Can I be compensated when a family member dies in a motorcycle accident in Florida?
As a general rule, riding a motorcycle is much more dangerous than driving a car. This is especially true when an accident occurs, as injuries to cyclists tend to be much more severe than those in full sized cars, even at low speeds. The fact that a cyclist has little to protect them from colliding with the road and other hard surfaces tends to exacerbate injuries. Unfortunately, this means fatal motorcycle accidents occur frequently.
A region such as south Florida has people riding motorcycles all year long because of the favorable weather. This should cause drivers in the area to be more vigilant in order to avoid serious accidents, but deaths still occur consistently. An incident in Broward County involving two motorcycles shows how a simple mistake can become tragic.
Coconut Creek man dies in fatal motorcycle crash
A 39 year old resident of Coconut Creek was killed when riding his motorcycle through Pompano Beach. He had been driving through the intersection of Northeast 4th avenue and Northeast 24th street at approximately 3 am when the fatal crash occurred with another motorcycle. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office suspects that there may have been a race in progress between the two motorcycles, which contributed to the collision and high impact that pushed the bikes into a wall. The second motorcyclist involved sustained serious injuries related to the crash.
Filing a wrongful death claim
Claims to be compensated when someone dies in an accident can be filed against other the drivers involved, or people who may have created dangerous road conditions such as construction companies. Depending on the situation, their insurance or employer may cover the costs rather than the individual driver.
Actions that are related specifically to someone who has died in a motor vehicle accident are covered under Florida’s wrongful death statute. The wrongful death claim is created by a state law says that a representative of the deceased person can bring an action against the person or entity that caused death due to their negligence or wrongful acts. The representative is usually someone named in a will or other testamentary document, but it can also be a person either appointed by the court, or even someone who depended on the deceased for financial support. In most cases the beneficiaries are a surviving spouse or children. There are strict time limits for these claims, as the statute of limitations requires that they be made within two years of the incident.
The amount of money involved in a wrongful death claim is usually related to the age of the person and their capacity to earn income. A lawyer will make a claim for economic damages related to the amount of money the deceased person would have been able to earn for their remaining years, as well as other amounts related to services they provide for their family and communities. There are also different kinds of damages related to medical and funeral expenses and the pain experienced by family members. Based on these factors, cases involving those who died at a young age or people with high salaries tend to bring in significant amounts to the surviving family members.
Legal help is available in the Coconut Creek area
If you have been involved in an accident or had a family member die recently in an automobile crash, contact Madalon Law. Coconut Creek residents have been successfully represented by Madalon Law in a number of cases related to accidents over the years.
