Police Officers, Deputy Hurt in South Florida Motorcycle Crashes
Three Broward County law enforcement officers were involved in crashes on the morning of Dec. 8, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. In the first accident, the paper reported that a Broward sheriff’s deputy on a motorcycle collided with another vehicle; it didn’t say how the crash happened or give more information, except that his injuries were minor. In the second, two motorcycle police officers from Sunrise were hit by an SUV that emerged from a driveway, pushing one bike into the other. Both officers were treated and released at a clinic with no serious injuries, and the driver of the SUV was cited for failure to yield.
I am pleased that none of the officers involved were seriously hurt. Despite outdated stereotypes about the kind of person who rides, I’ve discovered that police officers are often friendly to civilian motorcyclists who are clearly responsible and law-abiding. Because many officers ride on duty and know the common patterns in motorcycle accidents, they understand what civilian bikers are up against, including carelessness by drivers of cars and trucks as well as poor visibility, bad weather and the special mechanical challenges of riding. As a motorcyclist myself and a Florida motorcycle accident lawyer, I appreciate that law enforcement is often willing to give me and my clients the benefit of the doubt.
As an accident attorney, I’d also like to comment on the mechanics of the second accident. I don’t have all of the details, of course, but a citation for failure to yield suggests that law enforcement believes the driver of the SUV should have been able to stop. Motorcycles’ smaller size means they are generally harder for motorists to see, and I know that it can be hard to see clearly around parked cars and other obstructions. However, not stopping at all, or merely drifting through a stop sign, is illegal for a reason: It’s not safe for you or anyone around you.
The driver in this accident is lucky not to have seriously hurt the officers, not least because of the criminal and civil liability he or she could have faced. Law enforcement is not shy about charging or citing the people who harm their own, and a criminal charge could be very damaging in any accompanying Florida motorcycle accident lawsuit. Victims of motorcycle accidents and their families may sue a driver who caused the crash for all of the harm it caused -- financial costs, physical and emotional trauma and any lasting physical disabilities or wrongful death. My firm, Cohn, Smith & Cohn, specializes in motorcycle accident cases. If you or someone you love is a victim in a Florida motorcycle crash and you’d like to learn more, please contact us for a free consultation.