Motorcycles are more difficult to operate than cars or trucks for many reasons, including that they’re inherently unstable and require balance to remain upright. Riding a motorcycle safely requires a considerable amount of skill and practice.
Motorcycles also have a greater power-to-weight ratio that beginners often have difficulty controlling. And they provide little protection in a collision.
Therefore, the best way to avoid injury or death is to avoid motorcycle accidents. To this end, every state uses motorcycle licensing to ensure that riders have the knowledge and skills to ride safely.
Here are the motorcycle licensing requirements in Boca Raton, FL, and the effect of motorcycle licensing on your right to injury compensation. Contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a top-rated motorcycle accident by calling (561) 347-7770.
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How Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers Can Help After an Accident in Boca Raton, Florida
Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers has served accident victims in Boca Raton since 1996. During this time, our Boca Raton motorcycle accident attorneys have recovered millions of dollars in injury compensation for our clients.
The firm’s lawyers have earned many honors and awards, including:
- AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, its highest rating for legal knowledge and ethics
- 10.0 Superb rating from Avvo, its highest rating for legal background
- Avvo Client’s Choice Award in 2018 for the firm’s consistently positive client ratings
And when you hire us, we’ll help with your case by:
- Handling all of the negotiations, communications, and paperwork regarding your case
- Hiring experts and conducting an internal investigation to strengthen your claim
- Protecting you from accusations that you’re at fault for the motorcycle crash
A motorcycle accident in Boca Raton, Florida, can cause severe injuries even when you wear a helmet. For a free consultation, contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers to discuss the compensation you can seek for your motorcycle accident injuries.
How Common Are Motorcycle Licensing Requirements In Boca Raton, FL?
Every state requires motorcycle operators to have a special license or endorsement on their driver’s licenses. These states require riders to pass a knowledge test, skills test, or motorcycle safety course to receive a motorcycle license or endorsement.
Every state except Alabama requires riders to demonstrate motorcycle riding skills with either a hands-on skills test or a motorcycle safety course. Only Alabama allows riders to get a license after passing only a written test.
States impose these requirements because accident statistics prove that experience and skill can reduce the risk and severity of a motorcycle crash. Roughly 36% of motorcyclists killed in crashes lack a valid motorcycle license.
This means that unlicensed motorcyclists have nearly twice the odds of dying in a motorcycle crash as licensed motorcyclists.
Overview of Motorcycle Licensing Requirements in Boca Raton, Florida
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) is responsible for issuing motorcycle licenses. FLHSMV has standard licensing requirements across the state, including Boca Raton.
Florida offers the option to obtain either a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license or a motorcycle-only license. These options share most of the same requirements. The main difference between them is the vehicles they permit you to operate.
If you have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license, you can operate any private vehicle, including a motorcycle. If you have a motorcycle-only license, you can only operate a two or three-wheeled vehicle on public streets and highways.
Obtaining a Florida Motorcycle License or Endorsement
Riders applying for a motorcycle license or endorsement must be at least 16 years old and hold a driver’s license or learner’s permit. This means that all motorcycle applicants must pass the written driver’s license test.
Everyone applying for a motorcycle permit in Florida must also pass a basic rider safety course from an approved course provider, which takes 15 hours to complete. The course includes approximately five hours of classroom instruction and ten hours of hands-on practical learning.
At the end of the course, riders must pass a skills test. The test requires riders to:
- Identify the major parts of a motorcycle
- Start and stop safely
- Corner and perform U-turns
- Accelerate and shift gears smoothly
- Perform an emergency stop
- Swerve to avoid an obstacle
- Negotiate curves and lane changes
- Cross small obstacles like railroad tracks
Riders who pass the course receive a certificate of completion. FLHSMV will issue a motorcycle license when you turn in this certificate, show your ID, and pay the license fee.
Liability for Unlicensed Motorcyclist Accidents In Boca Raton, FL
If you ride without a license, you have a higher risk of getting into a fatal accident.
Unlicensed riders tend to have a lower rate of helmet use, leading to more head and face injuries. They also have a more difficult time recovering injury compensation after an accident. If you don’t have a license, the at-fault driver will try to shift the blame for your injuries to you.
Under Florida’s comparative negligence statute, each driver bears responsibility in proportion to their contribution to the accident. In other words, if a jury or claims adjuster were to place 40% of the blame for your injuries on you due to your unlicensed status, you could only recover 60% of your total losses.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Boca Raton Motorcycle Accident Law Firm
Even experienced and licensed motorcyclists can get hit by careless, intoxicated, or distracted drivers in Boca Raton. For a free consultation, contact Hollander Law Firm Accident Injury Lawyers to discuss the compensation you can seek for your motorcycle accident injuries. Our Boca Raton motorcycle accident attorneys are standing by.
