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IN THIS ARTICLE
A split second. That’s all it takes for a negligent driver to turn left without looking, for your life to change forever. One moment you’re riding down Federal Highway enjoying the South Florida sun; the next, you’re staring at a hospital ceiling wondering how you’ll pay your medical bills, whether you’ll walk again, or how your family will survive without your income.
At Kaiser Romanello Accident & Injury Attorneys, our legal team has sat across the table from riders who thought they’d never feel whole again. We’ve seen the road rash that covers entire limbs, the spinal cord injuries that steal mobility, and the traumatic brain injuries that rob people of who they used to be. We’ve also seen what happens when those same riders have aggressive legal representation fighting for every dollar they deserve.
Broward County recorded over 700 motorcycle crashes in 2023, with Fort Lauderdale’s roads claiming dozens of lives and leaving hundreds of riders with catastrophic injuries. If you’re reading this because someone else’s negligence put you here, know this: you have rights, you have options, and you have a team ready to fight for you.
Why Fort Lauderdale Is Dangerous for Motorcycle Riders
Fort Lauderdale’s year-round riding weather is both a blessing and a curse. While riders elsewhere wait out winter, our streets stay packed with motorcycles—and with drivers who aren’t looking for them. The city’s unique combination of tourist traffic, aggressive commuters, and aging infrastructure creates danger zones that every local rider knows too well.
The I-95 "Deadliest Mile" and the I-595 Interchange
The stretch of I-95 between the I-595 interchange and Marina Mile Boulevard has earned a grim nickname: “America’s deadliest mile.” Over a 19-year period, 24 people died in collisions along this single-mile corridor. For motorcyclists, this section presents a perfect storm of hazards.
Traffic entering and exiting I-595 creates chaotic merging patterns. Drivers change lanes aggressively, often without checking mirrors or blind spots. The high speeds—frequently exceeding 70 mph even in congestion—leave motorcyclists with zero margin for error. When a driver cuts across three lanes to make an exit, a rider in their path has fractions of a second to react.
The interchanges at Broward Boulevard and Sunrise Boulevard compound these dangers. Drivers unfamiliar with the complex ramp system make last-second decisions, weaving across traffic in ways that put motorcyclists directly in harm’s way.
Federal Highway (US-1): Intersection Hazards
Federal Highway bisects Fort Lauderdale from north to south, and its intersections have become killing grounds for motorcyclists. The crossings at Sunrise Boulevard and SE 17th Street consistently rank among Broward County’s highest-crash locations.
What makes US-1 so dangerous? The corridor mixes everything that threatens riders: heavy commercial truck traffic making wide turns, tourists in rental cars checking GPS instead of watching the road, and dense pedestrian activity that distracts drivers at critical moments. Traffic signals are spaced just far enough apart that drivers accelerate aggressively between them, then brake hard at yellow lights—often without checking whether a motorcycle is behind them.
Sunrise Boulevard and SR-7: Speed Meets Chaos
The intersection of Sunrise Boulevard and Federal Highway has claimed more lives than any rider should have to think about. But it’s not alone. The SR-7 corridor along Fort Lauderdale’s western edge presents a different kind of danger: high-speed traffic mixing with constant business entrances and exits.
Drivers on SR-7 travel at 50+ mph, then brake suddenly to turn into strip malls and gas stations. They rarely signal. They almost never check for motorcycles. For a rider traveling legally in the right lane, an unsignaled right turn from a vehicle ahead can mean a collision with no time to react.
Broward County Areas We Serve
Motorcycle accidents don’t respect city limits. Our Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident attorneys represent injured riders throughout Broward County, including:
Sunrise — The commercial corridors along Oakland Park Boulevard and University Drive see heavy traffic and frequent left-turn collisions at major intersections.
Pompano Beach — Atlantic Boulevard and Federal Highway create dangerous crossing patterns, particularly near the beach areas where tourist traffic spikes seasonally.
Hollywood — The Hollywood Boulevard and US-1 intersection, along with the I-95 corridor through the city, generates a significant number of motorcycle crashes each year.
Plantation — Broward Boulevard and Pine Island Road intersections combine suburban traffic patterns with highway-speed expectations, creating hazardous conditions for riders.
Davie — University Drive and Griffin Road see motorcycle commuters from Nova Southeastern University and surrounding areas facing distracted drivers daily.
Coral Springs and Parkland — Our Parkland office at 11555 Heron Bay Blvd serves riders throughout northwest Broward County who’ve been injured on Sample Road, University Drive, and the Sawgrass Expressway.
No matter where your accident occurred in Broward County, our legal team can help you pursue the compensation you deserve.
Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents in Fort Lauderdale
Understanding how these crashes occur isn’t just academic. It explains why motorcyclists suffer such severe injuries and why proving fault requires experienced legal representation.
Left-Turn Collisions: The Leading Cause of Rider Deaths
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, approximately 42% of fatal motorcycle accidents involve a vehicle turning left while a motorcycle travels straight or attempts to pass. This statistic isn’t abstract—it describes a specific, preventable failure that kills riders every day on Fort Lauderdale roads.
Here’s what happens: A driver approaches an intersection, waiting to turn left. They scan for oncoming traffic, but they’re looking for cars and trucks—large vehicles that fill their field of vision. A motorcycle, with its narrow profile, doesn’t register. The driver turns, violating the motorcyclist’s right of way. The rider, who had every legal right to proceed, has perhaps one second to brake or swerve before impact.
At Fort Lauderdale speeds, that’s not enough time. The rider either T-bones the turning vehicle or is struck broadside. Either way, the physics are devastating. A human body, even one wearing protective gear, cannot withstand the forces involved.
Insurance companies love to blame riders for these crashes. They argue the motorcyclist was speeding, that they should have anticipated the turn, that they could have braked sooner. An experienced Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident attorney knows how to counter these arguments with accident reconstruction, witness testimony, and traffic camera footage that proves the driver failed their duty to yield.
Lane-Change and Blind Spot Accidents
Motorcycles are small. Drivers forget to check mirrors. The result is predictable and deadly.
On Fort Lauderdale’s multi-lane roads—I-95, US-1, Sunrise Boulevard—drivers change lanes constantly. Many never turn their heads to check blind spots. A motorcycle traveling in a driver’s blind spot can be struck without warning when that negligent driver suddenly veers into their lane.
These accidents often result in “sideswiping” scenarios where the motorcycle is knocked off balance and the rider is thrown. At highway speeds, this almost always means catastrophic injury.
Rear-End Collisions at Intersections
A rear-end collision between two cars might result in whiplash and a dented bumper. The same collision involving a motorcycle can kill the rider.
Fort Lauderdale traffic features constant stop-and-go conditions, especially during rush hour and near the beach areas. Distracted drivers—checking phones, adjusting GPS, turning to talk to passengers—rear-end motorcycles stopped at red lights. The rider, with no protection behind them, absorbs the full force of impact. Even low-speed rear-end collisions can launch a rider off their bike, resulting in spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury, or death.
Drunk and Impaired Driving
Alcohol-related motorcycle crashes spike on weekends and during Fort Lauderdale’s busy tourist season. Impaired drivers have slower reaction times, impaired judgment, and difficulty tracking smaller vehicles like motorcycles. When a drunk driver runs a red light or drifts across lanes, motorcyclists have almost no chance to avoid the collision.
Dangerous Road Conditions
Not every motorcycle accident involves another vehicle. Potholes, uneven pavement, loose gravel, and debris on Fort Lauderdale roads can cause a rider to lose control. When poor road maintenance contributes to your crash, government entities responsible for road upkeep may share liability for your injuries.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
The same freedom that makes riding exhilarating—the open air, the connection to the road—leaves motorcyclists vulnerable to devastating injuries when accidents occur. Unlike car occupants protected by steel frames, airbags, and seatbelts, motorcycle riders absorb the full force of any collision.
Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI)
Traumatic brain injuries remain the leading cause of death in motorcycle accidents, even among helmeted riders. The violent forces involved in a crash can cause the brain to strike the inside of the skull, resulting in concussions, contusions, or severe brain bleeding. Symptoms may not appear immediately—some TBI victims feel fine at the scene, only to collapse hours later.
Long-term effects of traumatic brain injury can include memory loss, personality changes, difficulty concentrating, chronic headaches, and permanent cognitive impairment. These injuries often require years of rehabilitation and may prevent victims from ever returning to their previous careers.
Spinal Cord Injuries and Paralysis
Spinal cord injuries can result in partial or complete paralysis, fundamentally changing every aspect of a victim’s life. Depending on where the spine is damaged, victims may face paraplegia (paralysis of the legs) or quadriplegia (paralysis of all four limbs). Even “incomplete” spinal injuries can cause chronic pain, loss of sensation, and permanent mobility limitations.
The lifetime cost of caring for a spinal cord injury patient can exceed $5 million, including medical care, home modifications, assistive equipment, and lost earning capacity.
Long-term effects of traumatic brain injury can include memory loss, personality changes, difficulty concentrating, chronic headaches, and permanent cognitive impairment. These injuries often require years of rehabilitation and may prevent victims from ever returning to their previous careers.
Road Rash and Severe Skin Injuries
Road rash sounds minor—it isn’t. When a rider slides across pavement at speed, the friction can strip away multiple layers of skin, exposing muscle and bone. Severe road rash requires skin grafts, causes permanent scarring, and carries serious infection risks. Recovery is painful and often leaves victims with disfigurement that affects their confidence and quality of life for years.
Broken Bones and Fractures
The impact forces in motorcycle accidents frequently cause broken bones throughout the body. Common fractures include broken legs, shattered femurs, fractured pelvises, broken arms, wrist fractures, and rib injuries. Compound fractures—where bone pierces through skin—carry additional infection risks and often require multiple surgeries with metal plates, screws, and pins.
Some fractures heal completely; others result in chronic pain, reduced mobility, and arthritis that worsens over time. Leg and pelvis fractures can affect a rider’s ability to ever operate a motorcycle again.
Internal Injuries and Organ Damage
The blunt force trauma of a motorcycle collision can damage internal organs even when there’s no visible external injury. Ruptured spleens, lacerated livers, punctured lungs, and internal bleeding require emergency surgery and can be life-threatening if not identified quickly. This is why seeking immediate medical attention after any motorcycle accident is critical—internal injuries may not produce obvious symptoms until they become medical emergencies.
Florida's Legal Landscape: What HB 837 Means for Your Claim
Florida’s legal rules for motorcycle accidents changed dramatically in 2023. If you don’t understand these changes, you could lose your right to compensation entirely.
The 2-Year Statute of Limitations
Before 2023, Florida gave injury victims four years to file a personal injury lawsuit. House Bill 837 cut that deadline in half. You now have exactly two years from the date of your motorcycle accident to file suit. Miss this deadline by even one day, and the courthouse doors close permanently. It doesn’t matter how severe your injuries are or how clearly the other driver was at fault. Two years. No exceptions.
This deadline makes early legal consultation critical. Evidence disappears quickly after an accident—surveillance footage is overwritten, witnesses forget details, physical evidence is cleared from the scene. A motorcycle accident lawyer needs time to investigate, document, and build your case before that two-year clock runs out.
Comparative Negligence: The 50% Rule
HB 837 also changed how Florida handles shared fault. Under the new “modified comparative negligence” rule, you can only recover compensation if you are 50% or less responsible for the accident. If a jury finds you 51% at fault, you recover nothing.
This rule gives insurance companies a powerful weapon. They will argue that you were speeding, that you failed to take evasive action, that you were riding in a blind spot. Every percentage point of fault they can pin on you reduces their payout—and if they push you past 50%, they pay nothing at all.
Understanding how comparative negligence works is essential to protecting your claim. Your attorney must anticipate these arguments and build evidence that places responsibility squarely on the negligent driver who caused your crash.
What If You Weren't Wearing a Helmet?
Florida law allows riders over 21 to operate motorcycles without helmets, provided they carry at least $10,000 in medical insurance. But insurance companies use helmet non-use aggressively to reduce claims.
Here’s their argument: Even if their driver caused the accident, your decision not to wear a helmet made your head injuries worse. Therefore, you’re partially responsible for your own damages.
This argument can reduce your compensation significantly under Florida’s comparative negligence rules. However, it doesn’t eliminate your claim entirely. The key is separating the injuries caused by the accident itself from any additional harm allegedly caused by helmet non-use. An experienced motorcycle accident attorney knows how to work with medical experts who can make this distinction clearly and defensibly.
The Legal Process After a Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident
Understanding what happens after your crash helps you make informed decisions about your recovery and your claim.
Step 1: Medical Treatment and Documentation
Your health comes first—always. Seek medical attention immediately after any motorcycle accident, even if you feel fine. Adrenaline masks pain, and some serious injuries (including traumatic brain injuries and internal bleeding) may not produce obvious symptoms for hours or days.
Beyond protecting your health, prompt medical treatment creates documentation that connects your injuries directly to the accident. Insurance companies look for gaps in treatment to argue that your injuries aren’t as serious as claimed, or that something other than the accident caused them.
Keep copies of all medical records, bills, and receipts. Document your recovery with photos of injuries as they heal. This evidence becomes the foundation of your claim.
Step 2: Dealing with Insurance Companies
The at-fault driver’s insurance company will contact you quickly—sometimes within hours of your accident. Their goal is simple: settle your claim for as little as possible before you understand what it’s really worth.
Do not give recorded statements to any insurance company without consulting an attorney first. Adjusters are trained to ask questions designed to get you to admit fault or minimize your injuries. Even innocent statements like “I’m feeling better” can be used against you later.
Your own insurance claim may also come into play. If you carry uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM), it can provide additional compensation when the at-fault driver’s policy limits aren’t enough to cover your damages.
Step 3: Investigation and Evidence Preservation
Building a strong motorcycle accident case requires evidence that may disappear quickly:
– Police reports documenting the accident scene and any citations issued
– Surveillance footage from nearby businesses or traffic cameras
– Witness statements while memories are fresh
– Photographs of vehicle damage, road conditions, and injuries
– Electronic data from vehicle “black boxes” that record speed and braking
– Medical records connecting your injuries to the collision
An experienced legal team begins this investigation immediately, often sending preservation letters to prevent evidence from being destroyed.
Step 4: Calculating Your Full Damages
Insurance companies calculate what they want to pay. Your attorney calculates what you actually deserve. These numbers are rarely the same.
A complete damages assessment includes all current and future medical expenses, lost wages and lost earning capacity, property damage to your motorcycle and gear, pain and suffering, and the long-term impact on your quality of life. Catastrophic injuries like spinal cord damage or traumatic brain injury require expert testimony to project lifetime care costs.
Step 5: Negotiation or Litigation
Most motorcycle accident cases settle without going to trial. However, the threat of litigation—backed by thorough preparation—is what drives fair settlements. Insurance companies know which attorneys are willing to take cases to court and which will accept lowball offers.
If the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, filing a lawsuit preserves your rights and signals that you’re serious about recovering what you deserve. Your attorney handles all court filings, discovery, depositions, and trial preparation while you focus on your recovery.
What Your Motorcycle Accident Claim May Be Worth
Catastrophic injuries deserve full compensation. But “worth” isn’t a simple number—it’s a comprehensive accounting of everything the accident cost you.
Economic Damages: The Calculable Costs
Economic damages cover your financial losses with documented precision:
Medical expenses include emergency room treatment, hospitalization, surgeries, diagnostic imaging, prescription medications, physical therapy, occupational therapy, psychological counseling, medical equipment, home healthcare, and any future medical care your injuries require.
Lost income covers wages lost during your recovery period, used sick days and vacation time, missed bonuses and commissions, and self-employment income if you run your own business.
Lost earning capacity applies if your injuries prevent you from returning to your previous occupation or from working at all. This calculation projects your lost future earnings over your remaining work life—potentially millions of dollars for young workers with catastrophic injuries.
Property damage covers motorcycle repair or replacement, damaged riding gear (helmets, jackets, boots), and any other personal property destroyed in the crash.
Non-Economic Damages: The Human Cost
Physical pain and suffering compensates for the agony of your injuries—the surgeries, the rehabilitation, the chronic pain that may never fully resolve.
Emotional distress covers anxiety, depression, PTSD, and other psychological impacts of the accident and your injuries.
Loss of enjoyment of life addresses activities you can no longer perform—riding your motorcycle again, playing with your children, pursuing hobbies that brought you joy.
Disfigurement and scarring compensates for permanent physical changes, including road rash scarring, amputation, and visible injuries that affect how others perceive you.
Loss of consortium applies to spouses and family members whose relationships have been damaged by your injuries.
Why Choose Kaiser Romanello for Your Motorcycle Accident Case
Not every personal injury firm understands motorcycle accidents. Not every attorney will fight as hard as your case deserves.
A Legal Team That Understands Riders
We know that motorcyclists face unfair biases. Some jurors and insurance adjusters assume that riding a motorcycle is inherently reckless, which can affect how your claim is evaluated. Our attorneys know how to counter these prejudices with evidence, expert testimony, and compelling advocacy that focuses on the negligent driver’s actions—not your choice of vehicle.
Years of Experience Fighting for Injury Victims
Kaiser Romanello Accident & Injury Attorneys has built a reputation for aggressive representation and successful outcomes. Our years of experience handling complex personal injury cases—including motorcycle accidents with catastrophic injuries—means we know how to investigate thoroughly, calculate damages accurately, and negotiate from a position of strength.
We’ve recovered significant verdicts and settlements for clients who were told their cases were hopeless. We understand the tactics insurance companies use, and we know how to counter them.
Resources to Take On Insurance Companies
Fighting a major insurance company requires resources. We invest in accident reconstruction experts, medical specialists, economists who calculate lifetime damages, and whatever else your case needs. You don’t pay for any of this upfront—we advance all costs and only recover them if we win your case.
No Fee Unless We Win
We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing upfront and no hourly fees. We only collect a fee if we recover compensation for you. This allows you to focus on your recovery while we handle the legal process.
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