A man from Bradenton died in an accident the morning of Saturday, November 4, after his motorcycle collided with a boat that was being towed on U.S. 41 in Hillsborough County.
According to an accident report from the Florida Highway Patrol, the 55-year-old man was heading north on the highway at about 11:10 a.m. on his motorcycle, following a truck towing a boat. The truck slowed down to make a U-turn, at which point the man and his motorcycle slammed into the rear of the boat. He was not wearing a helmet and was ejected from the bike. First responders pronounced him dead at the scene.
The 67-year-old man driving the truck was from Lakeland, Florida. He was not injured. Charges were pending the completion of an investigation.
Florida’s comparative negligence laws
Florida is a pure comparative negligence state. Because of this, the amount of blame you share in an accident could result in the value of a personal injury award being reduced. If, for example, you were involved in an accident that was the fault of another driver, but you were not wearing a motorcycle helmet and suffered a head injury, you could be partially liable for your injuries. If the court ruled you to be 20 percent at fault, you would only receive 80 percent of the total damages awarded.
For more information on comparative negligence laws in Florida and how they could affect your claim, work with a skilled Bradenton accident lawyer at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.