According to a study published by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to suffer fatalities in a traffic accident than automobile drivers. Motorcyclists are also four times more likely to suffer an injury than auto drivers.
Faced with these risks, motorcyclists must take every opportunity to reduce their chances of getting into a motorcycle accident. They must also take steps to protect themselves from injuries if they do get hit.
Read on for some motorcycle safety tips and how you can seek injury compensation after a motorcycle accident in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers for a free initial consultation with a top-rated attorney by calling (954) 287-0566.
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How Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in Fort Lauderdale
Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers has a long history of helping motorcycle accident victims in Fort Lauderdale. The firm’s lead lawyer has over 28 years of experience fighting insurance companies and at-fault drivers for fair compensation after a crash.
The firm’s Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident attorneys have recovered tens of millions of dollars in injury compensation, including:
- $4.3 million truck accident settlement for a spinal cord injury victim
- $2.4 million car accident settlement for a fatal injury
- $3.85 million forklift accident settlement
Hollander Law Firm can help with your compensation claim by:
- Taking care of all the communications, negotiations, and paperwork regarding your case while you focus on your recovery
- Internally investigating your case to collect evidence and nail down the full extent of your damages
- Hiring experts who can strengthen your claim and testify on your behalf at trial if need be
When you get into a motorcycle crash in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, you could face enormous medical costs and have no way to pay them. To discuss your motorcycle accident and the compensation you can seek for your injuries, contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
How Common Are Motorcycle Accidents in Fort Lauderdale?
Motorcycle accidents happen more frequently in Fort Lauderdale than in the rest of Florida. According to the Florida Crash Dashboard, Florida had 8,648 motorcycle crashes in 2021, resulting in 620 fatalities. That same year, Fort Lauderdale had 179 motorcycle accidents that caused four deaths.
Using these numbers, Florida had a motorcycle crash rate of 39.7 crashes per 100,000 residents. Fort Lauderdale had a motorcycle crash rate of 98.5 crashes per 100,000 residents. Motorcyclists in Fort Lauderdale were nearly 2.5 times more likely to crash their motorcycles than motorcyclists in the rest of Florida.
On the other hand, crashes in Fort Lauderdale tended to cause slightly fewer deaths than crashes elsewhere in the state. Florida’s motorcycle death rate was 2.85 deaths per 100,000 residents, while Fort Lauderdale had 2.20 motorcycle deaths per 100,000 residents.
Overview of Motorcycle Safety Tips in Fort Lauderdale
Motorcycle accidents happen for many reasons. Fortunately, motorcyclists can take steps to reduce the risk from most of these causes. Some steps that can improve motorcyclist safety include:
Stay Visible
Motorcycles can disappear from a driver’s view. A motorist might only check their mirrors or only briefly glance into their blind spot. Due to their improper lookout, these drivers can miss a motorcyclist in their blind spot.
When the driver changes lanes, they can move into the motorcyclist, causing a sideswipe collision. For cars, sideswipe collisions often cause no injuries or only minor injuries. But for a motorcyclist, a sideswipe collision can be catastrophic.
The motorcyclist could tip over and go into a slide after getting hit from the side. On a busy road, this could put the motorcyclist on the road directly in the path of oncoming traffic.
The driver bears liability for this type of accident. But a motorcyclist can reduce the odds of a lane change accident by staying out of drivers’ blind spots and riding a bit ahead or behind cars in the next lane. This gives the driver a better chance of seeing the motorcyclist and more space to change lanes.
Exercise Caution at Intersections
One of the most common causes of accidents in Florida is a failure to yield the right of way at intersections. This problem gets magnified for motorcyclists because drivers often have a difficult time judging the distance and speed of a motorcycle. As a result, drivers may:
- Turn left across a motorcycle’s path
- Turn right into a motorcycle’s path
- Enter an intersection out of turn
Intersection accidents are particularly dangerous for motorcyclists. A side-impact collision can crush a motorcyclist’s leg. It can also cause the motorcyclist to fly off the motorcycle and suffer head, neck, and back injuries.
Motorcyclists cannot eliminate the risk of intersection accidents caused by careless drivers. But they can reduce the odds of an intersection accident by slowing down and leaving an escape route if a driver fails to yield to the motorcyclist.
Wear a Helmet
Helmets reduce your chances of death by up to 37% and your odds of a head injury by up to 69%. Since careless, distracted, and intoxicated drivers can hit you at any time, a helmet can save your life and health.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
A motorcycle accident will cause serious injuries even if you ride safely. To discuss the compensation you can seek for your motorcycle accident injuries, contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers for a free consultation.
