What Should I Do if I Was Hit by a Motorcycle in Ocala, FL?
Blame for motorcycle accidents often falls on the automobile driver in Ocala, FL. According to the CDC, there are thousands of deaths every year in the country due to motorcycle accidents.
Motorcyclists themselves can also cause accidents. Riders sometimes use the motorcycle’s speed and maneuverability to weave through traffic. In addition, motorcycles are inherently more difficult to operate than four-wheeled motor vehicles. These factors can lead to a collision between a motorcycle and a pedestrian, bicycle, or car.
Contact our experienced personal injury attorneys at Allen Law Firm, P.A., or call us at (352) 351-3258 to for a free consultation today. Our attorneys handle all types of motor vehicle accidents, including Ocala mass transit accidents, Ocala delivery truck accidents, Ocala Lyft accidents, Uber accidents, pedestrian accidents, and truck accidents, among other types of accidents.
How Allen Law Firm, P.A. Can Help After a Motorcycle Accident in Ocala
Allen Law Firm, P.A. was founded in 2007 and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for accident victims over the past 15 years. Our Ocala motorcycle accident lawyers have over 100 years of combined legal experience.
Hiring us to take on your case means you’ll have legal help by way of:
- A thorough investigation into your accident and your damages
- Negotiating a fair settlement on your behalf
- Filing a lawsuit if the other party to your case refuses to settle
When you get injured in a car accident, you might face significant medical bills with no way to pay them. Contact Allen Law Firm to explore the compensation you might be entitled to under Florida law for your injuries.
How Common Is It To Get Hit by a Motorcycle?
According to the Florida Traffic Safety Dashboard, Ocala sees 200 to 250 motorcycle crashes every year. These accidents injure or kill about 200 motorcyclists annually.
Florida does not provide much detail about motorcycle crashes, but you can estimate how many of these crashes resulted from motorcyclist error using a few national statistics.
About 34% of motorcycle crashes in the U.S. are single-vehicle accidents. If you eliminate these from Ocala’s motorcycle accident statistics, 130 to 160 collisions between motorcycles and other road users happen every year.
As mentioned earlier, the blame for about 40% of these collisions falls on the motorcyclist. Applying this to the number of collisions in Ocala, you get about 50 to 60 collisions every year caused by motorcyclists.
Overview of What To Do if You Were Hit by a Motorcycle
In many cases, getting hit by a motorcycle is no different from getting hit by any other vehicle. Under Florida’s no-fault insurance system, drivers must file a claim with their no-fault insurer for minor injuries sustained in a collision with a motorcycle. Vehicle passengers will file a claim under the vehicle owner’s no-fault policy as well.
But motorcycle accidents are handled differently from car accidents in some situations. The state’s no-fault system only applies to cars and trucks. If a motorcyclist caused a severe injury or hit you while you were not riding in a vehicle, you may have limited options.
Any time you get into a traffic accident as a driver, cyclist, or pedestrian, you should:
- Call the police
- Stay at the accident scene
- Seek the level of medical attention you need based on your injuries
- Exchange insurance and identifying information with the other people involved
But beyond these basic steps, what you do next depends on the accident. Some possible scenarios include:
You Were in a Vehicle Hit by an Insured Motorcyclist
Your no-fault insurance will cover your losses up to the policy’s limits. But if you suffered serious injuries, you will likely need another source of compensation to cover your medical bills and lost income.
Since the motorcyclist had insurance, you can file a claim against that policy. Bodily injury liability (BIL) coverage pays other injured road users after an accident. You can claim compensation from the motorcyclist’s BIL coverage by proving the motorcyclist negligently caused the accident.
You Were in a Vehicle Hit by an Uninsured Motorcyclist
Again, you will start with your no-fault insurer. If you need additional compensation to cover your losses, you have few options in this case. You can file a claim with your insurer if your policy includes uninsured motorist coverage.
If you do not have this optional coverage, or you exhaust all of your benefits, you can file a lawsuit against the uninsured motorcyclist. The lawsuit will result in a damages award based on the extent of your injuries.
You Were Not in a Vehicle
When you get hit by a motorcycle as a pedestrian or cyclist, your rights depend on whether you own an insured vehicle. You can claim no-fault benefits as a pedestrian or cyclist even though you were not in your car when you got hit. But if you do not own an insured vehicle, you must pursue a claim against the motorcyclist and their insurer.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Ocala Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
Motorcyclists can cause significant, even permanent, injuries when they hit cars, pedestrians, and cyclists. To discuss the accident compensation you can seek for injuries after getting hit by a motorcycle, contact Allen Law Firm for a free consultation with a trusted Ocala motorcycle accident attorney…
