South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Recovering Damages With the Help of Our South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

Getting into a crash while riding your motorcycle can put you on a rough road to recovery. You may have to deal with legal and financial burdens while attempting to heal from injuries. Recovering from a motorcycle accident is a long and challenging process, especially if you have no previous experience navigating personal injury claims.

Sadly, many insurance companies try to blame injured motorcyclists for causing accidents so they can try to deny or reduce the victim’s compensation. That being the case, you need an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer fearless in standing up for your rights.

If you need a South Carolina motorcycle accident lawyer, look no further than Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm. Our attorneys have experience in handling motorcycle accident cases and will fight on your side for you to get the compensation you deserve.

Contact Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm at our South Carolina law office to schedule a free case evaluation so we may review your case and determine your legal options.

What are the Legal Advantages of Hiring a South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Attorney?

Some motorcycle accident victims are unsure what the next steps are to try and recover compensation for their injuries and property damage. In most instances, motorcycle riders suffer serious injuries that result in expensive medical bills and leave them unable to work, resulting in lost wages.

Due to the legal complexities of filing motorcycle accident claims, it is always best to hire a South Carolina motorcycle accident attorney to help you file a compensation claim. Some of the most significant advantages of hiring an accident attorney include:

Professionally evaluate your motorcycle accident case to determine what legal strategies best suit your needs
Assist you with filling out and filing legal paperwork and ensuring it is turned in promptly
Gather critical evidence that substantiates your claim, including medical records, the police report, witness testimony, and video footage
Act as your legal advocate to try and negotiate a fair settlement with the insurance company so you can focus on your recovery
Provide skilled legal representation should your case need to go to trial

Additionally, a personal injury attorney has the legal and financial resources to hire accident reconstructionists or obtain expert testimony that will help to maximize your claim.

Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm is dedicated to helping injured motorcyclists receive the fair treatment and compensation they deserve.

Why Do Insurance Companies Try to Blame Injured Motorcyclists for Causing Accidents?

Although most auto insurance companies advertise themselves as caring about clients and injured people, this could not be further from the truth. Insurance providers are corporations whose primary focus is maintaining profitability for stockholders. As a result, insurers have legal teams that look for ways to reduce or outright deny claims.

In most motorcycle accident cases, victims suffer significant injuries that can result in large payouts. Under South Carolina’s modified comparative fault laws, motorcycle accident victims can have their claims reduced if it is determined that they share a degree of fault for causing the accident.

For example, suppose an injured motorcycle rider is awarded $100,000 in financial compensation but is found to be 20% at fault for the accident. As a result, the injured motorcyclist will have their claim reduced by 20% and receive $80,000 in compensation.

If you are a motorcyclist injured by a motor vehicle, you must hire an accident lawyer who will not allow the insurance company to try and blame you for the accident. Our motorcycle accident law firm is familiar with the tactics that insurers often use to try and mitigate claims. If we agree to take your case, we will fight to safeguard your legal rights. Our highly experienced motorcycle lawyers never back down when insurance companies try to blame victims.

Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm has motorcycle accident attorneys dedicated to safeguarding your rights and helping you seek fair compensation for your injuries.

Why Do Most South Carolina Motorcycle Accidents Occur?

South Carolina motorcycle accidents happen for many reasons; however, many can be attributed to other drivers failing to use caution when operating their vehicles. Sadly, many collisions between motorcycles and other vehicles result in fatal accidents.

Some of the most commonly reported factors that contribute to South Carolina motorcycle accidents include:

Speeding or reckless driving
Tailgating or sudden stops
Driving under the influence
Failure to obey traffic laws
Lane splitting
Adverse weather or road conditions
Other drivers open car doors in front of unsuspecting motorcyclists
Drivers failing to yield or notice oncoming motorcyclists in intersections

Although numerous factors contribute to motorcycle accidents, one of the most common and deadly is distracted driving. Unfortunately, many drivers are easily distracted by their cell phones and ignore the road. In other instances, motorists are distracted by their GPS, car entertainment system, or passengers. Distracting driving often leads to head-on collisions that can result in serious injuries or motorcycle accident fatalities.

Regardless of how your motorcycle collision occurred, you must seek qualified legal representation from an experienced attorney. Allow our motorcycle accident lawyer from our law firm to analyze your case to determine how we can help.

Why is it Critical to File a Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit on Time?

In South Carolina, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim is three years. As the injured party, you have up to three years from the accident date to file your claim. Your time starts from when you first receive the injury, not from a hospital visit.

Claims for real and personal property damage must also occur within three years. In summary, the South Carolina statute of limitations law grants you three years to pursue any accident-related expenses you incurred due to a crash and any property damage to your motorcycle.

Three years seems like a long time to get your paperwork together and start the process of a lawsuit. In reality, though, your time and attention will already feel stretched to a maximum limit as you take care of medical issues along with your physical, mental, and emotional recovery.

As you focus on your recovery, our team of South Carolina motorcycle accident lawyers can ensure your legal paperwork is turned in promptly. We can handle submitting all documents per legal deadlines, ensuring you file your claim on time. Failure to submit your claim before the three-year statute of limitations expires can result in your case being thrown out.

Although there are specific exceptions that may shorten or extend the three-year time limit, you should never wait to file a motorcycle accident claim. One of the best steps to protect yourself is to hire a motorcycle accident lawyer to assist you with the claims process.

How Much Does Hiring a South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Attorney Cost?

When you search for a motorcycle accident lawyer in South Carolina, you will likely be thinking about the cost. Adding attorney fees to the pile of other accident-related expenses can be overwhelming when you already have medical bills and more to worry about.

Nevertheless, personal injury law can be overly complex and challenging for those who lack legal training. Most injured motorcyclists who initially try to handle claims independently quickly realize that the legal process is more complicated than anticipated.

Research demonstrates that accident victims who obtain legal representation typically receive more compensation than those who try to handle their cases alone.

Fortunately, at Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm, our dedicated legal professionals are here to help you through your hardships without charging substantial legal fees. We offer prospective clients a free initial consultation so we can discuss your case at length and answer any questions you may have.

Our motorcycle accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not pay any money out of pocket; our payment is taken from your final settlement. You also do not pay unless we succeed in helping you receive appropriate compensation for your loss.

Our personal injury lawyers recognize that you have enough to worry about after being injured in a motorcycle accident. Contact our South Carolina law firm today to schedule a free case evaluation so that we may professionally evaluate your claim.

What are Common Motorcycle Accident Injuries?

When a motorcycle and another vehicle are involved in a crash, chances are high that the motorcyclist will suffer the most significant injuries. Unfortunately, if you are a motorcyclist, even if you wear the proper safety equipment and a sturdy helmet, you are at risk for more injuries than drivers in a covered vehicle due to the lack of basic protections.

Some of the most common injuries reported in motorcycle accident reports are typically quite severe and may include:

Skull and bone fractures
Brain injuries
Eye injuries
Facial injuries
Fractured or broken bones
Injuries to the spine and spinal cord
Internal and abdominal injuries
Burns and road rash

Motorcycle accidents can result in physical trauma that leads to organ failure, paralysis, and even full-body burns. Unfortunately, debilitating or even fatal injuries are not uncommon. Lighter injuries may also occur. Even minor injuries can result in a lengthy stay at a hospital and costly medical expenses.

More serious catastrophic injuries can disrupt your life for months or even years. Catastrophic injuries include:

Paralysis
Traumatic brain injuries
Spinal cord injuries
Memory problems
Mental and emotional disorders as a result of trauma
Brain damage

A motorcycle accident can rob you of the ability to live a free and self-sustaining life. You may require skilled nursing care twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You may also need specialized medical equipment or construction modifications made to your home so that you can continue living there. Needing additional medical treatment or adaptive home renovations can be cost-prohibitive for victims and their families.

Why Should I Seek Medical Attention After a Motorcycle Collision?

If you have been involved in a motorcycle collision, it is in your best interest to seek medical attention immediately. Although you may not initially believe you are injured, some injuries do not manifest immediately. Internal injuries, if left untreated, could result in life-threatening consequences or long-term health issues. For example, concussions are not always apparent but can cause later complications.

Therefore, it is always wise to be examined by a trained medical professional who can run tests to ensure that you do not have injuries that could impact your health. If you have injuries, early interventions and treatment can help minimize pain and speed your recovery. Finally, obtaining early medical treatment is critical in ensuring that even minor injuries do not result in unnecessary complications.

Additionally, seeking medical attention can provide documentation substantiating your accident claim if you are injured. Many insurance providers will try to deny claims if a physician has not examined accident victims after being involved in a motorcycle crash.

If you have been involved in a motorcycle crash, seek medical attention and then contact an experienced motorcycle lawyer who can assist you with filing an accident claim

How Do Catastrophic Injuries Affect a Motorcycle Accident Claim?

Although any motorcycle injury can result in victims needing considerable time to recover, catastrophic injuries can have devastating life-altering consequences for victims and their families. Catastrophic injuries are those that significantly impair a victim and most likely leave them permanently disabled.

One of the factors that contributes to motorcyclists’ suffering catastrophic injuries is that they do not enjoy the same basic protections as motorists who ride in enclosed passenger vehicles. Even motorcyclists who wear motorcycle helmets still run the risk of suffering serious injuries.

Catastrophic injuries include:

Spinal cord injuries
Traumatic brain injuries
Head injuries
Severe burns
Amputations
Organ loss

If you have been involved in a serious motorcycle accident and suffered catastrophic injuries, you may need lifelong medical care that can be challenging to afford. Due to the excessive costs associated with catastrophic injuries, many insurers look for ways to blame motorcycle accident victims so they can pay less than their claims are worth.

However, an experienced motorcycle accident lawyer can fight to help you receive compensation that will pay for ongoing medical treatment and any other accommodations you may need for your home or vehicle.

Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm has skilled motorcycle accident attorneys with comprehensive experience helping catastrophic injury victims. Our accident attorneys will fight to help you seek the justice you deserve.

What Type of Claim Can I File After Being Involved in a Motorcycle Crash?

If you have never been involved in an accident, it can be challenging to understand what type of claim you can file to try and recover compensation for your losses. However, you may be able to file several types of claims in the aftermath of a serious motorcycle crash.

After a motorcycle crash, you can file a property damage claim. You can pursue compensation if your personal property, such as your motorcycle, was severely damaged or destroyed in the crash. If you suffered injuries in the motorcycle wreck, you could file a personal injury claim.

A personal injury claim allows you to pursue financial compensation for your injuries and past and current medical bills you have incurred due to the accident. An injury claim can compensate for the initial hospital bill and emergency medical treatment. It can also include long-term healthcare solutions like therapy, mobility aids, medication, and future surgeries.

Filing a property damage or personal injury claim alone can be confusing. Sadly, in many cases, when insurance companies know that injured motorcyclists do not have legal representation, they often try to offer claimants far less than their claims are worth.

However, one of the most considerable advantages of hiring a motorcycle accident lawyer is they can carefully examine your case and help to maximize compensation. If you have suffered serious injuries in a motorcycle accident, our law firm will not allow the insurance company to try and take advantage of you. Contact us today to determine what type of claims you may be entitled to file and how we may assist you.

How Do Families Recover Compensation if Their Loved One is Killed in a Motorcycle Accident?

If you are a loved one of a motorcyclist who lost their life in an accident, you may be able to pursue a wrongful death claim. Filing a wrongful death claim is the equivalent of the accident victim filing a personal injury claim had they survived the accident. That being the case, the purpose of a wrongful death claim is to compensate the victim’s family for financial losses and other expenses related to the deceased’s fatal accident.

Just as with other insurance claims, a wrongful death lawsuit can be filed to try and help families recover economic and non-economic damages after the death of their loved one. Economic damages in wrongful death claims typically include:

Reasonable funeral and burial expenses
Lost wages
Lost income the deceased could have provided had they survived
Medical expenses incurred by the deceased due to their fatal injuries
Loss of household services such as childcare, yard work, and home repairs, to name a few

Non-economic damages that are often awarded in wrongful death cases include:

Pain and suffering
Emotional trauma
Loss of companionship
Loss of enjoyment of life

The South Carolina statute of limitations only allows families up to three years to file a wrongful death claim for loved ones killed in motorcycle accidents. Although three years may seem like ample time to file a wrongful death claim, you should seek help from a qualified legal professional immediately. Contact the personal injury lawyers of Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm today so we may help you begin the claims process.

How Much Compensation Can I Expect From a South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Settlement?

On average, motorcycle accident settlements result in injury victims recovering around $70,000 or more in financial compensation. However, it is important to keep in mind that because the circumstances involved in every motorcycle accident can vary, any financial settlement obtained by victims can also fluctuate.

Numerous factors go into determining a settlement payout, which include:

The type of injuries you suffered
The severity of your injuries
Any emotional or psychological damage as a result of the accident
The medical treatment you received
The prognosis for your recovery

However, one of the most critical factors that can affect your compensation claim comes down to choosing legal representation. You may be tempted to try and file a motorcycle accident claim without the help of an accident attorney. However, studies have shown that injury victims who have attorneys representing them generally receive more compensation than those who choose to handle the case alone.

The more serious and all-encompassing your injuries and damages are, the more money you can seek compensation. Either way, having the right attorney on your side can make a huge difference in the amount of compensation you may recover; therefore, having one you can rely on is crucial.

Why Choose Schiller & Hamilton for Your South Carolina Motorcycle Accident Case?

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, you should never settle for a motorcycle accident lawyer who will not fight for you to recover maximum compensation. At Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm, our South Carolina personal injury attorneys have over two decades of experience supporting people like you with cases demanding justice and compensation for pain, suffering, and damages.

Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm has South Carolina motorcycle accident lawyers here to help you through these difficult times and hold the at-fault driver responsible for their actions. From the moment you get into a crash until you can rest at ease with compensation, you will have support every step of the way.

We will handle your case with speed, accuracy, and grace, removing the burden of a legal battle and allowing you to focus on rest and recovery during this difficult time.

Our attorneys also strongly believe in supporting and giving back to the community. We sponsor several charities, such as Friends of Caroline Hospice and Bikers Against Bullies/Beaufort, SC Chapter.

You can reach us by phone, email, or even online chat. Set aside the worries and stress of handling a legal battle alone. If you or a loved one has suffered from a recent motorcycle accident and needs legal support, contact our South Carolina law office at 803-902-4583 and schedule your free consultation today.