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With year-round sunshine and plenty of beautiful sites to see, Florida regularly ranks among the most popular states to ride a motorcycle.
Pinellas County is a natural draw for many of these riders, and frequently lands the county among the most dangerous for motorcyclists.
Unfortunately, when a motorcyclist becomes injured in an accident that someone else’s carelessness or recklessness caused, they are often victimized again by the popular opinion in many circles that motorcyclists somehow deserve the injuries because they chose a less-safe method of transportation.
If a motorcycle accident injured you, you will not experience this attitude from the legal team at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys.
Instead, you will receive compassion and genuine interest from us to ensure our Clearwater motorcycle accident lawyers answer your legal questions and provide the legal assistance you need to pursue the maximum amount of compensation available to you.
Contact our law firm today to discuss your case with one of our experienced Clearwater personal injury lawyers.
In Clearwater, motorcycle accidents often result from drivers who are not from the area and don’t know the local roads. These visitors are often on vacation, aren’t careful with their driving, and may attempt to drive while distracted or intoxicated.
Other common causes of Clearwater motorcycle accidents include:
More than 5,000 people die each year in the U.S. because of injuries sustained in motorcycle accidents, and motorcyclists are 29 times more likely to die as a result of an accident than the occupants of passenger cars due to the lack of protection and stability provided by the motorcycle. Traumatic brain injuries are the most common motorcycle injury to result in death.
Even if the rider survives, this type of injury is known as a catastrophic injury due to its likelihood of producing permanent disabilities that will prevent them from being able to earn an income.
While traumatic brain injuries are the most common fatal injuries to arise from motorcycle accidents, road rash is one of the most common injuries for a rider to suffer. Road rash is a type of skin abrasion that occurs when the skin makes contact with a rough surface such as asphalt and is the reason riders focus on purchasing gear to cover and protect their skin when riding.
Other common injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents include:
If a motorcycle accident injured you because of someone else’s negligence, you could seek compensation for the expenses and impacts of your injury through a personal injury claim. This process generally begins when your attorney submits a demand package to the at-fault party’s insurance provider.
The package contains details of the accident, documentation of expenses, and a demand for the value of the motorcycle claim. This generally results in the onset of settlement negotiations, which occur when the insurer admits to the liability of the insured but offers to pay a lesser amount of compensation than was demanded. Your attorney will counter-offer to seek an amount closer to the claim’s value, and this process will continue until both sides come to a place where they can accept the offer on the table or a decision is reached in court.
A Clearwater motorcycle accident lawsuit must be filed in court within Florida’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims, which is usually four years from the date on which the accident occurred. While your attorney and the Perenich Law legal team continue settlement negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurer, they will also prepare your court case if an adequate settlement agreement does not arrive before your trial date.
These court preparations include gathering the evidence and witness testimony to prove your claim, creating exhibits, arranging for expert witnesses, and filing motions in your legal claim.
Once an agreement has been reached, your attorney can assist you in collecting your court award or settlement.
Contact Perenich Law Injury Attorneys today to get started.
Drivers of passenger cars or commercial vehicles are often the sources of liability in motorcycle accidents in Clearwater. Other potential sources of liability include the manufacturer of parts on the motorcycle or other vehicles that were defective and factored into the accident’s cause as well as the entity tasked with maintaining roadways if the accident was a result of a roadway defect.
To prove who was liable for causing your accident, you must be able to prove:
If you are injured in a motorcycle accident, Florida allows you the right to use its civil court system if necessary to seek compensation for the expenses and impacts of your injury.
Clearwater motorcycle accident claims often seek compensation for:
Motorcycle accidents can be confusing, and our Clearwater motorcycle accident clients often have questions about the process. Here are answers to the general questions we are most often asked about seeking compensation after a motorcycle accident.
You could still seek compensation for your injuries. However, your age determines how much not wearing a helmet affects the value of your claim. In Florida, individuals who are under 21 and licensed to operate a motorcycle must wear a helmet. Riders and passengers over the age of 21 must either wear a helmet or provide proof of financial responsibility for injuries incurred. This proof is generally satisfied by the presence of a health insurance policy that can help you afford the expenses.
Because riders under 21 are required to wear a helmet, if you are in this affected age range and suffered injuries to the head that likely would not have occurred if you had been obeying the law, the at-fault party’s insurance provider can be exempt from covering expenses and impacts related to that injury. However, they can still be responsible for other injuries you sustained.
If you are over 21 and have proof of an insurance policy that can provide medical expense benefits, you are not in violation of the law and the at-fault party can be found liable for all expenses and impacts associated with your injury.
Family members of individuals who have died as a result of someone else’s negligence can seek compensation for the financial and psychological losses they incurred as a result of the death through a wrongful death lawsuit. This legal claim must be filed within two years of the date on which the death occurred.
Family members can seek compensation for expenses and impacts such as:
For the most part, no. The IRS does not consider personal injury settlements and awards income.
However:
No. Having a motorcycle accident lawyer to assist you is one of the most important things you can do to increase the likelihood of a positive outcome to your claim.
Because having access to legal counsel is so important, the legal team at Perenich Law Injury Attorneys offers:
Let our Clearwater motorcycle accident lawyers help you understand the process of obtaining compensation for the injuries you incurred in a motorcycle accident. For your free case evaluation, contact us online or by calling (727) 669-2828.
Perenich Law Injury Attorneys
Address: 25749 US Highway 19 N Suite 200, Clearwater, FL 33763
Phone: (727) 669-2828