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Tampa Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
There are more than 8 million registered motorcycles in the United States, and they are used by hobbyists and people depend on motorcycles as means to get around. What they all have in common is that they are more exposed on the road compared to car drivers. Motorcycle riders are more likely to suffer catastrophic injuries in an accident simply because they have no metal cover protecting them like car drivers. It doesn’t matter how responsible you are as a motorcycle rider because just the fact that your motorcycle is smaller than other vehicles, makes it hard for other drivers to see it. This heightens the chances of you getting involved in an accident. You need to contact an experienced Tampa motorcycle accident lawyer if you or a family member has been injured in a motorcycle accident.
Motorcycle Accidents Are Deadly
Half of the accidents involving a motorcycle colliding with car usually take place at intersections. These accidents often happen at intersections when a vehicle pulls out from a drive way or side street, or when a vehicle turns in front of you. Riders need to slow down at intersections but drivers should also keep a keen eye on the road. When you collide with a vehicle, the impact could send you and your motorcycle flying in the air but the car may just have a dent on it. In fact, motorcycle riders are about 28 times as likely as passenger car occupants to die in a motor vehicle traffic crash according to the data from the NHTSA.
Determining The Liable Party
A person who behaves in a thoughtless or careless manner and causes injury because of that behavior is considered negligent. For example, a drunk driver that hits a motorcycle and causes injury is a negligent party and can be held liable for the accident. As a matter of fact, about 50 percent of all fatal single-vehicle crashes involve alcohol. The reason why drunk drivers are more likely to cause accidents than sober drivers is because their reflexes are slower and that means it is more difficult for them to counter-steer or swerve effectively.
Drivers that drive while intoxicated cannot be compensated for their injuries if they get into an accident. In some case the motorcyclist is partly to blame for an accident because of speeding or for other reasons. If this is the case, the motorcyclist will not get the full compensation they would have gotten had they not been partly to blame for the accident. For example, a motorcyclist that is 20% to blame for an injury will only get 80% of the compensation amount they would have gotten had they not been partly at-fault. This is what is referred to as the “pure comparative negligence” system.
Compensation That You May Be Eligible For
There are three types of damages that are recognized by the Florida personal injury law. They include:
- Punitive damages: These are damages that punish the defendant for causing your injury.
- Economic damages: They include lost wages, medical bills, repair bills and other losses that can be calculated.
- Non-economic damages: These are psychological injuries related to the injuries you suffered in the accident. They include pain and suffering damages.