Lake City, FL Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Lake City Motorcycle Accident Attorney

Motorcycles may be fun to ride in Lake City, FL, but they are some of the most inherently dangerous vehicles on the road for many reasons. Unlike an enclosed passenger vehicle with seatbelts, airbags, and crash-absorbing frames, motorcycles offer virtually no physical protection to a rider in an accident. Even the highest-quality helmets and safety equipment can only mitigate injuries, not prevent them entirely, and the risk of suffering a catastrophic or fatal injury is much greater in a motorcycle accident than in most other types of vehicle accidents.

If you or a loved one has sustained injuries in a motorcycle accident that someone else caused, it is vital to know your options for legal recourse and how to recover compensation for your losses. Florida follows the no-fault rule for vehicle crashes, meaning that all drivers must use their own auto insurance and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage to recover from their damages after accidents, regardless of fault. However, Florida law allows a victim of another party’s negligence or misconduct to pursue legal recourse if their damages exceed their available insurance coverage and/or they suffered severe injuries.

Helping Motorcycle Accident Victims Recover in Lake City, FL

Spohrer Dodd Trial Attorneys is an experienced team of attorneys ready to provide the representation you need for a personal injury claim in Lake City. Throughout the years of our firm’s operation, we have successfully helped many previous clients obtain compensation for all sorts of vehicle accidents, including motorcycle crashes caused by negligent and reckless drivers. We know you are likely to have many pressing legal questions in the aftermath of this type of incident, and we want to help you recover as fully as possible. You have a limited time in which to pursue compensation for your damages, and the sooner you reach out to a Lake City motorcycle accident attorney you can trust, the more likely you are to succeed with your recovery efforts.

Proving Fault for Your Motorcycle Accident in Lake City

If the harm resulting from your recent motorcycle accident meets the threshold of eligibility to file a personal injury claim against the party responsible for causing the accident, the first challenge you will face is proving the exact cause of the accident. Motorcycle accidents happen throughout Florida in many ways, including:

• This reduces the time and distance that a driver has to slow down or stop to avoid a collision. Speeding is a top contributing factor to the number of fatal motorcycle accidents each year.
• Traffic violations. These can include offenses like illegal turns and failure to yield the right-of-way. Such actions disrupt the flow of traffic and are especially dangerous in busy intersections.
• Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs. A DUI driver faces penalties including fines, driver’s license suspension, and jail time. These penalties will automatically increase if they injured or killed someone or if they have a record of prior DUI convictions within the past few years.
• Lane splitting. Some motorcyclists use lane splitting to pass between lanes of slower-moving traffic, but this is illegal in Florida. It is likely for a motorcyclist to face liability for an accident if they cause a collision by splitting a lane anywhere in the Lake City area.

These are only a few possible ways for motorcycle accidents to happen in Florida. Your Lake City motorcycle accident attorney can help you gather the evidence you may need to prove fault for your damages, which may include:

• Another driver’s cell phone records
• Testimony from witnesses and others involved in the accident
• Traffic camera video footage
• Expert witness testimony, especially if your case raises complex technical questions that require professional insights

Recovering Compensation for an Accident with a Motorcycle in Lake City

Filing a claim through your own auto insurance carrier is the first step in recovering from your motorcycle accident, regardless of fault. Your Lake City motorcycle accident attorney can help you file this claim and resolve any issues that arise from the insurance carrier. Once you receive your settlement offer, you can proceed with building a personal injury case to recover the remainder of your damages.

Under Florida’s personal injury statutes, the plaintiff in a personal injury claim has the right to seek full repayment of all the direct financial losses the defendant inflicted. These are likely to include vehicle repair costs and medical expenses not covered by insurance, along with lost income if their accident prevents them from working for an extended time. Additionally, the plaintiff has the right to claim anticipated future damages as well, such as:

• Ongoing medical expenses for treatment of serious injuries
• Lost earning capacity if their injuries have permanently diminished their ability to work and earn income in the future

Aside from economic damages, the plaintiff also has the right to claim pain and suffering compensation from the at-fault driver. Florida law does not limit this aspect of a personal injury claim, so you have the right to claim as much as you believe is appropriate to reflect the overall severity of the harm you suffered. It is also possible to receive punitive damages if the at-fault driver broke the law in causing your accident or if they caused the accident intentionally somehow.

Spohrer Dodd Trial Attorneys can work closely with you through every step of your recovery process, helping you secure as much compensation as possible for your damages. Our goal for every client in every case we accept is maximum recovery in the shortest possible timeframe. The sooner you connect with a Lake City motorcycle accident attorney, the sooner you can begin exploring all your options for legal recourse.

FAQs for Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Q: How Do You Prove Fault for Motorcycle Accident Injuries in Florida?

A: Florida follows the no-fault rule for accidents, meaning that drivers must use their own insurance after an accident happens, regardless of fault. However, if your damages exceed your insurance coverage and/or you suffered severe injuries, you have the right to claim compensation from the at-fault driver. Proving fault may require a combination of multiple forms of evidence, such as:

• Digital records from vehicle computers
• Cell phone records
• Eyewitness testimony
• Traffic camera footage

An experienced Lake City motorcycle accident attorney can help their client gather the evidence they need to prove liability.

Q: How Much Compensation Can I Claim for a Motorcycle Accident in Lake City?

A: After you recover as much compensation as you can through your auto insurance policy, a good attorney can help you recover any remaining losses from the at-fault driver. The personal injury statutes in Florida enable you to claim compensation for:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income
• Lost future earning power
• Any property damage that is not covered by insurance

You also have the right to claim pain and suffering compensation, and Florida law does not place a limit on this aspect of your recovery.

Q: How Long Does It Take to Recover From a Motorcycle Accident in Lake City?

A: Your recovery from a motorcycle accident is likely to start with an insurance claim, and the claim-filing process may take several weeks before you receive a settlement check. If you have grounds to pursue a personal injury claim, it is possible to resolve the matter privately through a settlement or for the case to go to court. A settlement usually takes far less time to complete than litigation, so it is possible for your case to take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on how you are able to resolve the claim.

Q: What Happens If I Share Fault for My Motorcycle Accident in Florida?

A: Florida recently adopted a modified comparative fault rule. This applies to civil claims in which plaintiffs share fault with defendants for causing the damages cited in the claim. If a plaintiff is found partially liable for their claimed damages, they may still recover compensation from the defendant as long as they are less than 50% at fault. If they are 50% or more at fault, they lose the right to claim compensation from the defendant and will be personally responsible for their damages.

Q: What Will It Cost to Hire a Lake City Motorcycle Accident Attorney?

A: It’s natural to worry about the potential cost of hiring legal counsel for your impending motorcycle accident claim, but this is no cause for concern if you choose Spohrer Dodd Trial Attorneys to handle your case. We take personal injury clients on contingency, meaning our client only pays our firm a percentage of the total compensation we recover on their behalf, but they only pay this fee if we win their case. There are no upfront attorney fees and no fees at all if we are unable to obtain compensation for any reason.

Spohrer Dodd Trial Attorneys: Your Lake City Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

The right Lake City motorcycle accident attorney is a tremendous asset for your recovery efforts. The sooner you connect with legal counsel you can trust, the more likely you are to fully recover compensation for your damages. Spohrer Dodd Trial Attorneys has the skills, resources, and experience needed to help our clients recover as fully as possible from the harm they have suffered. If you are ready to learn what a Lake City motorcycle accident attorney can do for you in your case, contact us today to make an appointment for a consultation with our team.