With the annual Myrtle Beach Bike Week festivities and Atlantic Beach Bikefest, motorcyclists are a common sight on area roadways. However, increased motorcycle activity brings a corresponding rise in collisions.
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South Carolina reported more than 2,000 accidents involving motorcycles per year since 2011, with most years seeing over 100 motorcyclist fatalities. When you’re injured in a motorcycle crash, you may find that you’re unable to work and facing unexpected medical debt. Those added pressures are the last thing you need to worry about while focusing on your physical recovery.
If the crash was caused by another party’s negligence, you may be able to recover compensation, and our experienced Myrtle Beach personal injury lawyer can help.
Understanding Negligence
To collect compensation in a motorcycle accident case, you need to show that the other party acted with either negligence or reckless behavior. Under South Carolina law, that means proving one of two things:
- An absence of ordinary due care that any person would reasonably be expected to provide
- The other party consciously and knowingly failed to exercise reasonable or due care
A negligent driver may have caused your accident by driving while drunk or distracted, speeding, failing to indicate a turn, or because of other traffic violations.
What You Need to Win Your Case
To win damages in a motorcycle crash case, you need to show that the other party’s negligent or reckless behavior contributed in some way to the accident and injury, as well as subsequent losses.
It is critical to gather and preserve evidence about your collision immediately. You may be in pain or unable to gather your own evidence during a hospital stay, which is why you need the aid of a skilled personal injury attorney.
Showing negligence and tying it to your collision requires gathering evidence from a number of sources. Medical records, police reports, witness statements, and facts from accident reconstruction professionals all serve as powerful evidence in a motorcycle collision case.
South Carolina law allows motorcycle crash victims to potentially recover damages, even if they were partially responsible for the accident in which they were hurt. However, their financial recovery may be reduced to reflect their percentage of responsibility. For instance, if the other party is found to be 80% at fault, your compensation may be reduced by 20% for your share of the accident fault. We can help you fight for a fair financial award.
