Your extremities – hands, arms, feet, and legs – can be lacerated, fractured, or crushed in a motorcycle crash. A severe laceration or crushing injury may lead to nerve damage or, in extreme cases, traumatic amputation of the crushed body part. If a limb, hand, or foot is injured beyond repair, you may need surgical amputation.

• Abdominal Injuries – A serious hit to the abdomen can lead to damage to the stomach, bowels, liver, and other internal organs, which can cause multisystem trauma. Severe abdominal injuries can likewise lead to internal bleeding and shock that could be deadly if not addressed promptly.

• Chest Injuries – If you suffer a blow to your chest in a crash, you may sustain a fractured sternum, broken ribs, and injury to vital internal organs, such as the diaphragm, lungs, or heart. A fractured sternum or ribs increases the risk of bones splintering and tearing into your lungs or heart, causing respiratory or cardiac failure.

• Spinal Cord Damage – Severe twisting of your spinal column or a significant hit to your vertebra can damage your spinal cord and lead to loss of function in the area below the injury point. Depending on the severity of the damage, spinal cord injuries (SCIs) can result in partial or complete paralysis, which will necessitate a lifetime of costly medical care.

• Head and Brain Injuries – A hit to your head can lead to a fractured skull, brain hemorrhage, or traumatic brain injury (TBI). You can easily sustain a head or brain injury by hitting your head during a motorcycle crash, even if you are wearing a helmet. Brain injuries can lead to debilitating and permanent loss of cognitive and physical abilities, among other ill effects.

Motorcycle crash injuries can result in significant suffering and pain and will require costly medical treatments, along with months or years of grueling rehabilitation. Sadly, some injured victims may never fully recover and would have to live with permanent disabilities

Why Motorcycle Injuries Are More Likely To Be Fatal

In a collision, motorcycle riders have far less protection than the occupants of the involved vehicles. Steel frames, airbags, seat belts, and other safety features dramatically reduce the severity of injuries a driver or passenger will experience in a collision. Motorcycle riders, on the other hand, are usually forced to accept the full force of the impact directly on their body. Helmets drastically improve survival rates by absorbing some of the impact that would otherwise go to the brain, but most riders are left otherwise unprotected. Riding leathers offer little – but not much – protection from the pain of road rash. They cannot protect you from broken bones, nerve damage, and other traumatic injuries.

How Helmet Use Affects Your Liability

Some insurance companies try to claim that a motorcycle rider who wasn’t wearing a helmet is partially at fault for causing his or her own injuries. This is a weak defense to a motorcycle injury claim, and our attorneys know how to fight back against these underhanded tactics. The fact remains that driver or rider negligence is the primary cause of almost all motorcycle accidents. Defendants are rarely – if ever – able to prove that the plaintiff’s failure to wear a helmet exacerbated his or her own injuries. Even if this is proven in court, the defendant must still provide expert testimony to establish exactly how much worse the injuries were due to a lack of helmet use, and exactly how much this added to the plaintiff’s medical bills. It is rare for any defendant to be able to do this successfully.

Your Losses After a Motorcycle Accident

There are many different losses – both financial and intangible – that you will suffer after a motorcycle accident. These include medical bills, projected future medical expenses, lost wages, any decrease to your future earning capacity, pain and suffering, property damage, and any other losses that were directly related to the accident. Pain and suffering is a subjective factor that varies from person to person. It is difficult to calculate with certainty, and because of this, insurance companies are known to challenge it and make lowball settlement offers. Our attorneys know how to demand fair compensation for the pain and suffering you experience as a result of a motorcycle accident.

Wrongful Death Claims for Surviving Family Members

Tragically, motorcycle accident injuries are fatal for far too many victims. Surviving family members have the statutory right to sue a negligent driver for wrongful death. Florida’s Wrongful Death Act determines who has the right to sue for wrongful death, what the statute of limitations is, what damages can be recovered, and other important issues surrounding wrongful death claims. It is important for surviving family members to work with a personal injury lawyer who has specific experience handling wrongful death claims in motorcycle accident cases.

Experienced, Aggressive Boca Raton Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

The effects of a motorcycle accident can haunt injury victims and their families for years to come. You don’t have to pay for another person’s negligence, and you don’t have to fight the insurance companies alone. Let the experienced motorcycle accident lawyers at Demand The Limits fight for your legal rights so you can focus on making the best recovery possible. Call (561) 600-3555 or visit our website to schedule your free case evaluation.