Left Turn Collisions

Motorcycle collisions involving another vehicle most often occur when the driver fails to yield the right of way and turns left in front of an oncoming rider.

For more than a decade the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has reported the same sobering statistics: Half of all motorcycle collisions occur when a ride strikes another moving vehicle and 4 in 10 of those cases occur when a driver turns left in front of a rider.

The Hurt Report (seminal 1981 motorcycle-collision report on motorcycle collisions) found even greater prevalence: Three-quarters of motorcycle collisions involved another driver and two-thirds of those involved a driver violating the right of way.

Again, the most frequent configuration: “the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.”

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, our motorcycle injury attorneys in Fort Myers and Cape Coral have built a reputation as leading advocates for the rights of riders and the Southwest Florida motorcycling community. Those who have been injured can contact our offices in Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral or Port Charlotte for a confidential consultation to discuss their rights.

An independent investigation should be conducted whenever a serious riding collision occurs. Too often, the rider is erroneously blamed. Often in cases where a driver turns left in front of a rider, he or she will blame the rider for speeding. Unfortunately, it’s an argument law enforcement may buy. In other cases, a rider may lay a bike down to avoid direct impact, and thereby be blamed entirely for losing control and causing his own injuries.

Add the likelihood of serious injury, and these quickly become complex, high-stakes cases that should only be handled by the most experienced law firms.

Florida adopted the doctrine of comparative negligence (pure comparative fault) in 1973. This means is that a victim can recover damages from those deemed at least partially at fault – even in cases where a victim’s own action may have contributed to injury. Florida is among 13 states that use this legal doctrine. Thirty-three others recognize modified comparative fault (which prohibits recovery in cases where a victim is found predominately at fault). Only four states follow pure contributory negligence, which means a victim found to be at fault to any degree many not collect damages.

What this means for motorcycle accident victims is a better chance at making a recovery, even in cases where a rider’s actions contributed to or caused a collision. However, these cases will require experienced and aggressive legal help.

The motorcycle accident attorneys at Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner have been fighting for the rights of injured bikers in Southwest Florida since 1971. We work with accident reconstructionists, investigators, doctors and other legal and medical experts to build a case capable of winning the compensation you deserve. Decades of advocacy have imbued knowledge of the serious injuries associated with motorcycle collisions, including traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injuries and amputation injuries.

In many cases, long-term rehabilitation and/or disability are realities. If you or a loved one is seriously injured, we encourage you to reach out for legal help as soon as possible.

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, our motorcycle injury lawyers offer free consultations at any of our Southwest Florida office locations, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Naples and Port Charlotte.

We stand behind our reputation and our experience: You’ll Pay Us Nothing Unless We Win.

Motorcycle Injury Attorneys – 800-646-1210 – Free Consultation