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Category: Motorcycle Injury Claims

Residents Asking for Safer Roads After Fatal Motorcycle Crash

Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Area residents in Siesta Key, Florida, are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to a dangerous road, reports WWSB 7 News (http://www.mysuncoast.com/2019/02/21/residents-pushing-safer-roads-following-deadly-motorcycle-accident-near-dangerous-curve/).

Dee Reams, who lives in a home close to the dangerous intersection of Higel Avenue and Siesta Drive, is at the forefront of this effort. She says the situation has only gotten worse over the five years she has lived there. Currently, Reams is Make Siesta Drive Safer’s chairperson, and the group is pushing to make a two-mile section of the drive safer, particularly at its curve.

Reams said that the group has gone through records from the county, city, and local police department. They discovered that there were more than 180 crashes on the two-mile section over the last five years alone. Out of those crashes, says Reams, at least four involved fatalities, and those took place by Siesta Drive’s sharp curve. One happened just days before Reams talked to the local news outlet. In that case, a motorcyclist lost control and was struck by another driver. He died from his injuries at the scene.

This particular road goes to and from the popular Siesta Beach. The Florida Department of Transportation, at the urging of the group, took some measures to make the road safer back in 2017. They lowered the speed limit at the curve to 25 miles per hour and installed flashing warning signs to inform drivers of the limit. The curve was re-striped to make it clearer to drivers where their vehicle should be on the road as they drive along the curve.

However, Reams says the speed limit is still 40 miles per hour leading into the curve.

Brian Rick, a Public Information Specialist with the Florida Department of Transportation, says the department has looked into the issue with the speed limit that has been raised by the group. According to Rick, they have determined that the speed limit as it is now is the appropriate limit for that particular road.

According to Reams, the speed limit was temporarily lowed from 40 miles per hour to 30 miles per hour after one of the deadly crashes, but then it was raised back up to 40 miles per hour. She and other residents are hoping it will be lowered back to 30 miles per hour permanently. The group also has other safety requests they have presented to the department, including the installation of crosswalks at Hamilton Avenue and Shell Road. Ream added that they would also like a physical addition to the road, like a speed bump to slow people down who are going into the curb and the installation of flashing lights.

The Florida Department of Transportation says they are listening to the concerns of residents about this dangerous road section. They are meeting with county officials in the near future to discuss options to improve its safety.

Personal Injury: Uninsured Motorist Coverage the most Important Insurance You Will Ever Need

Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist coverage, collectively referred to as UM Coverage, for many persons is the most important insurance to have and hardly anyone knows about it or understands what it is for.  It is for when someone else hurts you and cannot pay the bills and costs they caused you.

On every insurance policy issued in Georgia there is a requirement the insurance company offer you UM coverage.  This is coverage to protect you, your family you reside with, and the passengers in your vehicle when another driver injures you or your passengers do to no fault of your own and they do not have insurance or enough insurance coverage to cover your injuries, bills, or lost work wages.  To increase this coverage beyond the state mandatory minimum of $25,000 can be just a few dollars a month.

Client Example: Recently, Andrew had a real case example of the different outcomes for clients with quality UM coverage and the possible results for a client without quality UM coverage.

Andrew’s client, we will call him John G., was riding a dirt bike through his neighborhood when a large SUV turned left without yielding in front of him.  John G. struck the side of the SUV, was thrown from his motorcycle, and shattered both of his knees.  John G. was rushed to Grady Memorial Hospital.  There John G. had multiple surgeries and amassed a $140,000 medical bill.

John G. retained Andrew.  John G.’s biggest problem was the SUV only had $50,000 in liability coverage, which is better than most insurance policies and double the state minimum of $25,000.  John G. owed a $140,000 to his doctor’s, had no health insurance, and only knew of one insurance company to contact, the at fault SUV’s insurance company.

John G. retained Andrew and Andrew quickly identified that John G. resided with his Grandmother, in Under Insured Motorist law she is a “resident relative”, and she had two separate underinsured motorist policies, one from State Farm Insurance for $50,000 and one from All-State Insurance for $25,000. Because John G. was living with his grandmother at the time of his injury he was given legal standing under the policies to recover, even thought he was not listed on them anywhere.

Because of John G.’s grandmother’s insurance choices prior to the wreck her grandson’s potential recovery went from $50,000 to to potentially $125,000.  This is why anyone reading this should stop, contact your insurance company, and increase your UM coverage now!

Without having the UM coverage, John G.’s entire recovery may have been turned over to the hospital, doctors. and legal fees.   In John G’s case all three insurance policies turned over their limits.

Andrew himself believes there is no more important insurance to have and to share a bit of personal information Andrew’s UM limits are $500,000.