Motorcycle drivers in Wesley Chapel love the open road, freedom, and the wind blowing in your face…. We have the ideal weather for this type of outdoor activity. When you combine scenic roadways, great weather, and rising fuel prices, there is no doubt operating a motorcycle is an ideal way to take advantage of all three.
However, it is impossible to identify the next motorcycle accident victim in Wesley Chapel. You may suddenly find yourself flying through the air, en route to a terrible injury.
At the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm, we aggressively represent motorcycle accident victims when they have no choice but to go up against insurance companies that are stalling rather than paying a legitimate claim.
Motorcycle Accident Injuries Cause Life-Altering Issues
Every accident victim winds up suffering some injury. While these injuries may be minor in some cases, the overall lack of protection offered to drivers or passengers of motorcycles makes injuries inevitable. It is also highly probable that a Wesley Chapel motorcycle accident victim will suffer injuries that will take weeks to heal. In some cases, they may suffer injuries that impact the rest of their lives.
Because of the lack of protection offered to motorcyclists, some injuries are fairly common. Many of these injuries often require trauma care, such as at AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. Always obtain immediate medical attention after a motorcycle accident.
Here are some of the common injuries victims of a motorcycle accident could suffer:
- Head and neck injuries – Florida does have a mandatory motorcycle helmet law. However, the best helmet cannot always protect a rider or passenger from head and neck injuries. When an accident throws someone from a motorcycle, their helmet could become dislodged or the force of landing on a roadway can still cause traumatic brain injury (TBI). These injuries can alter the entire future of a victim and their family.
- Broken bones – few victims of motorcycle accidents can avoid at least one broken bone. At a minimum, these painful injuries take weeks to heal.
- Internal injuries – collapsed lungs, internal bleeding, bruised or ruptured organs are a few complications that a motorcycle accident victim could suffer. These injuries may not always be obvious in the time immediately following an accident, so it is imperative to ensure you pay attention to signals your body is sending you over the first few days following an accident.
At the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm, we know how devastating a serious injury can be to victims and their families. The time lost from work, the hours spent in doctor’s offices, painful rehabilitation, and more. This is one of the many reasons we fight so hard to help Wesley Chapel motorcycle accident victims.
Determining Liability Following a Wesley Chapel Motorcycle Accident
No one is perfect, and accidents do happen. Sometimes accidents simply cannot be avoided. Florida has the second-highest number of motorcycles per capita of any state in the United States. This seriously increases the likelihood of being involved in an accident. Motorcycle safety is an ongoing concern whether you are traveling in Wesley Chapel or headed out of town on SR56.
With the number of accidents involving motorcycles in any given year exceeds 8,000, proper care could prevent all of them.
The Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm can help you identify the parties responsible for your injuries and hold them liable.
Some of the potential parties who may be responsible for your injuries include:
- The driver who struck you – drivers who violate traffic laws put everyone on the roadway in jeopardy. Reckless driving, including speeding, tailgating, or driving under the influence, is potentially knowingly being a reckless driver. If the person who struck your motorcycle was acting recklessly, their insurance company might be responsible for paying your claim for injuries and damages.
- Driver employers – some accidents involve Uber or Lyft drivers, those driving for other delivery services, or those who operate large trucks. These drivers are often operating under the direction of an employer, and the employer may also be partially responsible for the damage their employer has caused. Just because the employee was behind the wheel does not mean their employer may not be partly responsible for your injuries.
- Other drivers – a driver who did not strike your bike may also be the responsible party in a Wesley Chapel motorcycle accident. If a driver was forced over because of another driver and, as a result, they struck your motorcycle; then there may be two drivers responsible for your injuries.
- Manufacturing companies – defective equipment on your motorcycle, failing brakes, or an exploding tire could mean a larger company is partially to blame for your injuries. This requires a thorough investigation of your accident.
- Government agencies – in some cases, road defects, dangerous obstructions, or other problems could involve a government agency. These claims can be challenging for anyone to make, but that does not mean the agency does not bear some liability.
At the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm, we make sure we understand the full circumstances of your accident, and we can work tirelessly to hold the responsible party or parties responsible for the financial losses you suffered as a result of a motorcycle accident.
Assessing Financial Losses from Wesley Chapel Motorcycle Accidents
Let’s face it, putting a price tag on some things is hard. For example, how do you put a price tag on pain and suffering? How do you place a value on the loss of the use of an arm or a leg? How do you place a price tag on the value of a life lost in a motorcycle accident? These are definite challenges.
Some financial losses are easy to determine, and you may include them in your motorcycle accident claim. Some of these include:
- Property damage – chances are your motorcycle suffered damage in the accident. Whether it can be repaired or not, the person responsible for the accident can be held liable for repairs or replacement of the motorcycle.
- Medical attention for injuries – your trip to the emergency room, ambulance costs, tests performed to determine the extent of your injuries, and the care required to help you recover from your injuries are quantifiable. You may include these damages in the compensation you seek from the responsible parties.
- Lost wages – being out of work is scary and costly. While you are worried about your recovery, you are getting less income regularly, and that means your family is likely to feel the impact of the losses associated with your income. Not all wages are the same either. You could be losing holidays, bonuses, and other perks associated with your employment.
Many items are hard to calculate. These can include the emotional distress associated with the stress of being out of work, the pain and suffering you experience because of the injury you suffered, or the emotional distress you may feel because of scars or disfiguration from a motorcycle accident injury. An attorney at the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm knows how to find the right experts to help assess a reasonable value on non-monetary losses.
Insurance Company Tactics to Avoid Motorcycle Accident Claims
We have worked with insurance companies in the past. We know the lengths they will go to avoid paying what you need and deserve. This is particularly true in light of the no-fault rules in Florida and the fact that motorcycle operators are not required to carry insurance to register a motorcycle.
In a car accident, the cars involved would report their losses to their own insurance company, regardless of who was at fault. When a collision involves a car and a motorcycle, this process becomes a bit more of a challenge. In Florida, no-fault insurance covers reasonable and customary medical expenses and reimburses some lost wages. The process is a bit different when you are in a motorcycle accident.
You will have to operate outside of the no-fault system. This means you must why you are taking this action. When your injuries are serious or cause disfigurement, you have the basis for filing a claim against the at-fault parties’ insurance policy. However, this is why you also need to work closely with a motorcycle accident attorney because insurers will not want to simply pay the claim.
At the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm, we understand that victims of motorcycle accidents often do not understand their rights and how to preserve them. We also know that while everyone involved in an accident must file an accident report, these reports are often contradictory.
We know how hard it is to work with an insurance company that denies they have any responsibility for the victim of a Wesley Chapel motorcycle accident.
Some of the common ways they do this include:
- Victim blaming – the insurance adjuster may claim the accident was your fault even if the driver that struck you acted recklessly.
- Blaming another party – the insurer may blame road conditions, hazards in the roadway, or other vehicles even if there is no specific statement indicating these factors played a role in the accident.
This is when you need a law firm working with accident reconstruction teams, talking to witnesses of the accident, and collecting other evidence relevant to your claim. Without this backup, the insurer may get away without honoring your claim.
At the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm, our goal is to hold the responsible parties accountable for the harm they have caused. We do this by thoroughly investigating your case and ensuring we have the information to pursue the compensation you may be entitled to following a motorcycle accident.
Paying Legal Fees Following a Motorcycle Accident
One of the reasons victims of motorcycle accidents shy away from seeking legal advice is the cost involved in hiring an attorney. Here are some facts that you need to know if you are the victim of a motorcycle accident in Wesley Chapel:
We offer a free consultation
At the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm, accident victims can seek a free consultation. This consultation has no strings attached. If you meet with us and determine we are not the right law firm to handle your claim, you are under no obligation to hire us to represent you in pursuit of compensation.
We work on a contingency fee basis
We know that when you are out of work, you are likely tapping into your savings to make up for the shortfall of paying your regular monthly bills. We also understand this puts an additional strain on you and your family.
We do not ask you to pay for our services upfront. Instead, we work on a contingency fee. This means we start investigating your claim, we contact witnesses, negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, and, if necessary, go to court before we accept a dime from you for attorney’s fees. Unless we successfully obtain a final settlement, you do not pay for our legal services.
You have nothing to lose, and you have everything to gain. While some people may feel they can go it alone, we will make the percentage of your settlement you pay to the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm worth it. We will work tirelessly to get the insurance company to recognize and pay for your losses.
Contact the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm Today
If you suffered an injury in a Wesley Chapel motorcycle accident and you are uncertain where to turn for help, contact the Lucas, Macyszyn, & Dyer Injury Firm today at (813) 849-5353 for help. Let us provide you with the information you need to ensure you do not do anything to jeopardize your legal rights.