SWFL Motorcycle Safety – Cape Coral Bike Nights

January 23, 2024 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Snow is paralyzing the Northeast, with areas of East Tennessee getting more than a foot of snow for the first time in decades. Millions have spent a good part of January snowed-in.

In Florida, it’s time to get out the motorcycles and go for a ride! The next two months are prime winter-riding season here in Florida. Daytona Bike Week in February will bring thousands of riders from all over the country to the Florida Coast. Here in Southwest Florida, we have a number of events, including Cape Coral Bike Nights, the areas premiere family friendly motorcycle event:

Helmetless Motorcyclists at Greater Risk Under New Florida Law

November 2, 2023 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

On July 1, 2023, a new law went into effect in Florida that could have a significant impact on helmetless motorcyclists. HB837, also known as the “Comparative Fault” bill, changes how personal injury lawsuits are handled in the state.

Under the old law, Florida followed a system of pure comparative negligence. This meant that even if a plaintiff was partially at fault for their own injuries, they could still recover damages from the defendant, as long as the defendant was also at fault. The amount of damages that the plaintiff could recover would be reduced in proportion to their own negligence.

However, HB837 changes Florida to a modified comparative negligence system with a 51% bar. This means that if a plaintiff is found to be 51% or more at fault for their own injuries, they cannot recover any damages from the defendant, even if the defendant was also at fault.

May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month

May 5, 2023 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

It’s time for motorists to renew efforts to watch for motorcycle riders as Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month signals the beginning of the summer riding season.

Motorcyclists too, should keep safety awareness top of mind by having their bike serviced, riding responsibly, taking a basic or advanced rider safety course, and wearing appropriate safety gear. While most adult riders are not required to wear a helmet under Florida law, our motorcycle injury lawyers in Fort Myers recently wrote about legal changes that could limit or even eliminate a rider’s ability to collect damages when serious head injuries result in a collision with an at-fault driver if the rider was not wearing a helmet.

However, we know most riders keep safety at the forefront and want nothing more than to enjoy South Florida’s summer riding season and to make it home safely to their families. The reality is that the vast majority of motorcycle collisions involving other motor vehicles are the fault of the vehicle’s driver.

Motorcycle Rider Safety in Focus

January 29, 2023 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, we know most motorcycle riders keep safety at the forefront of everything they do. Getting out and enjoying their hobby, and making it home safely to their families, is all they ask.

The vast majority of collisions with vehicles are the fault of the vehicle’s driver. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps riders can take to help reduce their chances of being involved in a serious or fatal collision.

As the winter riding season gets underway in earnest, our motorcycle injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral want to share some of our best tips, earned through more than half a century of promoting motorcycle safety in Southwest Florida, and fighting for the rights of riders and families.

Motorcycles Hitting the Roads in SWFL

January 27, 2023 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Visiting motorists and tourists are often surprised to learn that we are entering the height of motorcycle riding season in Southwest Florida. Veteran motorists in Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties can also benefit from frequently reminding themselves to watch for riders this time of year.

Plenty of riders hit the roads in summer. But it’s hot and rainy. The perfect riding weather in the early months of the year, combined with many riders visiting from out of state, make it prime time for motorcycles on the roads of Florida.

Our motorcycle injury lawyers have spent more than half a century fighting for the rights of riders and their families, and promoting rider safety and awareness. For nearly two decades, Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, has provided primary sponsorship to Cape Coral Bike Nights, the area’s largest, family-friendly motorcycle event.

Motorcycle Safety Month Opens Summer Riding Season in SWFL

May 31, 2022 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

May is motorcycle safety awareness month. It is also the start of the summer riding season in Southwest Florida.

While Florida weather permits year-around riding, it also exacerbates the risks, both because motorcycles are on the road all year, and because the never-ending ride breeds complacency among motorists who, because they see riders all year long, might not see them at all.

The truth is the vast majority of motorcycle accidents involving a motor vehicle are the fault of the vehicle’s driver. But that does not mean motorcyclists are powerless when it comes to reducing the risks. Our motorcycle injury lawyers in Fort Myers and Cape Coral have been representing riders and their families in personal injury and wrongful death claims for half a century. And there are a number of lessons we have learned over the years when it comes to safe riding on the roads of Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties.

Motorists: It is YOUR job to prevent motorcycle accidents

May 30, 2022 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Here is the hard truth: If you are involved in a collision with a motorcycle, it is probably going to be your fault.

May is Motorcycle Safety Month. Too often, when we think about motorcycle safety, we think about things riders can do to protect themselves from being involved in a serious or fatal accident. In other words, most motorists do not understand we are talking to them. Yet our motorcycle injury lawyers in Cape Coral and Fort Myers know most motorcycle accidents involving a motor vehicle are determined to be the fault of the vehicle’s driver.

Motorcycles are on the road all year long in Florida. That can build complacency among drivers, who simply stop paying attention to them. Know that even a low-speed collision with a rider has every chance of resulting in very serious or fatal injuries. Motorists must avoid the heartache of being involved in a tragedy, as well as the very serious liability, by respecting their rights and always giving riders the right of way. The few extra seconds it takes to avoid a tragedy is well worth it.

Motorcycle Safety Tips for Drivers

As veteran motorcycle injury lawyers, we have been representing riders and their families in personal injury and wrongful death claims in Southwest Florida for more than half a century. Here is our best advice for you, the driver:

Yield: Always, always yield to a rider. Let them pass. Let them turn in front of you. Give them time to get going after a light turns green. Essentially, avoid any potential conflict or contact.

Beware turning riders: Motorcycles take longer to stop and generally slow by downshifting, not applying the brake. Turn signals are not self-cancelling and may not activate, so should not be relied upon. Let a rider complete a turn by slowing down well before they make their move.

Look twice: Riders are difficult to see. They can be easily missed or hidden in a blind spot. Whether turning, or changing lanes, always look twice for riders.

Be careful at intersections: These are a leading spot for accidents. Look for cross traffic. Riders sometimes cannot stop in time to avoid a yellow light. Make sure the roadway is clear and don’t jump the light. Understand a motorcycle takes a moment to start from a dead stop, as a rider gets his balance. Don’t tailgate. A surprising number of accidents occur when a vehicle rear-ends a rider.

Don’t try to judge speed: Because of their small size, motorcycles are often traveling faster than it seems. Don’t try to turn in front of an oncoming rider, which is the leading cause of collisions. And slow well before you come upon a rider.

By doing your part this summer, you can avoid being involved in a tragedy. Every motorist has an obligation to do whatever they can to make sure these riders make it home safely to their families.

If you or a loved one is injured, call Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, at 1-800-646-1210. Continue reading ›

Join Us for Cape Coral Bike Night April 9

March 23, 2022 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

We hope you will join us April 9 for the final Cape Coral Bike Night of the season. While it is the final event for the season, it’s important for motorists to know that summer riding season is just getting underway. Please look twice for riders, always give them the right of way, and do what you can to send them home safe to their families. The few extra seconds it takes to allow a rider to safely pass, is well worth avoiding the potential liability of being found responsible for a serious or fatal collision.

For 15 years, Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, has provided title sponsorship for Southwest Florida’s largest family-friendly gathering of motorcycle riders. Visitors are greeted by live music, dozens of vendors, and a variety of contests and entertainment that have made the event bigger and better every year.

Our motorcycle injury lawyers have built a reputation as staunch advocates of motorcycle rights through 50 years of representing riders and their families, and through dozens of events promoting motorcycle safety throughout the communities of Southwest Florida.

Motorcycle Safety a May Focus in SWFL

May 16, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Several high-profile motorcycle crashes this week are a stark reminder of the risks riders face as we head into the summer riding season.

A Cape Coral restaurant owner was killed when his motorcycle was struck by a motor vehicle at an intersection in Cape Coral. Another rider was seriously injured in a crash on Airport-Pullings Road in Naples, according to the Daily News.

Our veteran motorcycle injury attorneys have spent decades fighting for the rights of riders and their families, as well as promoting safe riding throughout the community. We urge all motorists to use caution around riders, and to understand that their lives are truly in your hands.

High Season for Motorcycle Injuries in SWFL

March 15, 2021 | Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner

Motorcycle riding season is in full swing in South Florida and motorists are reminded to look twice for riders and give them the rights and respect they deserve on the road.

Our motorcycle injury attorneys have been representing injured riders and their families for half a century. Today, Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, continues our advocacy, both in the courtroom and by promoting motorcycle safety and awareness throughout Southwest Florida.

As Daytona Bike Week concludes, it’s important to remember that it signals the start of high season for motorcycle riding in Florida. While the event draws tens of thousands of riders from across the nation, they arrive in Daytona Beach to enjoy the Florida winter weather, which is why thousands of other riders hit the coastline through the winter and spring riding season.