Injured riding in Florida? Motorcycle injuries are usually severe, and PIP does not apply to bikes. We pursue the full recovery you deserve.
Motorcycle accidents tend to produce severe injuries: traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, road rash, multiple fractures, and long recovery timelines. Florida adds two complications most riders do not realize until after the crash. First, PIP / no-fault coverage does not apply to motorcycles, which means the medical and wage protection that car drivers have automatically does not exist for riders. Second, jurors and adjusters often carry an implicit bias against motorcyclists ("they were probably riding dangerously"), which the at-fault carrier exploits when valuing claims. Ilabaca Law represents Florida riders injured by negligent drivers anywhere in the state.
Florida's no-fault law (Fla. Stat. § 627.736) was written for cars, not motorcycles. Riders are not required to carry PIP and their auto policies typically do not include it. The result is that you cannot rely on automatic medical coverage from your own policy after a motorcycle crash. Recovery comes from three sources: your own health insurance, MedPay coverage if you purchased it, and the bodily injury claim against the at-fault driver. Without aggressive case-building, riders end up paying out of pocket for injuries they did not cause.
Most motorcycle crashes are caused by other drivers, not riders. The most common scenarios are left-turn collisions (a car turns left across the rider's path), failure-to-yield at intersections, unsafe lane changes (drivers not seeing motorcycles in adjacent lanes), distracted driving, and rear-end collisions when motorcycles stop more quickly than cars. Florida's heavy tourist traffic adds out-of-state drivers unfamiliar with motorcycle traffic patterns. Each scenario has its own liability analysis and witness profile.
Florida law (Fla. Stat. § 316.211) allows riders 21 and older who carry at least $10,000 in medical insurance to ride without a helmet. Riders under 21 must wear helmets. Whether you wore a helmet at the time of the crash does not bar recovery, but the defense will argue helmet non-use as a comparative-fault factor for head and neck injuries. We address this directly with biomechanical analysis (would a helmet have changed the outcome?) and document the legal compliance issue.
Motorcycle accident attorneys who understand bias, severity, and Florida riding law.
Motorcycle cases typically turn on four levers:
Police reports, scene photos, witness statements, dashcam and traffic-cam footage, and reconstruction when needed establish that the other driver was at fault.
We pre-empt rider stereotypes with riding history, training certifications, and vehicle inspection records that show the rider was operating safely.
Motorcycle injuries are typically more severe than car injuries. We document the full medical picture: emergency care, surgical interventions, rehabilitation, and lifetime care projections.
At-fault driver's liability limits, your own UM/UIM coverage on the motorcycle policy, and any household-vehicle coverage that may apply (stacking).
2 years from the date of the accident to file a negligence claim, for accidents on or after March 24, 2023. Earlier accidents follow the prior 4-year rule.
Modified comparative fault: if you are more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing. Liability documentation is decisive.
Riders under 21 must wear helmets. Riders 21+ must wear helmets unless covered by at least $10,000 in medical insurance. Non-compliance does not bar recovery but can trigger comparative-fault arguments on head injuries.
We open the file with a no-obligation case review, get the police report and any traffic-cam or dashcam footage, and put the at-fault carrier on written notice. We document the full medical picture from emergency through rehabilitation, develop life-care projections for serious injuries, and build the case for what the recovery should actually look like. We make a written demand backed by evidence; if the carrier will not engage reasonably, we file suit and take the case through to trial when needed.
Motorcycle insurance adjusters offer some of the lowest initial settlements in the industry, betting on rider bias to depress jury awards if it ever goes to court. Your best leverage is getting a lawyer involved before you talk to any adjuster.
Start your free case review today. Send us the police report and any photos and Attorney Ravinet will follow up promptly.
Every motorcycle case is different. The best answers come from looking at the police report, your medical records, and the available insurance coverage. Contact Ilabaca Law for a free, no-obligation review and clear next steps.
No. Florida's no-fault law (Fla. Stat. § 627.736) was written for cars, and motorcycles are exempt. Riders are not required to carry PIP and most do not. Recovery for medical bills and lost wages comes from your own health insurance, MedPay if you have it on the bike, and the bodily injury claim against the at-fault driver. This is one of the biggest reasons riders need a lawyer fast: the automatic medical safety net car drivers have does not exist for you.
No, but it can affect it. Florida's helmet law (Fla. Stat. § 316.211) lets riders 21 and older with $10,000 in medical insurance ride without helmets. Whether or not you wore one does not bar recovery, but the defense will argue helmet non-use as a comparative-fault factor for head and neck injuries specifically. We rebut this with biomechanical analysis and proper legal framing.
Two years from the date of the accident under Fla. Stat. § 95.11, for accidents on or after March 24, 2023. Earlier accidents have the prior 4-year limit. Different deadlines apply for claims against governmental entities, so call us before assuming any clock has run.
Hit-and-run accidents are covered by your UM/UIM coverage if you have it on your motorcycle policy. Reporting the accident to police promptly is critical, and any evidence of the other vehicle (witnesses, traffic cam footage, debris) helps establish the contact. If you do not have UM coverage, recovery may be limited; this is one of the strongest arguments for carrying UM/UIM as a rider.
Often yes, because motorcycle injuries are typically more severe. Riders lack the protection of a car frame, airbags, and seatbelts, so the same impact produces greater harm. That said, juries and adjusters can carry implicit bias against riders, so the same severity of injury sometimes produces lower offers in motorcycle cases unless the case is built carefully. Strong documentation overcomes this.
Yes, in most cases, though some policies have specific exclusions for motorcycle injuries (rare in employer plans, more common in individual plans). Even when health insurance pays, it has subrogation rights to recover what it spent out of any settlement or verdict. We coordinate with health insurers to make sure those liens are properly handled and that the rider keeps the maximum net recovery.
No, not without legal review. Adjusters call quickly hoping for a recorded statement that locks in helpful facts and minimizes severity. You are not required to give one. We attend any statement that is required (your own carrier may have policy language requiring cooperation), and we protect the file.
Nothing up front. Motorcycle injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis, with no attorney's fees unless we recover for you.
…and every county in between. Florida-only practice, statewide reach.
Florida deadlines are short. Get a free case review and a straight answer on what your claim is actually worth.
