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When a driver turns into your path on Federal Highway or drifts into your lane on I-595, you have almost no protection, and the injuries show it. Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers helps riders across Broward County recover from these crashes, and our Pompano Beach office sits a short drive north of downtown. As trusted Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyers, we handle the insurance fight while you focus on getting back on your feet.
Florida's insurance system treats motorcyclists differently from drivers, and many riders learn that the hard way when their first medical bills arrive. Call 561-800-8000 for a free consultation, available 24/7, and find out where your compensation may come from.
What Does a Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Handle for You?
A Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyer identifies every insurance policy that may pay for your injuries, proves the other driver's fault, and negotiates with insurers who often assume the rider was reckless. That work matters more for riders than for car occupants, because motorcycles fall outside Florida's personal injury protection (PIP) system.
Our team takes on tasks such as:
- Requesting the crash report and any body camera or traffic video
- Inspecting your motorcycle, helmet, and riding gear before anything is repaired or discarded
- Reviewing your own policies for uninsured motorist and medical payments coverage
- Tracking down the at-fault driver's liability coverage and any umbrella policy
- Coordinating medical billing so providers and health insurers are paid from the right sources
- Building a demand that reflects your future care, not just the bills to date
You stay informed throughout, and the lawyer on your case leads it from start to finish.
Who Pays Your Medical Bills When PIP Does Not Cover Motorcycles?
PIP does not cover motorcycle crashes in Florida, so a rider's medical bills come from other sources: the at-fault driver's insurance, the rider's own optional coverage, and health insurance. Florida's no-fault law defines a motor vehicle as a vehicle with four or more wheels under section 627.732, which leaves motorcycles out.
The table below shows the coverage sources we look for in a Fort Lauderdale motorcycle claim.
| Coverage source | Who carries it | What it may pay |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | The at-fault driver | Medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, up to the policy limit |
| Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) | You, if you bought it for your motorcycle | Losses beyond the at-fault driver's coverage, or when that driver had none |
| Medical payments (MedPay) | You, if you added it to your motorcycle policy | Medical bills regardless of fault, up to the policy limit |
| Helmet-exemption medical policy | Riders over 21 who ride without a helmet | At least $10,000 in medical benefits, as Florida law requires for helmet-free riding |
| Health insurance | You, through an employer or private plan | Treatment costs, often with a right to repayment from your settlement |
Florida does not require drivers to carry bodily injury liability coverage, so many at-fault drivers carry little or none. That gap makes UM/UIM coverage one of the most important parts of a rider's policy, and we check for it in every case.
Is Pain and Suffering Compensation Available After a Motorcycle Crash?
Riders hurt by negligent drivers may seek compensation for pain and suffering along with their financial losses. Florida's no-fault law limits pain and suffering claims against drivers who carry PIP to injuries that are permanent, cause significant scarring, or result in death under section 627.737.
How the Permanency Threshold Applies to Riders
That threshold ties to injuries for which PIP benefits are payable. Because a motorcycle sits outside the PIP system, the threshold often does not limit a rider's pain and suffering claim the way it limits a car occupant's claim, although the answer depends on the policies involved. We review your insurance and your household's insurance early so this question does not surprise you later.
Damages Riders Commonly Recover
Motorcycle injuries tend to be severe, so the damages in these cases often include:
- Emergency care, surgery, and rehabilitation
- Future medical care and assistive devices
- Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Scarring and disfigurement from road rash
- Repair or replacement of your motorcycle, helmet, and riding gear
Documenting each category carefully protects the full value of your claim.
What Steps Protect a Broward County Motorcycle Claim?
The steps you take in the first days after a Broward County motorcycle crash shape the strength of your claim. Some of these steps fall to you, and others are ones our team handles once you call.
- Get medical care right away, even if adrenaline masks your pain.
- Report the crash to the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, the Broward Sheriff's Office, or the Florida Highway Patrol, depending on where it happened.
- Photograph your bike, your gear, the vehicles, and the road before anything is moved or repaired.
- Keep your damaged helmet and riding gear in a safe place as evidence.
- Decline to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurer until you have legal advice.
- Call our team so we may request the crash report and contact witnesses.
Florida law now requires drivers to report crashes involving injury, death, or apparent property damage of at least $2,000, up from $500, under an amendment to section 316.065 that took effect October 1, 2026. Any crash that hurts a rider meets that standard.
What to Expect From the Insurance Adjuster
Insurance adjusters who handle motorcycle claims often start from the assumption that the rider took a risk. Knowing their playbook helps you avoid statements and decisions that lower the value of your claim.
Common tactics we see in Broward County motorcycle cases include:
- A quick call asking for a recorded statement while you are still on pain medication
- An early offer that covers the emergency room bill but nothing that comes after
- Requests for years of unrelated medical records to argue your injuries were preexisting
- Suggestions that you were speeding, weaving, or hard to see, with no evidence behind them
- Delays that stretch toward the filing deadline
Once we represent you, adjusters deal with us, and every claim they make about your crash has to stand up to the evidence.
Where Are Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Lawsuits Filed?
Most motorcycle claims settle, but when a lawsuit becomes necessary, Fort Lauderdale cases seeking more than $50,000 go to circuit court in Florida's 17th Judicial Circuit. The circuit's central courthouse is the Broward County Courthouse at 201 SE Sixth Street in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Your Deadline to File
Florida gives most injured riders two years from the crash to file a negligence lawsuit under section 95.11(5)(a). Claims involving a government vehicle or a dangerous road condition follow separate notice rules, so it pays to confirm your deadline early.
When a Rider Does Not Survive
If a motorcycle crash takes a rider's life, the personal representative of the estate brings a wrongful death claim for the surviving family and the estate. That claim generally must be filed within two years of the death under section 95.11(5)(e). We approach these cases with patience and care, because no settlement replaces the person a family lost.
Results Our Firm Has Recovered for Injured Clients
Our lawyers have recovered over $250 million for injured clients. The results below involve the kinds of fractures and spinal injuries riders often suffer, though none is presented here as a motorcycle case:
- $4,150,000 for a severe leg fracture, spinal injury, and foot injury
- $1,065,000 for a leg fracture with cervical and lumbar injuries
- $794,000 for left ankle surgery and spine injuries
Past results depend on the facts of each case and do not predict the outcome of any future claim.
Why Riders Choose Frankl Kominsky in Fort Lauderdale
Riders choose Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers because a lawyer, not a case manager, drives their case forward. That hands-on approach lets us spot coverage problems and insurer tactics before they cost you money. Our Pompano Beach office on McNab Road keeps us close to Broward County courts, police agencies, and medical providers.
Fort Lauderdale riders work with a firm that offers:
- 60+ years of combined injury law experience
- Over 2,000 verified client reviews
- Super Lawyers and National Trial Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 recognition for Steven Frankl
- Staff fluent in Spanish and Creole
Whether you were hit on I-595 or along A1A, our team is ready to review your crash, find every policy that applies, and explain your options at no cost.
FAQs: Fort Lauderdale Motorcycle Accidents
How much does it cost to hire a motorcycle accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale?
Most Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyers, including our firm, charge no upfront fees and work on a contingency fee. You pay attorney fees only if we recover compensation, and the fee percentage appears in a written agreement that follows Florida Bar limits.
What is the average motorcycle accident settlement in Florida?
No reliable average exists for Florida motorcycle accident settlements, because values range from a few thousand dollars to millions depending on the injury and the insurance available. The biggest factors are the severity and permanence of your injuries, your lost income, the at-fault driver's policy limits, and whether you carry UM/UIM coverage.
Do motorcyclists have to carry insurance in Florida?
Florida does not require motorcyclists to buy PIP, and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles does not require insurance to register a motorcycle. After a crash or certain traffic violations, though, a rider must show proof of financial responsibility of $10,000 per person and $20,000 per crash in bodily injury coverage plus $10,000 in property damage coverage under section 324.021.
Does a motorcycle passenger have a separate injury claim?
Yes, a passenger hurt in a Fort Lauderdale motorcycle crash may bring a separate claim against every driver who caused the collision, including the motorcycle operator. The passenger's claim may draw on the other driver's liability coverage, the operator's liability coverage, and any UM/UIM coverage that applies.
What if the insurance company blames me for the motorcycle crash?
Insurers often argue that a rider was speeding or hard to see, and Florida's comparative fault law lets them reduce a payout by the rider's share of blame. Under section 768.81, a rider found more than 50% at fault recovers nothing, so we use crash data, witness accounts, and video to answer those claims with evidence.
Get Back on the Road With a Team Behind You
The insurance company has already started building its version of your crash. A free conversation with our team helps you understand which policies apply and what your claim may be worth.
Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers is available 24/7 for riders hurt in Fort Lauderdale and throughout Broward County. Call 561-800-8000 to speak with a Fort Lauderdale motorcycle accident lawyer today.
