According to a report by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the number of deaths resulting from motorcycle accidents was almost 28x the number of car accidents.
Clearly, motorcyclists are vulnerable on the road. But sometimes they have a hard time pleading their case to insurance companies or receiving compensation from other drivers who may be responsible for their accident.
The following are some issues that could weaken your case as a motorcyclist:
Not wearing a helmet.
A lot of motorcyclists debate whether or not they should wear a helmet on the road. The pros vastly outweigh the cons when it comes to why you should wear a helmet on the road. Your helmet helps reduce the amount of damages you get. It’s a fact that helmets lessen the severity of injuries in many cases.
Sharing in the liability for the accident.
In South Carolina, you may still receive damages even if you were partly responsible for the accident; this extends from the principle of comparative negligence. However, it’s important that you don’t get an unfair share of the blame for the crash. When any driver is determined to be over 50% responsible for a collision, they won’t get any compensation. Up until that threshold is met, the compensation you receive will be reduced if the percentage of liability assigned to you increases. Motorcyclists are often unfairly deemed as reckless. When in fact their share of the blame for an accident might be very little or nonexistent.
Uninsured.
Not having insurance on your motorcycle can be a serious problem. One that you’ll definitely need to discuss with your attorney. However, a lack of insurance doesn’t automatically mean that you’ll walk away from an accident empty-handed if another driver was at fault. Avoiding a motorcycle accident can be difficult, even if you follow all of the proper precautions. If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident, don’t sign any insurance forms until your case has been reviewed. Also avoid claiming any fault for the accident or accepting a settlement that may be disadvantageous to you.
You need to contact a reputable South Carolina motorcycle accident lawyer who will carefully review the accident and help you get the most compensation to assist you with any medical bills and damage to your bike.
Be sure to keep track of all expenses related to the crash, document what happened with photos, and contact us for support.
