Helping Clients Seek Justice and Make a Full Recovery
Riding motorcycles can be a fun, exhilarating pastime for South Carolina residents and visitors. However, a motorcycle driver can quickly suffer catastrophic injuries and even death in a motorcycle collision. The injured motorcyclist may experience pain, suffering, emotional distress, and lost wages due to an accident that they didn’t cause. This damage can affect the victim and their family if they depend on the person for income.
If you or your loved one is suffering or passed away because of another driver’s negligence, you may be eligible for compensation in a motorcycle accident claim. Sadly, insurance companies do not usually strive to compensate victims and their families for motorcycle accidents. Simply filing a claim will probably not be sufficient to cover the past and future expenses for your serious injuries. However, you can get your medical bills and other damages covered with help from an experienced motorcycle accident attorney.
At Keibler Law Group, we fight valiantly for motorcycle accident victims and their families. We understand the trauma and stress that comes with a devastating auto accident. Motorcycle accident victims in South Carolina can collect economic and non-economic damages, including medical bills, lost wages, mental trauma, pain, suffering, and more. We promise to use our experience and knowledge to get the results you desire in your South Carolina motorcycle accident lawsuit. You can call our skilled team of attorneys today at 803-676-1567.
What Are Some Common Causes of Motorcycle Accidents?
Motorcycle accidents can happen for a wide range of reasons. While some accidents are not preventable, other motorcycle crashes occur because a driver is not following traffic laws. Victims who suffer severe injuries due to another person’s negligence or reckless behavior can pursue compensation through the insurance company and in a motorcycle accident lawsuit.
Some common causes of serious motorcycle accidents include:
- Driver following too close
- Distracted driving
- Driver not paying attention to oncoming motorcyclist
- Bad weather conditions
- Excessive speeding
- Failure to yield the right of way
- Failure to obey traffic signals
- Improper left turn
- Illegal lane splitting
- Drunk driving
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Motor vehicle mechanical failure
Motorcycle drivers can take safety precautions and drive defensively to avoid accidents. However, sometimes another person’s negligence can cause an accident you did not deserve. An experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can help review accident reports, eyewitness testimony, medical records, and other evidence to determine the cause of your crash. When you are suffering because of a serious motorcycle accident, please reach out to a Columbia motorcycle accident attorney like those at Keibler Law Group to get the representation you need.
What Injuries Typically Occur in a Motorcycle Crash?
Motorcycle accident statistics in South Carolina show that many of these motorcycle accidents involve serious injuries that devastate individuals and their families, often affecting their lives permanently. Serious injuries that qualify as catastrophic damages may result in greater compensation for the victim. Families that lose loved ones in fatal motorcycle crashes may also be eligible for damages according to their unique situations.
Some common motorcycle accident injuries include:
- Head injury – Damage to the brain and skull can lead to lifelong physical and mental impairment, preventing victims from living their lives and obtaining employment.
- Broken bones – Healing from a broken bone can mean months of pain and the inability to move as you could before the accident. Some cases involve crushed bones that require extensive surgical procedures.
- Lacerations – Cuts may result from impact with a vehicle, broken glass, and being thrown from the motorcycle. These injuries can cause a great deal of blood loss and may result in extensive injuries or death.
- Road rash – Another painful result of a motorcycle crash is road rash, or the scrapes motorcycle riders incur from being dragged along the pavement.
- Spinal cord injuries – Spinal cord damage can cause devastating pain that prevents a person from working or enjoying their life like they could before the accident. Severe injuries to the spinal cord may result in partial or total paralysis.
- Loss of limb – Losing a limb or bodily function, such as sight, may be considered catastrophic damage in South Carolina.
- Internal organ injuries – Internal bleeding and other organ damage can be masked at first, so please seek immediate medical treatment to ensure this damage doesn’t become permanent or life-threatening.
If you or your loved one has suffered catastrophic injuries or lost their lives in a motorcycle accident in South Carolina, you should consult with a personal injury attorney right away. Your accident lawyer can help you get the medical treatment you need and will ensure that your bills are covered if you were not responsible for the crash.
Why Are Motorcycle Accidents So Dangerous?
Motorcycle drivers and riders are highly vulnerable in an accident, allowing the potential for dangerous and fatal accidents to occur. Unlike a passenger vehicle, motorcycle riders do not have the car’s frame around them to protect them in a crash. Hopefully, the driver will have a helmet on during the accident, or the brain injuries sustained could be life-threatening.
Another essential aspect to understand about motorcycle accidents is the low visibility factor when it comes to other drivers. Many people fail to see a motorcyclist because they don’t take the time to carefully scan oncoming traffic when merging or turning. They may miss the small motorcycle, causing an accident they didn’t intend. The turning vehicle may be held responsible in these accidents because they should have noticed the oncoming motorcycle.
Your motorcycle accident lawyer can help determine whether someone else is liable for your injuries and will help you collect compensation in full. Call our legal team today to learn more about how our motorcycle accident attorneys can help you.
Will an Insurance Claim Cover My Costs?
Many car accident victims think submitting a claim against the other person’s insurance policy is sufficient. However, our lead attorney has learned through years of experience working with insurance companies that their pocketbook is often the bottom line. Rather than seeking to help victims and their families, many adjusters offer a lowball settlement, hoping the injured party will walk away and allow them to close the case.
There is still hope for getting a fair settlement from the insurance company when you work with talented motorcycle accident attorneys like those at Keibler Law Group. We understand how these companies work and will fight aggressively to get your costs covered. Our negotiation skills allow us to get favorable results for our clients time and time again. Call today to discuss your unique case and see how we can help get you compensated for your South Carolina motorcycle accident.
What Should I Do if I’ve Been Injured in a Motorcycle Accident?
Experiencing a motorcycle accident in Columbia can be frightening. You may feel that you are fine, but all victims should seek immediate medical attention because the adrenaline rush from the crash may mask the pain of internal injuries. Untreated traumatic brain injuries and other internal injuries may become permanent or even life-threatening, so please get checked out by a medical professional as soon as possible after your crash.
You should also act quickly to document the accident scene through photos to provide evidence of the damage should a lawsuit become necessary. Gathering contact information from the other party and any eyewitnesses can be another crucial aspect of getting compensation. Finally, you should alert the authorities right away. The police report is often vital in determining liability in a motorcycle crash, so calling local law enforcement is an important step following any accident.
Once you are safe and have been treated for any injuries, you should consider reaching out to an accident lawyer in Columbia to see if you have a valid legal claim. Even if you don’t bring a lawsuit, your lawyer can help you recover compensation from the insurance company.
What Compensation Can I Recover for My Motorcycle Accident Injuries?
Each personal injury claim is unique, making it extremely difficult to give you an adequate estimate of your claim’s value without meeting with you in person to discuss the details of your motorcycle wreck. Many motorcycle accident cases result in damages for economic and non-economic damages, depending on the nature of the crash, who was liable, and the extent of the injuries. A lawyer in Columbia, SC, can help prove that you were not liable for the damage and that your injuries are severe enough to merit a legal claim.
A successful motorcycle accident case may result in compensation for the following and more:
- Past and future medical bills
- Past and future lost wages
- Past and future pain and suffering
- Loss of companionship if your spouse died in the accident
- Emotional distress
- Catastrophic damage
- Property damage
- Punitive damages in cases where the at-fault party seriously violated the law
Drivers of motor vehicles and commercial vehicles should be held responsible for the damages they cause through their negligence and reckless behavior. Contact our law firm right away to learn more about how we can hold dangerous drivers responsible and get you the compensation you deserve.
How Is Liability Determined in a South Carolina Motorcycle Crash?
Asserting the identity of the at-fault party is critical in a South Carolina personal injury claim. The amount of compensation you recover depends on your level of fault for the accident. In the Palmetto State, victims may recover damages if they were 50% at fault or less. You may also have your compensation reduced depending on your share of fault. For example, if you were 20% at fault for a motorcycle crash, you would only be able to recover 80% of the damages.
Hiring an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer is critical when establishing liability and seeking compensation for damages. Motorcycle accident lawyers utilize evidence to prove their client’s case and help them make a financial recovery. Some examples of methods of proving fault in a South Carolina motorcycle accident include:
- Surveillance footage
- Police reports
- Eyewitness accounts
- Pictures of the crash scene
- Medical records to document the victim’s injuries
Many injured motorcyclists do not wish to take legal action because they don’t feel they are the kind of person to bring a lawsuit. However, holding negligent drivers accountable means you could have the financial assistance necessary to cover the costs of injuries caused by someone else. You may also be able to prevent future victims from being injured by encouraging a negligent driver or trucking company to make safer decisions in the future.
Should You Hire Our Motorcycle Accident Attorneys?
Going it alone when recovering from a motorcycle accident caused by another person’s negligence might mean you don’t get the results you and your family need. Our team of attorneys has handled countless motorcycle accident cases, giving us the experience and knowledge to help you determine fault and get you the compensation you deserve.
Most motorcycle accidents result in catastrophic injuries that leave victims suffering for months or even years. This pain can affect the victim’s ability to earn a living and enjoy their lives as they were once able to. If you are a motorcycle rider or someone who experienced a crash operating a motorcycle, you can rely on our legal prowess and aggressive representation to hold at-fault parties liable for your injuries.
At Keibler Law Group, we fight tirelessly for our clients to help them make a full financial recovery. We know that no amount of money will reverse the damage and suffering you’re experiencing. Still, we also realize that paying for extensive medical bills and other losses after an accident can be extremely stressful and harmful to individuals and families. We will protect your well-being by ensuring you get the help you need to recover from injuries you never deserved to have. Call our caring legal team today to speak with our attorneys about your unique case at 803-676-1567.