Motorcycle crashes are different than run-of-the-mill car crashes and other personal injury claims, because 1) insurance companies will try to deny or limit your claim because you were riding a motorcycle, and 2) the nature and extent of the injuries are often more severe than those in an auto wreck.

First, you need an experienced personal injury attorney – the insurance company will not take you seriously and they will attempt to deny or limit your claim if you are not represented by an attorney.

Second, the attorney you choose should be an experienced motorcycle crash lawyer – you want to be sure that your attorney 1) does not have their own preconceived notions about motorcyclists, 2) has access to the right experts and knows how to investigate, litigate, and present a motorcycle crash case to a jury, and 3) knows how to talk to insurance adjusters, insurance defense lawyers, judges, and juries about why motorcyclists are entitled to full compensation for their injuries.

As you can see from browsing our website, the Boles Law Firm focuses on helping motorcycle crash victims, police misconduct victims, and people who are accused of crimes. We also handle other types of personal injury claims and car wrecks.

What we don’t do is try to deceive you just to bring in a case. You may have noticed some attorney websites that appear as if the attorneys only handle motorcycle accidents, until you come across another website from the same attorney that focuses on other practice areas…

What you see is what you get, and we will never try to trick you into retaining our law firm. We rely on our reputation for the highest ethical standards, honesty, hard work, and the results that we have achieved for our clients.

Motorcycle accident experts and investigators can be critical to establish how a crash happened, who was at fault in the crash, the nature and extent of your injuries, and the amount of compensation that it will take to fully compensate you for your injuries, including future medical costs and long-term care when it is needed.

The Boles Law Firm has access to all types of experts and investigators that we may need to investigate your case and prepare for trial, including:

• Motorcycle accident reconstructionists,
• Private investigators,
• Motorcycle maintenance and training experts,
• Automotive experts,
• Racetrack safety experts,
• Medical experts,
• Mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder experts,
• Economists,
• Vocational experts, and
• Life care planning experts.

When a motorist, truck driver, individual, or corporation is liable for causing a motorcycle crash in SC, they must pay for the damage that they caused, including both economic and non-economic damages:

• Medical expenses – both current and future expenses, including hospital bills, doctor bills, emergency transport, medications, medical equipment, physical rehab, and all medical costs that were a result of the accident,
• Lost wages – lost income due to the injuries and loss of future income when there is a lost earning capacity due to disability caused by the crash,
• Property damage – to the motorcycle or any other property that was damaged,
• Future care – including the costs of long-term care when needed,
• Disfigurement and scarring,
• Funeral expenses when there is a wrongful death,
• Pain and suffering,
• Emotional distress,
• Loss of society and companionship,
• Loss of consortium, and
• Punitive damages when the at-fault driver’s conduct was willful, wanton, or reckless – and there is no cap on punitive damages in SC when the at-fault driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

SC follows a “modified comparative negligence rule,” which means that, if a plaintiff is partly at fault in a crash, their recovery is reduced by the percentage of fault the jury allocates to them. If a plaintiff is more than 50% at fault, their recovery is denied completely.

The fact that a person is riding a motorcycle is not comparative negligence, and a motorcyclist does not “assume the risk” by riding. If another motorist causes a motorcycle crash, they are 100% responsible for the damages they have caused unless the motorcyclist also committed a traffic violation or was driving recklessly.

In SC, the fact that a motorcyclist over the age of 21 was not wearing a helmet is also not comparative negligence. Although it may be true that a head injury could have been prevented by wearing a helmet, there is no requirement under SC law for motorcyclists over the age of 21 to wear helmets, and the at-fault driver is 100% responsible for the injuries that they have caused.

The motorcycle crash attorneys at the Boles Law Firm have the experience that you need to recover maximum compensation for wrongful death and survival actions in SC.

Insurance companies will fight paying full and fair value for a wrongful death claim after a motorcycle crash, and we are prepared to investigate your crash, find the right experts that are needed to prove your claims, negotiate to settle your case for full value, and take the insurance company to trial if they do not pay.

If a reckless or drunk motorist caused the death of your loved one on a motorcycle, the personal representative can file a wrongful death and survival action to recover both 1) damages for the pain and suffering of the decedent before their death and 2) damages suffered by your family including:

• Financial losses,
• Mental shock and anguish,
• Emotional distress,
• Loss of companionship, and
• Loss of consortium.