Motorcycle accident cases shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you were injured in a motorcycle accident in St. Petersburg, Florida, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries, lost wages, and pain and suffering. However, you may need a skilled St. Petersburg motorcycle accident lawyer who will give your case top priority.
At Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys, our award-winning legal team has more than 25 years of collective legal experience to put behind your case. Since 2018, we’ve recovered millions of dollars in financial awards for victims whose lives were turned upside-down by tragic accidents like yours.
For more information on how a St. Petersburg motorcycle accident lawyer can help you, give us a call and continue reading below to discover some helpful information.
How Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in St. Petersburg
Motorcycle accidents can cause devastating physical injuries and turn your life upside down. Your number one priority is getting better – not worrying about whether your medical bills will be paid or how you’re going to deal with lost wages.
Trusting our compassionate legal team with your case will allow you to take the time you need to recover. In the meantime, we’ll fight for the fair compensation you deserve. Our experienced motorcycle accident attorneys in St. Petersburg will:
- Conduct a comprehensive, independent investigation of your motorcycle crash
- Locate and interview witnesses and collect other evidence to support your motorcycle accident claim for damages
- Hire experts such as an accident reconstructionist, medical professional, and economists to support your case
- Calculate your damages to reflect the maximum possible financial award
- Handle all communications and negotiations with insurance companies
- Send a motorcycle accident attorney to advocate for you in court, if necessary
We won’t let an insurance company take advantage of you. We’ll stand up for you when you’re being unfairly blamed, and we won’t let them get away with lowball offers. Call today to learn how we can help. Your initial consultation is completely free, and you won’t owe us a dime if we don’t recover a financial award for you.
How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in St. Petersburg, Florida?
There were 432 motorcycle crashes in Pinellas County in one recent year—that’s at least one a day. From those crashes, 27 people lost their lives. Compared to the previous year, that’s a 5% increase in crashes and a staggering 50% increase in deaths from motorcycle accidents.
Furthermore, through April 2022, there have already been over a 100 motorcycle wrecks, resulting in eight fatalities. And motorcycle crashes in 2021 made up about 2.6% of all vehicle accidents in Pinellas County but accounted for roughly 17% of all traffic deaths.
What Is My Motorcycle Accident Case Worth?
Each case is unique. Unfortunately, motorcycle accidents do often result in serious injuries or death – and those are generally the types of cases that tend to have higher awards. Some factors that affect the value of your claim include:
- The severity of your injuries
- How long were you out of work as a result of your accident
- Whether you suffered a permanent disability
- Whether you were partially at fault for the accident
- The extent of emotional trauma you suffered
- Coverage limits on insurance policies
Insurance companies will try all kinds of tactics to get out of paying you the money you need to get back on your feet. We have a track record of success when it comes to fighting back and maximizing the value of the financial awards for our clients.
What Kinds of Damages Are Available to Motorcycle Accident Victims?
Most motorcycle accident victims can seek economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages compensate you for monetary losses related to:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages (and diminished future earning capacity)
- Home medical equipment
- Physical or occupational therapy
- Modifications to your home or vehicle to accommodate a disability caused by your accident
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses related to your accident
Often referred to as pain and suffering, non-economic damages compensate you for:
- Physical pain
- PTSD, anxiety, or depression
- Inconvenience
- Disfigurement
- Loss of enjoyment of life activities
- Loss of consortium
Non-economic damages are generally things that affect your quality of life and don’t have a specific dollar value. In rare cases, punitive damages may be available. Punitive damages seek to punish the defendant for behavior that shows disregard for human life. The amount can vary, but they’re usually some multiplier of your compensatory award.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Motorcycle Accident in Florida?
Maybe. Being 50% or less at fault won’t completely bar you from being able to recover compensation. That’s because Florida follows a modified comparative fault rule regarding sharing liability.
As long as you are 50% or less at fault for the accident, you can still receive some compensation. However, your compensation will be reduced by the proportion of the accident caused by your own negligence. If your level of responsibility exceeds 50%, you’ll be unable to receive compensation from the other party.
We’ll Fight for Compensation for All of Your Motorcycle Accident Injuries
If someone else caused you to get hurt, they should be made to pay you fair compensation for all of your injuries. No matter if your injuries are mild or severe, you shouldn’t be on the hook financially. We routinely recover compensation for victims who sustained:
- Traumatic brain injuries and other head injuries
- Broken bones
- Spinal cord injuries
- Amputations
- Road rash
- Lacerations
- Internal injuries
- Paralysis
- Wrongful death of a loved one
We know that recovering from an accident is often a long and challenging process. We do everything we can to help ease your worries about finances so that you can focus on getting better.
What Causes Most Motorcycle Accidents in St. Petersburg, Florida?
Many car and truck drivers aren’t in the habit of looking for motorcycles. Motorcycles aren’t as easy to see in blind spots as cars, and drivers often misjudge distances when turning in front of motorcycles. Some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Aggressive driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Mechanical failure
- Following too closely
- Speeding
- Lane splitting
- Improper left-turns
- Poorly maintained roads
- Traffic light malfunction
Many accidents have multiple causes. Determining all contributing causes and any shared responsibility is essential. Our experience in handling motorcycle accidents—along with our reliable network of trusted experts—ensures that you’ll be in the best possible position to get the most out of your case.
What is Negligence, and How Do I Prove it in a Motorcycle Accident Case in Florida?
Most personal injury claims, including those related to motorcycle accidents, are based on negligence. Even if it seems clear who’s at fault for the accident, you must meet certain legal standards if you want to win your case.
What is Negligence?
Negligence is a legal theory that requires people to act reasonably under the circumstances—and holds them financially accountable when they fail to do so.
Negligence has four elements:
- Duty: the defendant owed you a duty of care
- Breach: the defendant breached the duty of care
- Causation: the defendant’s actions caused your harm
- Damages: you suffered injuries as a result of the defendant’s conduct
To win your case, you must prove each element by a preponderance of the evidence. That’s a less stringent standard than the one required for criminal cases.
How Do I Prove Negligence?
Some types of evidence that can be used to prove negligence are:
- Your own testimony
- Video footage from traffic or dashboard cameras
- Police reports
- Toxicology reports
- Testimony or reports from experts
- Medical records
- Eyewitness testimony
- Maintenance records
Our battle-tested attorneys get every piece of evidence they need to put your best case before a judge or jury. Sometimes the insurance company sees the writing on the wall and offers a fair settlement rather than face us in court. But if not, we’re always prepared to take your case to trial.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Motorcycle Accident in Florida?
In most cases, you’ll have two years. While there are some exceptions (such as if a government entity was involved), that’s the statute of limitations for most personal injury lawsuits in Florida.
This deadline used to provide four years to file a negligence claim in Florida. However, it was shortened by an update in the law on March 24, 2023. Thus, if your St. Petersburg motorcycle crash occurred after that time, you’ll need to follow the two-year limitation.
If you lost a loved one, you’ll have two years from their date of death to file a wrongful death lawsuit. Don’t risk missing a deadline. You won’t have another opportunity to hold responsible parties accountable and get the money you deserve. Call our St. Petersburg motorcycle accident attorneys today for a free case evaluation.
Our Trusted St. Petersburg Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Are Here to Help
If you were hurt, or if you lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident in the Tampa Bay area, call today to get our skilled St. Petersburg motorcycle accident lawyers on your side. We fight tirelessly to get you every penny you deserve.
You can count on us to get started working on your case right away, keep you informed of all case updates and decisions, and do everything we can to get your case resolved with the maximum benefit to you. We’ve recovered millions of dollars for countless clients over the years. You deserve an attorney who will not back down from tough insurance companies – that’s why you should call Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys today. Call or contact us online now for your free consultation.
Visit Our Personal Injury Office in St. Petersburg, FL
Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys
700 7th Ave N Suite B St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 933-0015
We are available 24/7 to take your call; contact us today.
Our personal injury law firm in St. Petersburg, FL also provides:
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Highly Rated Motorcycle Repair Shops Near Us
- Tonys Bike Shop – 19 21st St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33713, United States
- Gorilla Tek Motorsports – 3601 Tyrone Blvd N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710
- Proven Power Cycles LLC – 3127 Tyrone Blvd N, St. Petersburg, FL 33710
- St Pete Motorbikes – 4601 49th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33709
- County Cycles Inc. – 3411 Cypress Terrace, Pinellas Park, FL 33781, United States
*Disclaimer – we do not endorse these companies or profit from having them listed on our website.
Motorcycle Accident Resources
- Motorcycle Safety
- Motorcycle Rider Education & Endorsements
- Florida Statutes on Motor Vehicles and Financial Responsibility
- Motorcycle Crash Statistics
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