Florida is a fantastic place to ride motorcycles. There is a tremendous amount of coastline, country roads, and sights to see. However, motorcycle accidents in Florida are alarmingly high, and bad things tend to happen on the roadways.
If you find yourself the victim of a motorcycle accident in Orlando, or anywhere in Florida, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, pain, suffering, and more. We have an experienced team of Orlando motorcycle accident lawyers that can help you. Call us at (321) 352-7588 for your free consultation if you need help. Now, let’s lay the framework of this article with some shocking statistics about motorcycle accidents in Florida.
Motorcycle Accidents in Orlando and Throughout Florida
The number of motorcycle accidents per year in Florida has more than doubled in the past two decades. From 2016 to 2021, there were an average of 550 fatal motorcycle accidents in Florida every single year. Additionally, the overall number of fatal accidents in Florida have increased over 15% over the past five years, while motorcycle fatalities increased roughly 3% over the same period.
Motorcycles represent just a tiny portion of vehicles on the roads in Florida. For example, only 3% of all vehicles registered in Florida are motorcycles, and motorcycles only make up around 1% of all the vehicle miles traveled on Florida runways. Despite making up such a small percentage of vehicles on the roads, motorcycles are disproportionately represented in the fatal vehicle accident statistics. Roughly 17% of all vehicle fatalities in Florida over the past 5 years have been motorcycle fatalities. Therefore, motorcycle accidents tend to be more deadly than other types of accidents in Florida.
Now, let’s get down to the point of this article and talk more about what to do after a motorcycle accident in Florida.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident in Orlando, Florida
Just as in a car accident, truck accident, slip and fall, or any other personal injury accident, it’s critical to act quickly to ensure your safety and to ensure that evidence does not get lost or destroyed. Below, we’re going to talk about 5 critical actions you should take after an Orlando motorcycle accident.
Dial 911 and Report the Accident to the Authorities
You already know: Dialing 911 is the first step you should take after any serious accident. So, one of your first steps should always be to call and report your motorcycle accident to the police. They will likely come to the scene of the accident to document the crash and how it occurred. Additionally, if there were any witnesses, the police will likely interview them and obtain their statements about how the motorcycle accident occurred. Ultimately, the police officer will create a police report that will be an important part of your claim. You will likely be able to obtain the police report within a few weeks after your motorcycle accident.
If possible, share your side of the story with the police officer so that your version is recorded in the police report. All too often, we get police reports that only tell one person’s side of the story. The police report can be a valuable document in negotiations because it can establish that an accident occurred, as well as how it occurred and which driver was at fault.
Get Medical Treatment As Soon As Possible
Directly after a motorcycle accident, you should seek medical treatment if you are injured or if you think you may be injured. The adrenaline from a motorcycle accident often masks pain for hours, even a day or more. As a result, you may not feel the severe pain from your injuries until your adrenaline wears off. By then, you could have sought helpful treatment for your injuries. Additionally, you may have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and your symptoms could be delayed. It’s better to be safe than sorry; get medical help if you think you need it.
Additionally, if you pursue a lawsuit, it helps your case if you seek medical help sooner rather than later because the medical records will serve as evidence of your injuries. The medical records will document the date your injuries occurred, as well as the types of injuries you suffered. These medical records are critical because the insurance companies will try to blame your injuries on anything other than the accident. Thus, if you delay treatment, the insurance company can try and allege that you hurt yourself some other way, after the motorcycle accident. Whereas, if you seek treatment immediately after your motorcycle accident, the medical records will serve as strong evidence that you suffered your injuries because of the motorcycle accident.
Gather Evidence As Soon As Possible
In addition to police reports and medical records, there are various types of evidence that can help you win your motorcycle accident lawsuit. If possible, you should work to gather and preserve these types of evidence to establish what happened and to maximize your claim. Below are some of the more valuable types of evidence in a motorcycle accident case:
- Videos of the scene of the accident;
- Pictures of the scene of the accident;
- Pictures of the vehicles involved to show damage;
- Pictures of the license plates to identify drivers;
- Contact information of any drivers involved;
- Contact information of any witnesses to the accident;
- Insurance information of any drivers involved;
- Pictures of tire marks on the road;
- Footage from cameras at nearby businesses or houses; and
- Black box data from vehicles involved.
The speed of the investigation can be critical because evidence can quickly wash away or disappear. The scene of the accident can change very quickly. Therefore, you should contact an experienced Orlando motorcycle accident lawyer to perform an investigation as soon as possible and to send out letters of preservation to prevent valuable evidence from being lost or intentionally destroyed.
Notify Your Insurance Company About the Motorcycle Accident
We recommend you DO NOT speak with the other driver’s insurance company before you get an attorney. We also recommend you DO NOT sign anything the other insurance company asks you to sign or give them a recorded statement until you have an attorney.
You should, however, notify your insurance company of the accident as soon as you can. In Florida, you will likely be able to have up to $10,000 of your medical bills covered under your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP is a no-questions-asked type of coverage that pays your medical bills, regardless of who was at fault for the accident. You may have additional coverage under your insurance policy, and your Orlando motorcycle accident lawyer can help you to identify any coverage that may be available to you.
Get An Orlando Motorcycle Accident Lawyer As Soon As Possible After Your Accident
Not every motorcycle accident will require the help of an attorney. However, it never hurts to get information from people who handle motorcycle accidents, and we offer free legal consultations at our law firm. Therefore, it’s a risk-free proposition.
If you do need an attorney, we can walk you through the next steps and guide you down the path to getting the justice you deserve. As we’ve talked about, it’s critical to quickly investigate your case to gather and preserve crucial evidence because evidence can disappear soon after an accident. Thus, the sooner you get your attorney involved, the better chance you have of preserving the value of your case.
Contact an Orlando Motorcycle Accident Lawyer at Our Firm for Your FREE Legal Consultation
We offer free legal consultations with an actual Orlando motorcycle accident lawyer. In other words, when you schedule a legal consultation with our firm, you’re going to speak with a lawyer during your consultation, not an assistant or customer service representative.
If you have questions about your motorcycle accident case, or any other personal injury matter, we encourage you to give us a call. It’s risk free. You can reach out to us and schedule your consultation at (321) 352-7588. Also, you can contact us on our website at your convenience.
