South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog
Daytona Beach plays host to half a million bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts each year as Bike Week begins March 4th and runs through March 13th. And to think this all started back in 1937 when the first motorcycle race took place on a 3.2 mile beach and sand course.
Though participant’s young and old have a great time our Palm Beach injury attorneys and Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyers know the grim side to the festive 10-day event. Back in 2006 a record 21 bikers lost their lives during the event or driving to or from it.
It is likely the recent accident in Orlando that closed Florida’s Turnpike as reported by
My FOX Orlando was a rider traveling to the event.
The horrific crash occurred just south of Orange Blossom Trail around 6 p.m. Wednesday night involving a motorcycle and tractor trailer. When emergency services arrived at the scene they found the motorcyclist trapped under the axel of the massive truck. A heavy duty wrecker was called to the scene to lift the truck off the victim.
The rescue effort took 70 minutes to extricate the victim from under the truck, who was then flown by helicopter to Orlando Regional Medical Center. All of Florida Turnpike’s southbound lanes were closed for almost 3 hours until the accident was cleaned up.
In 2008, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 5,290 fatalities and 96,000 injuries to motorcyclists. Florida ranked 2nd in motorcycle fatalities with 523, California was 1st with 537.
We should always be mindful of motorcycles on our roadways, ABATE of Florida Inc. offers this advice:
-Expect to see motorcycles, constantly check for them as you would for pedestrians.
-Before you pull out or turn at an intersection check multiple times for motorcycles.
-Don’t tailgate a motorcycle.
-A vehicle has many blind spots, turn your head to see what is around you.
-Motorcycles are typically painted in dark colors and don’t stand out due to their size so don’t rely solely on mirrors to spot them riding around you.
If you have been injured contact an experienced motorcycle attorney. Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez, LLC have been representing accident victims and their families in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Ft. Pierce /Port St. Lucie for years. Call us today to schedule a free and confidential appointment to discuss your case at 1-800-529-2368.