We Understand the Risk of Motorcycling in Miami
Riding a motorcycle is not like driving a car or truck. It’s a thrill being in the open on a bike, especially in a location as pleasant as Greater Miami. But if you get into an auto accident while riding a motorcycle, you don’t have the protection of your vehicle, and it’s very likely you will be seriously injured. It’s a risk motorcyclist understand and are willing to take. But motorcycle riders do not have to be willing to go without the legal protection necessary to make them whole after an accident. That’s not their fault.
After being injured in a motorcycle accident, you are likely to face a lengthy recuperation and substantial medical expenses. Your motorcycle will need repairs or replacement. But if your accident was someone else’s fault, you should reach out to a motorcycle attorney because you should be able to seek money for these damages and other costs you face.
Payer & Associates has motorcycle accident lawyers in Miami and Plantation, can help you fight for the compensation you are entitled to after a motorcycle accident that was someone else’s fault. We work closely with families of motorcyclists in fatal accidents, as well. Attorneys James Payer and Christian Payer work aggressively to hold negligent drivers accountable and to make insurance companies pay what is due to you.
We Stand Up for Injured Motorcyclists in South Florida
The problem isn’t just that motorcyclist are more likely to be injured in an accident like a collision with a motor vehicle. They are more likely to die. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), per vehicle mile traveled, motorcyclist fatalities occur 27 times more often than passenger car occupant fatalities in crashes. And while many motorcyclists are injured in single-vehicle accidents, such as having to lay a bike down to avoid a collision, NHTSA says 53 percent of motorcycle fatalities are caused by collisions with motor vehicles. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation says that when motorcycles and other vehicles collide, it is usually the other (non-motorcycle) driver who violates the motorcyclist’s right-of-way.
Our point being: We don’t point the finger at the motorcyclist after an accident, like many do. Your Payer & Associates Miami motorcycle accident lawyer will listen to your side of the story and investigate on your behalf after a motorcycle accident and will even hire accident reconstruction experts when needed. If someone else is at fault, we will work aggressively to hold them accountable. We will seek full and fair compensation for you.
We Know the Injuries Motorcycle Accidents Cause
Regardless of the amount of protective equipment a motorcyclist wears, you are exposed to the elements and the environment where you ride. In a crash, you will come into contact with a second vehicle and/or the roadway, and potentially any other objects or structures nearby.
A motorcyclist in a wreck is likely to suffer anything from cuts and abrasions (“road rash”) to catastrophic injury or death. Among the most common serious injuries suffered in motorcycle accidents are:
- Leg and foot, arm and hand injuries. Typically broken bones occur because of impact or crushing injuries, including the bike falling onto the rider or the rider being pinned between their motorcycle and the motor vehicle or another stationary object or structure. Occasionally a wreck causes amputation of a limb, foot, hand, toe or finger. Legs and feet are more likely to be injured than arms and hands in a motorcycle accident. Hand injuries are more likely to include nerve damage.
- Head injuries. Hitting your head in a motorcycle accident is likely to cause a concussion or a more serious traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI more severe than concussion is a serious, often debilitating injury causing loss of physical and cognitive abilities. Widespread brain damage can cause long-term loss of consciousness — a coma. Bleeding in the brain (hemorrhage) caused by a blow or severe jolt in a crash can cause excess pressure on the brain, which can deprive it of oxygen and lead to permanent damage.
- Spinal cord injuries. A blow to the motorcyclist’s back or severe wrenching of the spinal column in a crash can cause a tear in the spinal cord, which may lead to paralysis. Paralysis, the inability to move body parts, occurs below the point of a spinal cord injury. Depending on how high up the spinal column the injury occurs, the injured rider may suffer tetraplegia (all four limbs affected) or paraplegia (lower body affected).
- Chest injuries. Crushing injuries to the chest in a motorcycle accident can cause broken ribs or a fractured sternum. As these bones break, the protection they provide the heart, lungs and diaphragm is compromised, and these vital organs can be injured. Injury to the heart or lungs can cause cardiac or respiratory failure, respectively, and be fatal.
- Abdominal injuries. A severe blow to the abdomen can cause injury to the bowels, stomach, liver and/or other organs, and could lead to multisystem trauma. Serious abdominal injuries may include massive bleeding, which may lead to shock and sometimes death.
You may recognize your or your loved one’s motorcycle accident injury above. Any of these will require hospitalization, and many will require surgery to repair damage. In some cases, the injured will need to go through physical rehabilitation to recover function or capabilities. Some later die from their injuries. A bike accident attorney can help you cover costs.
Some injuries, such as paralysis or a severe TBI, amputations, cannot be corrected, and the motorcyclist will have to learn to live with a permanent disability.
Our Motorcycle Injury Lawyer Helps Motorcyclists and their Families Recover Financially
The medical treatment, rehabilitation and additional therapy and/or assistance required after a significant motorcycle accident injury will be expensive. Recovering an appropriate insurance settlement will require a detailed accounting of the injury, and the past, present and future costs of the injury and associated losses. In addition, you will need an aggressive legal advocate to obtain an insurance settlement or courtroom judgment that is appropriate and fair to you. Payer & Associates provides that kind of thorough accident investigation and strong advocacy to motorcyclists in South Florida. We also provide the same attentive legal assistance and assertive advocacy for families seeking compensation after a fatal motorcycle accident.
Attorneys James Payer and Christian Payer work exclusively for accident victims – never for insurance companies. Our hardworking team provides you with over 40 years of combined experience in Greater Miami and availability 24/7 for consultation in your home, hospital room, or our offices in Miami and Plantation.
Miami Motorcycle Accident Lawyers – Call Payer and Associates Today
If you or a loved one of yours has been badly injured or killed in a motorcycle accident, you deserve respect and you need a fighter in your corner to ensure your financial recovery. Don’t wait for the insurance company to do what’s right. You need someone like our Miami personal injury lawyers on your side who you can count on to stand up for you.
Contact Payer & Associates today. We represent motorcycle accident victims and their families in Miami-Dade County, Broward County, Monroe County and all of South Florida. We want to make things right for you.
