Motorcycles offer a great alternative to cars in terms of commuting, running errands, sightseeing, and just getting outside. But, as you are well aware, not all drivers are on the lookout for other road users, let alone motorcyclists or anything smaller than a semi-truck. Distracted driving, road rage, and aggressive maneuvers are a constant threat to those on two wheels. If you were injured by a driver while out riding, South Carolina injury lawyer Marc Brown can help you get back on your feet.
Why Choose Us?
At Marc Brown Law Firm, you can trust us to provide expert local legal support for your South Carolina motorcycle accident injury case. We proudly serve all of South Carolina through our offices based in Columbia and Sumter. Here’s why we are the right choice for you:
- No-Cost Consultations: Our motorcycle accident attorneys in Sumter will evaluate your situation, review your case details, and help you pursue fair compensation throughout Sumter County, South Carolina, and Georgia.
- Clear and Objective Advice: An experienced motorcycle attorney in Orangeberg from our firm can offer an impartial perspective on your motorcycle injury case, helping you make well-informed decisions without emotional influence.
- Skilled Case Management: Motorcycle accident claims often involve complex legal and medical issues. With extensive experience, Marc Brown and his team can effectively address these challenges. If you’re recovering from a motorcycle accident in Richland County, contact our legal team today to connect with a dedicated motorcycle accident lawyer in Columbia.
Contingent attorneys’ fees refer only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.
Top Causes of Motorcycle Crashes
- Driver was tailgating—While a slow-speed rear-ender might only cause a fender bender between two cars or SUVs, if the forward road user is a motorcyclist, they could very well end up in the hospital. Rear-end crashes generally occur when the driver is intoxicated, aggressive, or distracted.
- Driver Changed Lanes Without Looking—This is quite possibly the most common type of motorcycle crash. Failure to check mirrors or look over one’s shoulder is a luxury that only car and truck drivers have; motorcyclists have a very real chance of dying if they were to ride as carelessly as most drivers do. If you’re involved in a trucking collision, one of our South Carolina semi-truck accident lawyers can help assess your case.
- Driver Pulled Out From a Side Street—A driver, who was texting a moment prior, who pulls out of a side street directly in front of a motorcyclist will inevitably cause a T-bone crash, sideswipe, or rear-ender. Distracted or impatient drivers often claim that they “didn’t see” the motorcyclist, or that “they came out of nowhere.” Both of these excuses are obscured, of course. If the driver had been paying attention, they would have noticed the motorcyclist.
- Driver Made an Unsafe Pass—Road users have an obligation to only pass on two-lane roads when there are no oncoming vehicles, and only when a dashed yellow line is present at the time of the pass. Failure to do so can cause a sideswipe collision with a motorcyclist traveling in the same direction, or a head-on crash. Head-on collisions are almost always fatal for motorcyclists, except when the rider has time to swerve off the road, still resulting in a crash but saving their own life in the process.
What to Do After a Motorcycle Accident In South Carolina
A serious motorcycle accident could leave you incapacitated or unconscious, in which case you are forced to leave evidence-gathering in the hands of the police; however, if you are well and safe enough to use a phone, or ask someone else to use one for you, you can take action at the scene of the accident to protect yourself. First, call 911 to report the accident if no one else has done so. Then, use a cell phone at the accident scene to take photos of the damaged motorcycle and the damaged vehicle if a driver caused the accident. Photograph anything relevant to the accident, like a traffic signal or skid marks. Photograph any visible injuries. Add the driver’s contact information to your phone, and the contact information of any eyewitnesses. Eyewitnesses become crucial when motorcycle accidents happen in places without traffic cameras.
Always go directly to the hospital after a motorcycle accident, preferably in an ambulance. Be sure to ask for a detailed medical report and then follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations carefully.
Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Vintage Motorcycle helmet
The same open-air, two-wheeled design that makes a motorcycle ride so enjoyable also leaves the rider vulnerable to blunt force trauma and crush injuries by exposing them to direct impact with the road surface, obstacles, and other vehicles. Although motorcycle helmets are 37% effective in preventing motorcyclist deaths, they do not prevent all brain injuries and leave the rest of the motorcyclist’s body defenseless.
Common injuries in South Carolina motorcycle accidents include the following:
- Traumatic brain injuries may occur despite helmets, due to the brain’s collision with the inside of the skull during blunt force trauma
- Fractures of the limbs, hips, pelvis, ribs, and spinal vertebrae
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Knee injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Ankle injuries
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Traumatic amputations
- Lacerations and contusions
- Road rash (severe abrasions and friction burns)
- Internal organ damage
- External head, facial, and dental injuries
Even when a motorcyclist is fortunate enough to suffer only mild injuries, they may face a large emergency room bill and a week of lost income. A severe or catastrophic injury could leave the accident victim facing permanent disability, impairment, chronic pain, and reduced earning ability. If someone else caused the accident, the motorcycle accident victim shouldn’t be left to bear the economic and physical consequences alone.
Compensation From a South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Claim
It is understandable that motorcycle accident victims are eager to settle with the other party and put the crash behind them, but when it comes to serious injuries, a personal injury claim cannot be rushed. This is because time is required to see how injuries heal or don’t heal
- Medical expenses
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional turmoil
- Loss of joy of life
- Loss of income
- Loss of earning capacity
- Property damage compensation
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement
Important Evidence In South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Lawsuits
South Carolina’s fault-based injury laws require injury victims who seek compensation after an accident to file a claim against the driver or other party who was responsible for the accident. A successful claim must do more than allege that the other party caused the accident; it must include substantial evidence of the at-fault party’s negligence. Common evidence includes the following:
- The police report
- The injury victim’s medical report
- Photos and videos taken at the scene or captured by traffic cameras, dashcams, or nearby security cameras
- Eyewitness testimony
- Evidence gathered at the scene, including the damaged motorcycle and vehicle
Often, a motorcycle accident attorney consults with accident reconstruction specialists who develop digital models showing how the accident occurred, providing additional evidence to support the claim.
Evidence of the injury victim’s damages is also required for a successful claim. Copies of medical bills, invoices, and receipts prove economic damages from medical expenses. Then, employer statements and tax documents show the injury victim’s typical income and the amount of income and benefits lost due to the accident.
Once a motorcycle accident attorney has compiled evidence in the case, they send their findings to the at-fault party’s bodily injury liability insurance company. Then, the attorney uses the evidence of the policyholder’s liability with the goal of obtaining the largest possible settlement under the limits of the insurance policy.
Call South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Attorney Marc Brown
If you have serious injuries caused by a driver’s selfish actions, we can help you seek justice by filing a South Carolina car accident claim against them. Call South Carolina motorcycle accident attorney Marc Brown today at (803) 848-0008 to schedule a consultation at no cost.