Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
A driver who turns across a motorcycle on East Broward Boulevard or drifts into its lane on U.S. 1 can leave the rider almost no room to avoid a collision.
The result may be surgery, months away from work, permanent pain, or uncertainty about whether life will return to what it was before the crash.
A Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyer at Hollander Law Firm can help you understand who may be responsible, preserve the evidence that matters, and pursue a claim for the losses the crash has caused.
Since 1996, Hollander Law Firm has represented people who have been seriously injured throughout South Florida. When a motorcycle crash leaves you with major injuries and unanswered questions, our goal is to help you understand what happened, who may be responsible, and what legal options you have for moving forward.
Gregg Hollander brings decades of experience to that process, giving injured riders a steady, informed advocate at a time when the road ahead may feel uncertain.
Contact Hollander Law Firm online or dial (561) 347-7770 today for a free consultation.
What Causes Motorcycle Accidents in Fort Lauderdale?
Motorcycle accidents in Fort Lauderdale can occur on crowded downtown streets, on busy corridors such as U.S. 1, near The Galleria at Fort Lauderdale, or on higher-speed roads like I-95 and I-595.
The circumstances vary widely, but the following are some of the most common causes we see in motorcycle injury cases.
- Drivers turning left across a motorcycle’s path. Left-turn crashes often happen when a driver enters an intersection or driveway and crosses in front of an approaching motorcycle.
- Unsafe lane changes and merging. A driver who changes lanes or merges without checking carefully can move directly into a motorcyclist’s path.
- Following too closely. Motorcycles can slow more quickly than larger vehicles, leaving little margin for a driver who is following too closely. A rear-end impact may throw the rider into another vehicle, onto the pavement, or into an active traffic lane.
- Speeding. Excessive speed reduces the time a driver has to recognize and react to a motorcycle. It can also increase the force of impact, making an otherwise avoidable collision far more severe.
- Distracted driving. A driver who is texting, using navigation, adjusting controls, or otherwise taking attention away from the road may fail to notice a motorcycle until it is too late. Even a brief lapse in attention can be critical when a rider is approaching an intersection or traveling alongside another vehicle.
- Impaired driving. Alcohol and drugs can affect judgment, reaction time, vision, and vehicle control. An impaired driver may misjudge a motorcycle’s speed or distance, drift from a lane, fail to yield, or react too slowly to avoid a crash.
At Hollander Law Firm Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice Lawyers, we know how to identify the issues that often determine why a motorcycle crash occurred. Gregg Hollander can evaluate the facts, assess competing accounts, and determine whether another party’s negligence caused the collision.
What Florida Motorcycle Laws Can Affect My Case?
Several Florida motorcycle laws can affect how fault, injuries, and insurance coverage are evaluated after a crash.
Lane Use
Florida law gives motorcyclists the right to use a full traffic lane. It also generally prohibits riding between lanes of traffic or passing another vehicle within the same lane.
These rules can matter when the other driver claims the motorcyclist was riding improperly or contributed to the collision. The positions of both vehicles may be an important factor in determining fault.
Helmet and Eye Protection
Florida generally requires motorcycle riders to wear approved eye protection. Riders over age 21 may ride without a helmet if they carry at least $10,000 in medical benefits coverage for injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash.
Not wearing a helmet does not by itself establish who caused the collision. However, in a case involving a head injury, helmet use may implicate Florida’s comparative negligence rules if the defense can show that failing to wear one contributed to the extent of the injury.
What Do I Need to Do to Prove My Motorcycle Accident Claim?
To recover compensation after a motorcycle crash, you need to prove that another party owed you a duty of care, breached that duty, caused the collision, and left you with measurable losses.
The real issue is showing how those four elements connect to the facts of your crash. Each part of the case needs support from evidence strong enough to address disputes over fault, causation, and damages.
Duty
Drivers owe other road users a duty to use reasonable care and comply with traffic laws intended to prevent collisions. That includes respecting a motorcyclist’s lawful use of a lane, yielding when required, maintaining a reasonable following distance, and making sure a lane is clear before moving into it.
Breach of Duty
A breach occurs when a driver fails to act with the level of care the situation requires. In a motorcycle crash, that may mean turning across the rider’s path, changing lanes without making sure the lane is clear, following too closely, speeding, or failing to stop when required.
The key question is whether the driver’s conduct fell below what a reasonably careful driver should have done under the same circumstances.
Causation
Causation is often one of the hardest parts of a motorcycle accident claim to prove. It is not enough to show that another driver acted negligently. You also need to establish that the breach caused the injuries for which you are seeking compensation.
That connection may be supported by several types of evidence:
- Medical records and diagnostic imaging. Emergency records, MRIs, CT scans, X-rays, and surgical findings can document injuries shortly after the crash and help show that they are consistent with the trauma involved.
- Prior medical records. Earlier records can establish your condition before the accident and help distinguish a new injury from a preexisting condition that the crash aggravated or made worse.
- Accident reconstruction evidence. Vehicle movement, speed, impact direction, and the sequence of the collision can help explain the forces placed on the rider’s body.
- Vehicle and scene evidence. Damage patterns, photographs, debris, skid marks, and final vehicle positions can help corroborate how the impact occurred and the mechanics of the rider’s injuries.
Gregg Hollander can help develop the medical causation evidence needed to connect the crash to your injuries. When necessary, that may include working with treating physicians or medical experts to explain how the collision caused or worsened the injury.
Damages
To bring a motorcycle accident claim, you must have suffered injuries or other losses as a result of the collision. Those damages may be immediate, such as emergency treatment and missed work, or continue long after the crash if the injury causes permanent limitations or future medical needs.
Recoverable damages may include:
- Medical expenses. Hospital care, surgery, rehabilitation, medication, follow-up treatment, and reasonably expected future medical care.
- Lost income. You can recover wages and other earnings you lost while you are unable to work because of your injuries.
- Reduced earning capacity. Compensation may be available when a lasting injury limits your ability to perform the same work or earn at the same level in the future.
- Pain and suffering. Serious injuries may support compensation for physical pain, emotional distress, and the disruption the injury causes in daily life.
- Disability and disfigurement. Permanent physical limitations, scarring, or other lasting changes may increase the damages available.
- Loss of enjoyment of life. Compensation may account for the effect an injury has on activities, independence, and parts of life you can no longer participate in as you did before.
- Property damage. The cost of repairing or replacing the motorcycle and other damaged property may also be recoverable.
The value of these damages depends on the severity of the injury, the length of recovery, the medical prognosis, and how significantly the crash affects your work and everyday life.
Why Should I Hire Hollander Law Firm?
Serious motorcycle cases call for a Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident attorney who understands both the legal issues and the consequences a major injury can have on your life:
- Decades of experience. Hollander Law Firm has represented injured people in South Florida since 1996, giving us longstanding experience with serious personal injury claims.
- Trial experience. We have obtained recoveries through both negotiated settlements and jury verdicts, so a motorcycle case can be prepared for litigation when a fair resolution is not reached.
- Proven results. Hollander Law Firm has recovered millions of dollars for injured clients in South Florida. Those results reflect years of handling cases involving significant injuries and substantial losses.
Hollander Law Firm combines that experience with a personal approach to representation, giving injured riders a lawyer who understands the local legal landscape and knows what serious motorcycle cases demand.
FAQs
What Are Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries?
Motorcycle riders have little protection from the force of a collision, so injuries can be severe even when the crash occurs at a relatively low speed.
Common injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries. Concussions, brain bleeding, and other head injuries can affect memory, concentration, balance, mood, and the ability to work or live independently.
- Spinal cord and back injuries. Damage to the spinal cord, vertebrae, or discs may cause chronic pain, weakness, loss of sensation, or partial or complete paralysis.
- Broken bones. Fractures of the arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, wrists, and shoulders are common when a rider is struck by a vehicle or thrown from the motorcycle. Complex fractures may require surgery, hardware, and lengthy rehabilitation.
- Internal injuries. Blunt-force trauma can damage the lungs, liver, spleen, kidneys, or other internal organs. Some of these injuries require emergency surgery and may not be immediately obvious at the scene.
- Nerve damage. Trauma to the neck, spine, arms, or legs can injure nerves and cause numbness, weakness, burning pain, or loss of function that may persist long after other injuries heal.
- Amputations and crush injuries. A rider’s arm or leg can become trapped beneath a motorcycle or another vehicle, causing extensive tissue damage or, in the most serious cases, the loss of a limb.
- Facial and dental injuries. Impact with the roadway, another vehicle, or debris can cause facial fractures, eye injuries, dental damage, and permanent scarring.
Prompt medical care is important after a motorcycle crash. Seeing a doctor creates an early medical record of your symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, which can later help connect the injury to the collision if causation is disputed.
What If I Am Partially Responsible for the Motorcycle Accident?
Florida follows a modified comparative negligence rule. If you are partly responsible for the crash, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you are found 20% responsible, your damages are reduced by 20%.
If you are found more than 50% responsible, you generally cannot recover damages from the other party.
An experienced lawyer can help challenge efforts to place an unfair share of fault on you and protect the portion of the claim that the evidence supports.
How Long Do I Have to Bring a Motorcycle Accident Claim in Florida?
Florida’s statute of limitations gives you two years to file a lawsuit arising from a motorcycle crash. Missing the applicable deadline can prevent the claim from proceeding, regardless of how serious the injuries are.
The legal deadline is not the only reason timing matters. Video may be overwritten, vehicles may be repaired or sold, physical evidence can change, and witnesses can become more difficult to locate. Preserving that evidence can be especially important when fault is contested.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Florida Motorcycle Accident Lawyer?
Hollander Law Firm handles personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so you do not pay an attorney fee upfront. The firm receives its attorney’s fee upon successful resolution of a case, subject to the terms of the written fee agreement.
That arrangement recognizes the financial strain that can follow a severe motorcycle injury. Medical expenses and missed income may already be affecting your household, and paying hourly legal fees should not become another obstacle to having your rights evaluated.
Get Clear on What Comes Next with a Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Attorney
A serious motorcycle crash can leave you facing decisions about treatment, work, insurance, and your financial future before you have had time to understand the full extent of your injuries. You do not need to have all the answers before speaking with a Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyer.
Hollander Law Firm can help you understand your rights, what compensation may be available, and which steps make sense given the circumstances of your crash. Our goal is to give you clear answers and experienced legal support while you focus on your recovery.
Contact our Fort Lauderdale office online or call (561) 347-7770 today to schedule a free consultation and talk through what happened. We are here to help you understand where you stand and what options you have for moving forward.
Legal References Used to Inform This Page
To ensure the accuracy and clarity of this page, we referenced official legal and other resources during the content development process:
- Limitations other than for the recovery of real property, Fla. Stat. § 95.11.
- Comparative fault, Fla. Stat. § 768.81.
- Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic, Fla. Stat. § 316.209.
- Equipment for motorcycle and moped riders, Fla. Stat. § 316.211.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office In Fort Lauderdale, FL
Hollander Law Firm Personal Injury & Medical Malpractice Lawyers
1975 E Sunrise Blvd Suite# 702
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304
Phone: 561-347-7770
Hours: Open 24 hours daily
Free no-obligation consultation!