With Florida’s amazing weather, it should come as no surprise that the state ranks second in the nation for motorcycle ownership. In 2012, Florida had 619,150 registered motorcycles, with only California having more on the roads. The most commonly driven motorcycles include Harley Davidson, Honda, Yamaha, and Polaris, but other types can also be seen on Florida highways and roadways.
Given the large number of registered motorcycles in the state, it is not surprising that there also are a significant number of motorcycle accidents that take place. Unfortunately, this means that over the past decade, motorcycle injuries have increased by 50 percent and motorcycle fatalities have increased by almost 90 percent.
In examining Florida motorcycle accidents, the state has found the following:
- In 2011, over 90 percent of motorcyclists who were fatally injured in Florida were also Florida residents.
- The counties with the most fatalities were Miami-Dade (39), Broward (37), Hillsborough (34), Orange (32), Pinellas (23), Palm Beach (20), Polk (19), Pasco (18), Volusia (18), and Brevard (15).
Dade, Broward, and Monroe County Motorcyclists Can Be Injured At Any Time
South Florida motorcyclists and their passengers can be injured at any time. However, statistically, most motorcycle crashes happen between April and September. Also, more than 60 percent of those crashes occurred during daylight hours and more accidents occur on weekends than on weekdays.
However, regardless of the time of day or the day of the year, Florida motorcyclists are entitled to share the road with other Florida drivers. Yet shocking accidents do occur. For example, in one recent motorcycle accident in Broward County, the sheriff’s office reports that a pickup truck driver struck a motorcyclist on Christmas Eve. The motorcyclist was rear-ended, causing severe injuries to the motorcycle driver.
Hire Experienced Dade, Broward, Monroe County Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
For anyone involved in a motorcycle accident, there is a great risk of serious injury because of the general lack of protection between the rider and the road. While a helmet and other safety gear may provide some protection, motorcycle drivers and their passengers can suffer a variety of injuries, with some of the more common injuries being:
- bone fractures and dislocations;
- road rash, scrapes, cuts, abrasions, and lacerations;
- head injuries and facial injuries; and
- lower extremity injuries such as foot, ankle, knee, thigh, hip and pelvic injuries.
If you have been injured by a motor vehicle following too closely, failing to yield the right of way, cutting you off or clipping you, or by other negligent driving, you need to contact an experienced South Florida attorney to protect your rights to financial recover for your injuries or property damage.
If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident in Dade, Broward, or Monroe County or elsewhere in South Florida, call the experienced and aggressive personal injury lawyers at Hoffman, Larin & Agnetti, P.A. at 305-653-5555 or use our online contact form.
