Spartanburg Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Motorcycles can be a light, fast, and easy way to travel. You have places to go, and you want to save gas or simply enjoy the freedom of the road. Sadly, that freedom comes with a price. You’re exposed to unique road hazards and vulnerable to other drivers. That could mean a lethal crash on your bike or dire injuries.

Sadly, the latter might be your situation, and you’re now struggling to recover from it. Motorcycle crashes are often devastating, and it could be that you’re also suffering for an accident that wasn’t your fault. To recover, you’ll need legal help from a Spartanburg motorcycle accident lawyer.

Our attorneys at HawkLaw, PA understand what a difficult situation you’re in. It’s tough to overcome a major injury, and now you may also be dealing with the motorcyclist stereotypes that some South Carolinians still believe in. If you don’t protect yourself, you could be left to deal with the consequences of a crash you didn’t cause.

If this is the case, reach out for help. We’ll review your bike crash claim and make sure you get the fair compensation you deserve.

Motorcycle Injuries Are Serious

Unfortunately, a motorcycle crash is a tough situation. Motorcycles provide very little protection between you and the road, and even helmets aren’t required for all riders. If you’re over twenty-one, you might have been lawfully riding without a helmet.

However, that leaves you at risk for serious head trauma. Worse, motorcycles have few of the traditional safety measures meant to protect you in a car wreck, like seat belts or airbags. That means you might impact the road without anything to protect you.

Because of this danger, many motorcyclists face extreme injuries without the protections a different vehicle could provide. Some of these injuries can do lasting damage, like a complete spinal cord injury. Any injury to the spinal cord is dangerous, but a complete injury means that your spinal cord was severed, damaging all nerves and leaving you paralyzed below the point of injury.

If you’ve suffered a serious injury like this, call us. You’ll need help getting your compensation in Spartanburg. It can be tough to fight back, especially as a motorcyclist, but it will be vital for recovering from any of these injuries, from crash-related burns to bone fractures and more.

Finding the At-Fault Party in Your Bike Wreck

Once you’ve suffered through an accident, you likely know that you’ll need someone to cover your compensation. You didn’t cause the accident, after all, so why should you have to pay? Unfortunately, you might have to fight for your chance at compensation.

First, keep in mind that South Carolina is a fault state. A fault state doesn’t require insurance companies to cover their clients regardless. Instead, the person responsible for the accident is responsible for the financial losses of the injured party. So, if someone hit you in Spartanburg, they or their insurance company will be financially liable for you.

Unfortunately, it can be tough to find the right person. While it’s often another vehicle involved in the crash, they might have hit you and ran, leaving you with the bills. Hit-and-run accidents require further help to find the culprit, so you’ll need to recruit someone for your corner.

Even if you were the only vehicle on the road, you might still have a claim. Motorcycles are especially vulnerable to road hazards like potholes or standing water. If these damages should have been fixed by the Department of Transportation, they may be held responsible for your suffering.

So, don’t assume you have the right person. Instead, seek out a lawyer to ensure it.

The Insurance Company May Not Help

In fault states, your insurance company will likely still be the first place you turn. You’ll need to report that an auto accident happened, and you might file a claim with them. They’ll use the other driver’s insurance information to give you a settlement and then pursue compensation from the other insurance company. Otherwise, you’ll need to file a third-party claim with the other insurance company.

Unfortunately, getting a settlement offer isn’t simple. You’re dealing with a business, which means they’re not handling your claim out of the kindness of their hearts. Instead, they’re thinking about the profit they need to make. Paying out a large settlement simply isn’t in their plan.

As such, you can sometimes expect some underhanded tactics, such as the following:

• Lowballing your settlement
• Refusing to respond
• Responding slowly
• Requesting more information they don’t need
• Using your statements against you

All these tactics have one goal: to make you feel like you have to take their offer. They may not offer you enough to cover your bills, but they want you to think that’s the best you’re going to get. Unfortunately, these tactics work on many people, so make sure you speak to an attorney.

Don’t Let Them Blame You

Your insurance company may try to devalue your claim, especially if you take your claim to court. Worse, they can do this by using your mode of transportation against you. It’s unfortunate, but many people have lost their claims just by being a motorcyclist and not fighting back.

So, how does this happen? South Carolina recognizes modified comparative negligence, which means that if you’re partly at fault for the motorcycle crash, your compensation will shrink. So, if they accuse you of reckless driving, you might be found 25 percent at fault (actual percentages will vary). That would leave you with only 75 percent of your compensation.

This negligence law is especially important for motorcyclists because of the harmful stereotypes still used against riders. This is another reason why you’ll need someone to protect you and your full compensation.

Getting Compensation for Your Spartanburg Crash

Your compensation is vital for your recovery, and it can be tough to manage without that compensation. However, you’ll also need to know what your damages are worth before you seek them. Typically, you’ll need to consider and calculate both economic and non-economic damages.

These damages should cover both the financial and nonfinancial damages you’ve suffered. This might sound straightforward, but it’s more complex than you might guess. You might know how much it’d cost to repair or replace your bike, but how much is the mental trauma of a motorcycle accident worth? Get the help you need to accurately find your claim’s worth.

When you’re seeking compensation, make sure you get compensation for any damages you’ve suffered, such as the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Property damage
• Emotional distress
• Loss of security
• Pain and suffering

Talk to a Spartanburg Motorcycle Crash Lawyer

When you’ve suffered a major motorcycle accident, getting compensation can be a nightmare. Your injuries are devastating and expensive, you’re suffering, and now no one wants to cover your injuries. It’s tough to recover, so you’ll need to take action to secure your compensation.

Fortunately, you’ll have someone on your side at HawkLaw, PA. We understand the difficulties that motorcyclists face after an accident, and we’re here to help you fight. If you’re struggling to get the full compensation you need, get started with a free consultation*. We’ll walk you through what we can do for you so that you’ll be ready to get started with your accident claim.

Looking for help with your Spartanburg motorcycle crash claim? Contact a Spartanburg motorcycle accident lawyer. We can be reached by calling 1-888-HAWK-LAW (429-5529) or by completing the online form below.