Attorney Jason Chalik, Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers Comments on Florida Motorcycle Fatalities

Miami, FL (Law Firm Newswire) April 1, 2016 – Florida has more motorcycle fatalities than any other state, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported.

Among all vehicle operators in Florida, only 7 percent are motorcyclists, but motorcycle accidents account for 19 percent of all fatal accidents. More motorcycles are expected on Florida roads than usual as thousands of riders travel to Daytona for Bike Week.

“It is a fact that people on motorcycles are more vulnerable to injury or death in the event of a collision,” said Jason Chalik, a Florida car accident attorney with Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers. “It is important for motorcyclists to ride safely and for automobile drivers to share the road.”

Motorcycle fatalities have soared in Florida since 2000, when the state law requiring motorcycle riders to wear helmets was repealed. The NHTSA recorded 22 “unhelmeted” deaths in Florida in 1998 and 1999, before the helmet law was repealed. In 2013, the most recent year for which complete information is available, there were 237 unhelmeted deaths and 485 total motorcycle fatalities. Motorcyclists age 21 and over are allowed to ride without helmets provided they have at least $10,000 in medical insurance coverage.

Doctors and insurance companies say that helmets are essential safety gear, but even helmeted riders are more vulnerable than car drivers. In 2013, motorcyclists were 26 times more likely to be killed and five times more likely to be injured in an accident than automobile drivers. Nine out of every 100,000 car drivers is involved in a fatal crash, but for motorcyclists that number is 56 out of every 100,000.

“Anyone who is injured or loses a family member in a motorcycle or car accident through the fault of another driver, should contact a personal injury attorney,” said Chalik.

Learn more at http://www.chaliklaw.com/. Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers 28 W Flagler St, #1000 Miami, FL 33130 Phone: (305) 944-2035

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