If you were injured or a loved one passed away while riding a motorcycle due to someone else’s negligence, we can help. A Tampa motorcycle accident lawyer from Distasio Law Firm can help you determine the liable party and hold them accountable in an insurance claim or lawsuit.
Our personal injury attorneys can pursue a claim for compensation so you can move forward after your motorcycle injury.
While all kinds of vehicular accidents can be dangerous, those involving motorcycles are among the most treacherous. When a motorcycle is involved in a collision, it’s often catastrophic, with significant bodily harm done to the cyclist, especially if they were not following basic safety tips like wearing a helmet.
Damages You May Receive After a Motorcycle Accident With A Lawyer From Tampa
If you have been injured in a motorcycle collision in Tampa, you have likely dealt with an array of complications resulting from the accident. There are options available to you, particularly if the accident was caused by the other driver’s negligent or reckless behavior.
One of the best things you can do is protect yourself and ensure that a lawyer handles your legal matters correctly. If you are taking legal action, having a professional on your side can ensure you receive the guidance and representation you deserve. You may be entitled to two types of damages due to your accident: economic damages and non-economic damages. Hiring A skilled Tampa motorcycle accident attorney is your best option to ensure you recover the damages you deserve and need.
Distasio Law Firm’s Tampa Motorcycle Accident Lawyers are here to fight for you and recover damages for your injuries.
Economic Damages
The economic damages you have suffered are easier to calculate and may include the following:
- Past, current, and future medical bills: Medical expenses may include, hospitalization, imaging tests, surgeries, rehabilitation, and extended medical care. Medical costs may also include assistive medical devices such as a wheelchair or crutches, prescription medications
- Loss of income: Days you missed from work due to doctors’ appointments because of your accident-related injuries
- Loss of earning capacity: The accident and your resulting injuries left you with permanent disabilities and unable to continue your current job; therefore, you had to take another position that pays less
- Property damage: The costs associated with repairing or replacing your motorcycle and other property damaged or destroyed in the accident
Valuing economic damages is generally easier than tabulating a total for non-economic damages because there are bills, receipts, and other documentation of your expenses and losses to date. However, you can also recover future costs and losses caused by your accident and injuries.
Determining a value for your economic damages can be challenging. A proactive motorbike crash lawyer in Tampa could work with experts to understand your prognosis, ongoing treatment, future care needs, and how this will affect you financially.Â
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages consider the physical and emotional trauma you have suffered because of the accident. They include the following:
- Pain and suffering: The accident may have left you disabled or in chronic pain that requires daily medication.
- Mental anguish: The emotional distress the accident has taken on you may require ongoing counseling for issues such as insomnia, depression, or anxiety.
- Loss of enjoyment of activities: Your accident-related injuries could prevent you from taking part in hobbies or activities you once enjoyed, such as jogging or gardening.
- Loss of consortium: This is the loss of relations and companionship suffered by the spouse when serious injuries occur.
Wrongful Death Claims
If you lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident, you could be eligible for wrongful death benefits, such as funeral and burial costs. Many motorbike accidents result in the immediate death of the motorcyclist. They do not have the same external protection provided by a car’s outer shielding.Â
Therefore, victims of motorcycle accidents have little chance of surviving a collision with a larger vehicle.
If you lost a loved one in a motorcycle accident due to negligence, our attorney at Distasio Law Firm could bring a wrongful death action against them in Tampa for your loved one’s injury. You do not have to face this challenging time on your own. Our compassionate team of attorneys will stand by your side and seek justice in your case.
Your family could recover related expenses, income losses, loss of services, and the intangible damages you suffered because you lost a loved one. We could help you hold those responsible for your loved one’s death accountable and secure compensation for your family.
Proving Fault and Recovering Damages in a Tampa Motorcycle Collision
To get compensatory damages based on your Tampa motorcycle wreck and injuries, you must prove that another driver was the at fault-party in the crash. This is possible by gathering evidence and building a case that shows they acted negligently. There are four elements to negligence:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty
- Causation
- Harm
The way this applies in a Tampa motorcycle crash usually revolves around traffic laws. Motorists have a duty of care to follow traffic laws and other regulations that help to prevent accidents and keep all road users safe. When a driver breaches their duty by violating a traffic law, this can cause a crash. Everyone involved may suffer harm as a result.
For example, imagine a driver was turning left in an intersection with a traffic light. Their light was green. They had a duty to yield to any oncoming traffic. However, they failed to see you on your motorcycle and turned in front of you. Their violation of the law caused the accident and your injuries. If we can prove this is what happened, we can hold them accountable and get justice in your case.Â
Common Motorcycle Collision Injuries That Could Entitle You to Damages
Common injuries in Tampa motorcycle accidents vary widely. Some are life-altering, and most take weeks or even months to recover. Most often, these physical injuries involve the legs and feet; however, hip and pelvis wounds also frequently occur.
Our knowledgeable Tampa motorcyclist injury lawyers know how to develop a case based on any type of moderate, catastrophic, or severe injuries suffered in a collision. Additional devastating injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other head trauma injuries
- Neck and back injuries, including spinal cord injury and paralysis
- Internal bleeding
- Fractures, dislocations, and joint damage
- Upper torso injuries including chest, shoulder, and back pain
- Limb injuries, including amputations
- Burns and scarring
- Serious cuts and abrasions
- Neck and head injuries, which account for a large percentage of deaths
- Wrist and hand injuries
Our skilled legal professionals and Tampa catastrophic injury lawyers build a case that identifies your damages and pursues a case to hold those responsible legally accountable. Our goal is to get justice for our clients in every case.
What to Do After a Tampa Motorcycle Accident
You should stop and get to safety as soon as possible after a motorcycle accident. Don’t try to drive away because you might cause more problems. Call 911 and wait until emergency responders arrive. Examine yourself and passengers for injuries, then check on the other driver. However, if you’re injured, stay put.
When in a motorcycle crash, always call the police. You will need their accident report when filing your claim. Also exchange information with other drivers who may be involved in the accident.
- Document the details: Write down the other driver‘s vehicle information, time, and location of the accident. Take pictures of the accident scene including damage to both vehicles, the license plate of the other driver, and traffic signs.
- Seek medical attention: Often, injuries are not immediately obvious. So, don’t wait to seek medical attention. Contact a motorcyclist accident lawyer. A motorcycle accident law firm can use its knowledge of applicable laws to help protect your legal rights. They can also handle paperwork, and filing deadlines. This lets you focus on recovering and getting back to normal.
Statute of Limitations for Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Cases in Tampa
Florida law limits the time you have to file a lawsuit in civil court. The deadline it sets is called the statute of limitations:
- For personal injury cases, you have two years from the accident per Florida Statutes § 95.11(3)(a).
- For wrongful death cases, you have two years from your loved one’s death per Florida Statutes § 95.11(4)(d).
Do not delay seeking justice for your family member who passed away in a motorcycle accident in Tampa. The more time that goes by, the greater the chance evidence will disappear or eyewitnesses’ memories start to fade. The sooner our team gets to work, the sooner we can collect evidence and build a strong case on your behalf.
You Deserve the Distasio Law Firm Difference, Highly Experienced Motorcycle Accident Lawyers in Tampa
To ensure you have hired a lawyer in the Tampa area who is the best fit for your case, you may want to find an attorney who encompasses all of the following:
Has Experience Handling Motorcycle Accident Cases
Scott Distasio has over three decades of experience handling car crash cases, and he knows Florida motorcycle accident law. He has successfully negotiated millions of dollars in settlements for cases involving motor vehicle and motorcycle accident victims.
Will Take Your Case to Trial If the Insurance Company Won’t Settle
Not all personal injury cases go to trial. The truth is that most cases settle. Scott Distasio is a board-certified civil trial lawyer, which gives him the right to call himself an expert trial lawyer. Scott will stand by your side in court and present your case to a judge and jury.
Has Been Recognized for Their Abilities
Scott Distasio has earned the Martindale-Hubbell AV rating—the highest honor an attorney can receive for their skills and ethics. Scott Distasio has also become Board Certified by the Florida Bar in Trial law.Â
Achieving this distinction requires an attorney to have tried a minimum number of jury cases and passed the competency exam. Fewer than one percent of Florida lawyers have this certification.
A Tampa Motorcycle Accident Attorney Can Help You After Your Crash
At Distasio Personal Injury Law, we have represented countless people who have been injured in motorcycle accidents, and we are committed to helping our clients obtain the damages they deserve. Monetary damages can include bodily injuries, property damage, medical bills, lost income or earning potential, and pain and suffering.
If you need legal counsel for your motorcycle wreck case, contact us to learn how a Tampa motorcycle accident lawyer can help. Call for your free initial consultation today and hear your options for pursuing potential compensation.
If you’re looking for an accident lawyer call our offices in Tampa, Wesley Chapel, or Largo for a free consultation of your legal options today. NO fee until we win!
