North Augusta Motorcycle Accident Attorneys

First Steps for a Successful South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Case

If you want the fullest compensation award, then you need to know three things about your motorcycle accident case:

1. Emergency medical attention is the most important thing you will do. If that means you go to the emergency room, then you should do it. The sooner the better in this case. You need to make sure you are getting treated for your injuries and that your doctor knows about everything that is in pain after the accident.
2. You have to have evidence from the scene. Motorcycle accidents often mean you get on the back of an ambulance right away so this step might have to be taken by someone else on your behalf. You need photos and videos from the scene of anything that might be related to the accident including the vehicles and the scene. You also want contact information from witnesses and other drivers involved in the accident.
3. You have to get to an attorney as soon as possible. Hiring an attorney early on will be beneficial to the success of your case.

Most Common Types of Motorcycle Accident Injuries

When someone gets hit on a motorcycle, the chances of that accident being catastrophic or fatal are much higher than a car accident, for example, because the motorcyclist does not have a metal frame to protect them from impact. They also often have serious injuries from secondarily impacting with the ground.

The most frequently seen types of motorcycle accidents include:

• Concussion aka traumatic brain injury (TBI)
• Head, neck, or back injury
• Dislocation
• Spinal cord Injury
• Paralysis
• Fractured or broken bones
• Muscle, tendon, or nerve damage
• Scarring and disfigurement

These accidents can sometimes be permanent. After your accident, you need to get to a doctor as soon as you possibly can so that you can prevent your injuries from getting worse. What might seem to be a minor pain could turn into a serious injury that may eventually require surgery if you leave it untreated.

South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Statute of Limitations

To have a successful motorcycle accident claim, you need to take some key steps to secure your compensation. You will experience obstacles that you will need to know how to navigate them. A crucial part of navigating obstacles is having the right attorney by your side to guide you through the case every step of the way who knows what they are doing.

The sooner you get to an attorney, the better chance your case will be successful. You also want to get to an attorney right away so that you do not miss your statute of limitations. South Carolina allows three years from the date of your accident to bring your claim or have it settled in civil court. Your attorney will be able to give you a better shot at full compensation if you give them as much time as possible to work on your case.

Three years goes by quickly in the world of personal injury cases, and we want as much time as you can give us to build you a case so that you get better results sooner. We will do everything we can to push the case along as fast as we can and you can make our job easily by hiring one of our North Augusta motorcycle accident attorneys as soon as possible. If you miss your deadline, you will no longer be eligible for compensation, so act quickly.

Frequently Asked Motorcycle Accident Questions

What should I do if I am injured in a motorcycle accident in North Augusta?

I met last week with a client who was injured in a motorcycle/car wreck on Atomic Road in Aiken, South Carolina. He asked me what tips I had for him after his motorcycle accident. I’ll share with you what I shared with him.

It’s important to get medical treatment and follow your doctor’s advice. I advise that he should report the accident to his insurance company, too, because he may have uninsured motorist coverage or underinsured motorist coverage. It’s also important not to give a statement to an insurance adjuster for the other driver’s insurance company. Those insurance adjusters are trained to get favorable information for their driver and unfavorable information for the motorcycle driver.

Lastly, I told the client it’s important to get a trial lawyer to represent him. Trial lawyers are used to trying cases and making insurance companies pay fair amounts of money. Hire a lawyer that has experience in motorcycle cases, as well as experience with expert witnesses, theories of liability and the serious injuries that come from automobile and motorcycle collision cases.

How is a motorcycle accident claim different than a car accident claim?

I had a client call me and ask me what’s the difference between an automobile case and a motorcycle case in the state of South Carolina. If you’re reading this, you may have a similar question. Many times, a motorcycle accident victim has more serious injuries than an automobile accident victim. Many times, the motorcycle rider does not have the protection of the cab or the seat belts or the airbags contained in an automobile. Many times, there are severe head injuries, road rash, and amputation of limbs as a result of motorcycle injuries. Many times, automobile drivers cannot see or focus on motorcycle drivers, and there becomes field of vision issues.

Those are some of the main differences that I recognize between a motorcycle and an automobile case in the state of South Carolina. If you have any questions, at all, about your motorcycle case, give us a call. We’d be happy to help.

How long will it take to resolve my motorcycle accident case in North Augusta?

I had a client who was in a bad motorcycle accident and in the hospital in Greenville, South Carolina. He called me and asked me, “How long will it take to resolve my motorcycle accident case in South Carolina?” If you’re reading this, you may have similar questions.

The statute of limitations in South Carolina is three years for motorcycle accident cases. The case either needs to be settled within three years or a lawsuit needs to be filed. There are many factors that go into to determining how long it will take to close a motorcycle accident case. Some of the factors include length of medical treatment, extent of injuries, and the amount of insurance the at-fault driver has. Another issue in the length of time to resolve a case is the degree of fault by the opposing party. Does the opposing driver agree they’re at fault, or are they claiming the motorcycle has some degree of fault?

Lastly, the amount of insurance coverage that the at-fault driver may have will determine how long the case may take to resolve. If you’ve got any questions about your motorcycle accident case in the state of South Carolina, give me a call. I’d be happy to help.

Can I file a claim if I was injured as a passenger in a motorcycle accident?

I was called by a nice lady last week who was a passenger in a motorcycle accident. It happened on Martintown Road in North Augusta, South Carolina. She asked me if she had a claim. If you’re reading this, you may have a similar question. I informed the lady that, yes, she does have a claim, and that she has a claim against the automobile driver, if they’re at fault in the case, as well as a claim against the driver of the motorcycle. She has no fault in this case because she was not driving the automobile, nor was she driving the motorcycle.

If you have any questions involving being a passenger with injuries involved in a motorcycle/vehicle collision, give us a call. We’d be happy to help.

What mistakes should I avoid in a motorcycle accident case?

I met recently with a client who was involved in a bad motorcycle accident case on the Aiken-Augusta Highway in Graniteville, South Carolina. After meeting with that client, I learned of a couple mistakes he made in his case. I’ll share these mistakes with you in the hopes that you will not make them.

Number one, the client refused to go to the hospital by ambulance. The client had his relatives pick him up and take him home. If you are in need of emergency treatment, always seek the services of an EMS or EMT to take you to an emergency department. Number two, the client did not get the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of witnesses. Number three, the client gave a statement to an insurance adjuster for the opposing at-fault automobile driver. In that recorded statement, the client admitted that he may have been speeding.

How much is my motorcycle accident claim worth?

I had a client call me from the hospital in Lexington, South Carolina. He was involved in a bad motorcycle crash, and he had severe head and leg injuries. He asked me, “How do you determine the value of a motorcycle case in South Carolina?” If you’re reading this, you may be asking the same question. I’ll share with you what I shared with my client.

There are many factors that go into determining the value of a motorcycle case in South Carolina. Some of the factors include the amount of medical bills, lost wages, permanent limitations from the injuries, and future medical bills, as well as the amount of insurance coverage of the at-fault driver.

If you have a motorcycle accident case in South Carolina, give us a call. We’d be happy to help.

Should I give a recorded statement about my motorcycle accident case?

I met recently with a client who was involved in a motorcycle accident, on Interstate 26, on his way from Columbia to Charleston, South Carolina. He unfortunately suffered a right leg amputation as a result of this collision. He told me that a State Farm adjuster was calling to take his recorded statement while he was in the hospital, and he wanted to know if he should give a recorded statement. If you’re reading this, you may have similar questions. I’ll share with you what I shared with my client.

I told the client to not give a recorded statement. These insurance adjusters are trained to get information that is favorable for their case and unfavorable for your case. They will use this information to devalue your case or deny your case.

If you have any questions about your motorcycle accident case in the state of South Carolina, give me a call. We’d be happy to help.

How do I select the best lawyer for my motorcycle accident claim?

I had a client call me last week, and he was badly injured. He had a severe leg injury from a motorcycle accident that occurred in Edgefield, South Carolina. He asked me, “How do I go about choosing the right motorcycle accident attorney for me?” If you’re reading this, you may have similar questions. I’ll share with you what I shared with that client.

I think it’s important for the client to meet personally with the attorney and ask that attorney many questions. Ask the attorney questions, such as does he have a core practice in personal injury and automobile accident cases? Does he handle motorcycle cases? Does he have experience with motorcycle cases? Does that attorney try cases; is he a trial lawyer? Many times, trial lawyers are able to get more money from insurance companies because they will actually take cases to trial. Does that attorney have the resources to hire expert witnesses to help with accident reconstruction and visibility issues? Does that attorney have networks and resources for doctors that treat the client?

It’s also important for the client to do online research and look at the reviews of the prospective attorney. Look at what clients have said about that attorney. What do past clients say about the services and results that they have received from that attorney? Look at reviews such as Google reviews, Avvo reviews, Facebook reviews, and see what past clients are saying about that attorney. There are also lawyer-to-lawyer reviews in which lawyers rate those clients, including sites such as Martindale-Hubbell, Super Lawyers, 100 Best Lawyers and 100 High Stakes Litigators.

If you have any questions about your motorcycle accident case, give us a call. We’d be happy to help.

Call Our North Augusta Motorcycle Accident Attorneys Today

If you have been seriously hurt in a motorcycle accident, please call our North Augusta motorcycle accident attorneys today to represent your case. We will work tirelessly to get you the results you deserve. Please call our office right away to set up your free initial consultation with our dependable and skilled attorneys.