If you were involved in a motorcycle accident, your injuries will likely be very serious. Your motorcycle is small in comparison to a car, SUV, or truck and your body is not protected from injury. If another person caused your motorcycle collision, you may be eligible to receive money for your injuries from that person or their insurance company.
If you suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident, call a motorcycle accident lawyer from George Sink, P.A., Injury Lawyers serving Florence, SC at (843) 474-2700 for a free consultation.
Proving Liability for Your Injuries in a Motorcycle Accident
Our lawyers will investigate your accident to determine the cause and who is liable.
Causes of Motorcycle Accidents
What are some of the most common causes of motorcycle accidents?
- Improper left turns: A driver makes a left turn across traffic or at an intersection and fails to see the approaching motorcycle.
- Speeding: A driver is traveling too fast and cannot stop before striking a motorcycle entering the road from a driveway or business exit.
- Distracted driving: A driver is talking or texting on their phone and not paying attention to the road.
- Impaired driving: A driver is operating their vehicle while impaired and under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or prescription medication.
- Road conditions: A motorcyclist is extremely susceptible to defects in the road and can easily lose their balance when they drive over a defect like a pothole or uneven pavement.
Proving Who Caused Your Motorcycle Accident
Accidents can happen in any number of ways and can be caused by any number of individuals. But who can legally be held liable for your motorcycle accident?
- The driver of a vehicle: One of the clearest culprits is the person who was operating the other vehicle that struck you. Our attorneys will seek to prove that this individual was driving unsafely or driving traffic laws and, as such, caused your accident and injuries.
- The owner of a vehicle: If the owner of the at-fault vehicle is a different person than the individual who was driving, the owner may also be liable if they knowingly allowed a poor, unlicensed, or impaired driver to operate their vehicle.
- The government: If the government knew of a hazardous road condition, such as a pothole, and failed to fix the condition in a timely manner, it may be possible to hold them liable for your injuries.
- You: You may share a portion of the blame for your accident. South Carolina uses a modified comparative negligence standard that allows you to collect money for your injuries so long as you were not the primary cause of your collision. If you are determined to be 50% responsible or less for your collision then you can still collect money, but that sum will be reduced by the percentage that you were found to have contributed to the collision. If your fault is more than 50%, however, you will be barred from recovering any money.
Recovering the Money that You Deserve for Your Injuries
Our attorneys will talk to your doctors and consult with medical experts to determine what caused your injuries and the extent of your injuries. Even if you were not wearing a helmet, you may be able to recover the money that you deserve for your injuries.
Common Injuries in Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents usually cause severe injuries to the motorcyclist. Some types of injuries are seen more commonly than others, however, including:
- Head injuries: South Carolina does not require a motorcyclist over 21 years old to wear a helmet. Even when a motorcyclist is wearing a helmet, head injuries can happen. If your head hits the pavement, you can suffer a fractured skull, concussion, or other traumatic brain injury.
- Broken bones: The impact of the accident can cause the bones in your head, arms, legs, or torso to fracture and break.
- Leg injuries: When your motorcycle falls, the weight of the motorcycle can crush your leg.
- Road rash: Your arms and legs can suffer scrapes and lacerations as you slide on the pavement.
- Internal injuries: You can suffer injuries to your internal organs when you fall from your motorcycle onto the hard pavement. It is also possible for another vehicle to strike you while you are lying exposed on the road following the initial crash.
- Spinal injuries: The crash can injure your spine and lead to partial or total paralysis.
- Death: Worst of all, accidents and the combination of serious injuries that they often cause can be fatal.
If you suffered an injury in a motorcycle accident, contact a motorcycle accident lawyer serving Florence, SC from George Sink, P.A., Injury Lawyers for help. Let our attorneys start working on your case immediately and help you fight for the money that you deserve for your injuries.
Damages You Can Recover for Your Injuries in a Motorcycle Accident
After you are injured in a motorcycle accident, what different types of compensation can you claim?
- Medical expenses: You can seek money to cover your doctor and hospital bills. This may include the cost of necessary physical therapy or rehabilitation. If you suffer a catastrophic injury, you may also be able to get compensation for lifelong future care.
- Lost wages: If your injuries have kept you from going to work, you may get paid for the wages that you missed. This can include the time off you need for doctors’ appointments or physical therapy.
- Lost earning capacity: If you cannot return to your job at all, you can claim the value of your lost earning capacity. This is the difference between what you earned before the accident and what are now able to earn after the accident in a different profession.
- Pain and suffering: Severe injuries will cause you to experience pain and suffering, and that experience is worth money. While pain and suffering is subjective, our attorneys can help you estimate what your experience may be worth and can help convey the severity of your pain to the insurance company.
- Mental anxiety: You may suffer depression or post-traumatic stress syndrome after your accident.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: You may not be able to do some of the things you enjoyed before the accident. Let our lawyers know how the accident changed your life and we will work to hold the at-fault party responsible for their actions.
- Death: If your spouse or loved one passes away in a motorcycle accident, you may be able to receive compensation for your loss through a wrongful death or survival claim. These are extremely complex cases and it is very important that you contact an attorney immediately.
Recovering Compensation for Your Injuries from the Government
Special rules apply when the state or other governmental entity, such as the city, is at fault for your injuries. You generally may not recover over $300,000 in an action against the state or city government in South Carolina. These cases also usually have shorter statute of limitations than other personal injury cases, which makes taking immediate action even more important. Our attorneys can walk you through the process of filing a claim against the government and can help to ensure that you have followed all the timing requirements to succeed.
Settling Your Lawsuit for Injuries in a Motorcycle Accident
In South Carolina, you generally have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit. In some situations, such as claims against the state or federal government, this time period can be even shorter. Do not wait until the time is about to expire to contact our attorneys. Contact George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers now so that our team can start working for you today.
Our attorneys will negotiate with the insurance company or the attorneys on the other side to get you reasonable compensation for your injuries. Most cases settle before trial, however if we cannot reach a fair settlement with the insurance company, our attorneys can file a lawsuit on your behalf to get you your day in court.
If you suffered injuries in a motorcycle accident, contact a motorcycle accident lawyer serving Florence, SC from George Sink, P.A., Injury Lawyers at (843) 474-2700 for a free consultation.