Partner
Mark J. Miller
Mark's biography describes work in insurance defense and prosecution before his plaintiff-side practice. That background informs the firm's evaluation of liability disputes and insurance positions.
Separate the motorcycle decision from the injury decision
Miami Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Miller & Jacobs helps Miami riders and passengers address two different problems after a motorcycle crash: preserving the evidence before the bike changes hands and evaluating the injury before a final release. We investigate the driving sequence, review the actual insurance, and document the consequences without relying on assumptions about motorcyclists.
Free consultation. Tell us about storage, salvage, or settlement deadlines. The written contingency agreement explains attorney fees and costs.
$300M+
Reported Recoveries for Injured Clients
50+ Years
Combined Legal Experience
230+
Combined Jury Trials Across Their Careers
Former Prosecutors
Experienced Trial Attorneys
A property deadline can affect the injury evidence
Know who has the motorcycle before authorizing its next move.
While treatment takes priority, someone may be asked to release the bike, approve repairs, or sign a total-loss document. Those decisions can affect later inspection. Identify the vehicle location and request promptly so preservation needs and accumulating costs can be considered together.
Storage and release notices
Keep the tow receipt, lot information, daily charges, and any proposed release date. Tell us if the motorcycle is being transferred. A workable evidence plan should recognize real deadlines rather than assume storage can continue without limit.
Equipment and original condition
Preserve available photographs and relevant damaged gear or components when practical. Repair, cleaning, or disposal can change what an expert may observe. Equipment condition is evidence to evaluate, not automatic proof of fault.
The complete recording
Save original helmet-camera or other footage with the sequence before and after the impact. Do not rely on a shortened social-media copy or edit out inconvenient context. Keep the device and file information needed to understand the recording.
A reconstruction rather than a stereotype
Ask what the driver could see and what each vehicle actually did.
A Miami driveway exit, left turn, or lane change may leave different evidence. We examine the particular approach, sight lines, lighting, signals, and impact instead of labeling a road dangerous or assuming a common crash pattern proves this event.
The sequence you know
Describe lanes, direction, signal, and contact points when known. Separate your recollection from later information. A person can accurately report a vehicle entering their path without estimating a speed they could not measure.
Independent perspectives
Witness positions and camera angles determine what each source may show. Identify nearby businesses and vehicles with possible recordings. The presence of a camera does not establish that usable footage was recorded or retained.
A report with unanswered questions
Keep the report number and responding agency. A first report may contain conflicting statements or incomplete information. We compare it with physical evidence and witnesses rather than accept 'I did not see the motorcycle' as the end of the inquiry.
The injury is not a repair invoice
A total-loss payment does not put you back on your feet.
Explain what your work and daily routine require, and how the injury changed them. The motorcycle's value and the human consequences need separate support. Care, restrictions, income, and assistance records help show what a property estimate cannot.
Read the motorcycle coverage, not the car-policy assumption
Ordinary Florida PIP expectations may not fit a riding injury.
Statutory PIP generally does not cover injuries sustained while occupying a motorcycle. We review the motorcycle policy, applicable household policies, health coverage, medical-payment provisions, and potential liability or uninsured-motorist benefits. The name of a policy is not enough to determine its protection.
Policy review
The documents in force on the crash date
Bring declarations, endorsements, and available coverage-selection documents. Florida's PIP definitions distinguish qualifying motor vehicles from motorcycles. Owning an insured car does not automatically extend statutory PIP to a riding injury.
Medical care
Care while the claim is unresolved
Follow clinical advice and keep benefit decisions and balances. Applicable health or other coverage may address some bills, subject to terms and possible repayment rights. A liability investigation does not promise immediate payment by another driver's insurer.
Uninsured motorist
An uninsured or underinsured driver
An applicable UM or UIM policy may matter, but limits, exclusions, and notice requirements need examination. A serious injury or insufficient coverage on the other vehicle does not automatically create benefits under a separate policy.
A free consultation
Bring the document you are being asked to sign.
A salvage authorization, recorded-statement request, or injury release can have different consequences. A free consultation can review the issue and identify what evidence or policy information is needed next.
Our South Florida office is at 1600 S Federal Highway, Suite 1101, Pompano Beach, FL 33062. Call 954-465-8733 before visiting.
View Pompano Beach office directionsDocument the rider, passenger, and equipment separately
One collision can leave people with different legal positions.
A passenger and operator may have different claims and insurance questions. A rented motorcycle also creates documents separate from the injury case. Tell us who was involved and which agreements exist so those issues are not collapsed into a single assumption.
A complete treatment history
Keep referrals, follow-up appointments, and restrictions. Tell providers about prior conditions and explain any gap in care honestly. The connection between the event and claimed injury should be supported by the full history.
The effect on work and assistance
Save income records, medical restrictions, and receipts for necessary help or transportation. A physical job and desk work may be affected differently. Future losses need an evidentiary basis rather than an assumed recovery period.
A rental or property agreement
Keep the rental contract, damage demand, insurance documents, and proposed releases. Resolving the bike's damage does not necessarily resolve the injury, but broad terms can affect other rights. The document must be read in full.
Our Miami personal injury practice explains the wider review of responsibility, coverage, and supported losses.
Evaluate disputed facts before a final offer
Speed, visibility, and protective equipment are distinct issues.
We examine each allegation on its evidence, including difficult facts. A claim should not be built on a rider stereotype or an unsupported counter-accusation. The aim is to understand what can be proved and what remains uncertain before choosing the next legal step.
01
Responsibility for the collision
Under applicable Florida comparative-fault rules, responsibility can reduce damages and may bar recovery above 50% fault for one's own harm. An adjuster's accusation does not establish that percentage; the governing law and evidence need review.
02
The helmet rule and injury questions
Florida's helmet statute includes a limited exception for qualifying adults with specified medical-benefit coverage. Helmet use does not automatically decide who caused a collision. Compliance and any injury-causation argument need separate analysis.
03
The time and terms of resolution
Many negligence claims accruing after March 24, 2023 have a two-year filing period under section 95.11. Exceptions, claim type, and parties can change requirements; policy notices may need earlier attention. Check the actual deadline rather than wait for treatment to finish.
Miller & Jacobs
Meet the partners behind the review.
Mark J. Miller and Rick S. Jacobs are Partners at Miller & Jacobs. The firm serves Miami motorcycle clients from its actual Pompano Beach office. Their biographies provide professional background, not a promise of a particular result.
Partner
Rick S. Jacobs
Rick's biography describes his service as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County and his trial work. Read the published background for details of his professional experience.
Decisions and practical questions
Miami motorcycle claim questions
Can a total-loss decision remove evidence from my case?
It can affect access to the motorcycle or its components. Tell us who has the bike and any transfer or disposal deadline. Preservation should be evaluated promptly alongside storage costs and practical constraints.
Does a passenger have the same claim as the operator?
Not necessarily. The operator, another driver, and different policies may be relevant to a passenger. The parties' interests and conduct require separate review before assuming they can be treated identically.
Does PIP follow me from my car onto the motorcycle?
Generally, statutory Florida PIP does not cover an injury sustained while occupying a motorcycle. Other coverage may apply under its own terms. Bring the actual policies rather than rely on a general understanding of car insurance.
Do I need an exact speed estimate to explain the crash?
No. Describe what you actually observed and identify what remains unknown. Physical evidence, recordings, or qualified analysis may address speed. An unsupported estimate should not be used to fill a gap in your recollection.
What does 'I did not see the bike' establish?
It is one account to investigate, not a complete answer about care or visibility. Sight lines, lighting, movements, damage, and independent evidence can help assess what happened.
Can I begin by phone while I am recovering?
Yes. Start with the crash information, care concerns, and any pending property or insurance request. We can explain how to share records and what later participation may be needed.
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