Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Charleston

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Mark is an esteemed, class act lawyer. He is knowledgeable, hard working, and an incredible advocate for his clients. I would highly recommend him if you ever find yourself in the misfortune of needing personal injury legal services.

BRANDIE CANNADY - CHARLESTON, SC

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South Carolina continues to lose more than 100 motorcyclists annually in devastating motorcycle crashes. The South Carolina Department of Public Safety publishes the most recent motorcycle accident fatality statistics in South Carolina. In 2018, there were 110 fatal collisions involving motorcycles (resulting in 114 deaths), 304 serious injury collisions involving motorcycles, and 1157 “other injury” collisions involving motorcycles. The number of persons killed in South Carolina motorcycle accidents from 2008 to 2018 are as follows:

  • 2008: 112 persons killed
  • 2009: 95 persons killed
  • 2010: 84 persons killed
  • 2011: 104 persons killed
  • 2012: 109 persons killed
  • 2013: 27 persons killed
  • 2014: 89 persons killed
  • 2015: 141 persons killed
  • 2016: 148 persons killed
  • 2017: 117 persons killed
  • 2018: 114 persons killed

Attorney Mark Bringardner is an advocate for motorcyclists and their families. He has represented injured bikers and families of bikers whose lives were tragically lost. When negligent motorists cause devastating injuries and heartbreaking losses, he fights to hold wrongdoers accountable to the maximum possible extent.

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No upfront costs to you or your family. We recover maximum compensation for our clients.

Charleston Motorcycle Helmet Law

Unlike its neighbor states Georgia and North Carolina, as well as nearby states Tennessee, Alabama and Virginia, South Carolina no longer has a universal helmet law that requires all riders to wear a helmet. The law was dropped in 1980. In South Carolina today, anyone over the age of 21 is not required to wear a helmet. Operators and passengers under age 21 must wear a helmet per SC Code § 56-5-3660 (2012).

Where Do Motorcycle Accidents Occur?

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with its mission to “Save lives, prevent injuries, reduce vehicle-related crashes” – has reported that approximately 70% of motorcycle-vehicle collisions occur at intersections, because motorcycles are less visible to other drivers. At intersections where vehicles are changing directions and changing speeds rapidly, drivers may not see a motorcycle before it is too late. Causes of motorcycle accidents may include:

  • Speeding / Driving too fast for conditions
  • Reckless lane changes
  • Distracted driving / using cell phones while driving
  • Following motorcyclists too closely
  • Inattention

Recovering Compensation in a Personal Injury Or Wrongful Death Lawsuit

A personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit can be brought against a negligent driver or any other party that caused your injuries. If a negligently maintained roadway condition, such as a pothole or pavement crack caused you to lose control of your motorcycle and crash, you may have a case against the city, county, or state authority responsible for maintaining it. Generally, you will have to prove that the agency knew of the condition and did not take appropriate action to correct it.

If you’ve suffered a serious injury, your future may depend on the outcome of a lawsuit. Without compensation, you may suffer financially due to medical bills and lost income from being unable to work. In a personal injury claim for a South Carolina motorcycle accident, damages may be available for:

  • Medical treatments and hospitalizations
  • Short-term and long-term disability
  • Future medical care as necessary
  • Occupational and physical therapy
  • Prescription drugs and medications
  • Lost earnings
  • Pain and suffering

If a motorcycle accident causes fatal injuries, a wrongful death claim may be brought for funeral and burial expenses, final medical expenses, lost income and support for what the victim would have been expected to earn over their lifetime, and loss of love and companionship. Although no amount of money can ease the pay of a devastating loss, compensation can be important and necessary for families to prevent financial devastation.

Before you accept any motorcycle or car accident settlement offer from an insurance company, speak with a skilled, knowledgeable motorcycle accident attorney. Insurance claims adjusters will do everything they can to pay out as little as possible. In almost all cases, a lawyer can help you recover far more compensation than is initially offered.

Preventing Motorcycle Accident Injuries

Motorcycle safety advocates and personal injury lawyers will be quick to point out the potentially life-saving benefits of wearing a DOT approved helmet. The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety states that a proper helmet is the single most important piece of motorcycle safety equipment.

Like bicyclists and pedestrians, motorcyclists are more vulnerable to serious injury or death than occupants of a motor vehicle. Motorcyclists are even more vulnerable to catastrophic injury or death than bicyclists and pedestrians though, because they travel at much faster speeds. Along with important protection in a crash, helmets protect bikers from debris from rocks, dirt, gravel and even insects.

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We know from CDC statistics that helmets reduce the risk of death by 37% and reduce the risk of head injury by 69%. Of the fatalities in 2018 motorcycle accidents in South Carolina, 48% were without helmets, 34% were helmeted, and 17 percent were unknown. Bikers who are not wearing a helmet are three times more likely than helmeted ones to sustain traumatic brain injuries in the event of a crash.

Protect Your Rights Following a Charleston Motorcycle Accident Lawsuit

Having represented numerous motorcyclists and their families, attorney Mark Bringardner understands the dangers bikers face on Charleston streets, roads and highways. Call us right away to discuss your case. Free consultations are available seven days a week. As always, with all of our personal injury cases that are overseen by our Charleston personal injury lawyer, there are never any fees unless we recover money for you.

The Auto Accident Claims Process

You are Injured in An Accident

What should I do after an accident?

Immediately after an accident, if you are injured, you should call 911 and seek immediate medical attention. This may seem obvious if you have pain at the scene of the collision, but often times injury victims may not feel pain until the adrenaline wears off, hours or even days after an accident. Any delay in seeking medical attention and the appropriate diagnostic testing could lead to problems down the road. Next, before contacting any insurance company, it can be smart to consult an experienced South Carolina accident attorney to protect your rights.

You will likely want to make sure that your medical records, bills, lost income, and other issues are being handled and documented properly.

Does health insurance pay for your medical bills? Does the other person’s insurance company pay? What is Medpay? How do you submit a claim for lost income? Should you go to your primary care doctor or a specialist? What if you don’t have a doctor? Who fixes your vehicle? Where do you take your vehicle? These are questions an experienced South Carolina personal injury attorney can assist you with. It may also be a good idea to have your attorney conduct an investigation on your behalf as soon as possible so important evidence does not get lost.

How do I hire Bringardner Injury Lawyers?

First, you should call our office and speak with us directly about your case. Or, you can fill out our online form and we will call you as soon as possible to go over your claim and answer all of your questions. We are happy to meet with you in-person, through a virtual conference, or over the phone.

If you decide to hire us, we will send you the necessary paperwork so we can immediately begin working on your case.

So I've Hired A Lawyer. Now What?

When you hire us, we immediately go to work on your case. We will deal with the insurance company, the investigation, gathering of your medical bills, and building your case.

After getting your vehicle repaired or replaced, you only have 1 job to do after hiring us. Get better. We want you to focus on your recovery and follow all your doctors' orders. Doing this will hopefully put you on the path toward a full recovery.

Building Your Case

Immediately after you hire us, we will begin building your case. First, we will send a letter to the insurance company stating that you have retained representation, and that they are not allowed to contact you directly. They must go through us.

The Investigation

We quickly start investigating your accident by obtaining witness statements, obtaining evidence, gathering your medical records, calculating your wage losses and future medical bills, and any other damages you may have suffered as a result of your accident. Your only job is to go to the medical appointments and try to get better.

Settlement Negotiations

What's a Settlement?

A settlement is typically a sum of money paid by an insurance company. The vast majority of cases settle before going to court. However, we prepare all of our cases for a trial if that becomes necessary. We will fight to the fullest extent of the law to try and get you full and fair compensation.

How Long Will It Take?

Typically clients want to know two things: How much is my case worth and how long will it take? No lawyer knows the answers to those questions when you first hire them. The fact of the matter is that there are hundreds of factors that will determine the answers. Early in the case, you may not know the extent of any permanent injuries for which you may need compensation, and you may not know the total amount of your medical bills until a later date. Once your condition stabilizes and our investigation into the case is completed, your South Carolina accident attorney will be able to give you a more informed legal opinion. At that time a “demand” is typically sent to the insurance company to begin the potential settlement process.
Once a demand is sent to the insurance company, the insurance company usually responds after completing an evaluation of your case. At that point, your accident attorney will discuss the insurance company's response with you. If you are not satisfied with the insurance company's settlement offer or response, and no settlement is reached, then the next step is for your accident attorney to file a lawsuit. Most settlements are paid within 4 weeks of being accepted. However, if an acceptable settlement is not reached at this phase, the next step is for us to prepare and file a lawsuit.

Filing a Lawsuit

Filing The Complaint

Most of the time, auto accident cases are resolved in a settlement, but in some instances, they require a lawsuit to get resolved. In this instance, the first step is for your auto accident attorney to write a legal document called a complaint. The complaint is filed at the courthouse, and then the defendant (more likely his insurance company) will have an attorney file a formal response with the Court. Filing a lawsuit does not mean that you are going to trial. Again, the vast majority of lawsuits also settle before trial. People often think they are “going to court” if the file a lawsuit. In layman’s terms, the filing of a lawsuit simply takes the case out of the informal setting between your lawyer and the insurance company and formally puts it in into the court system so that a judge can assist with any legal disputes that arise.

Discovery

The discovery phase begins after a lawsuit is filed. This phase of the case allows both sides to ask questions and obtain additional documents that may not have been available without a subpoena. The purpose is to “discover” the other side's evidence, and learn more about the opposing party's case. This is done by many methods, including submitting requests for documents, and submitting interrogatories (questions in writing that the opposing party must answer) or depositions (in-person or videoconference interviews conducted by the attorneys.)

We will be by your side, every step of the way, to fight for a favorable outcome in your case.

Alternative Resolution Methods

At any point during the case, you can decide to settle your case. There are several ways to settle a case.

Negotiation

Sometimes cases settle on “the court house steps”. That means that the case settles right before trial. Often times, the threat of a jury trial is the only thing that encourages the insurance company to increase their settlement offer. That is because during your case, the settlement money is under their control. Once a trial begins, the insurance company loses some of that control and it is placed in the hands of the judge and/or jury – who may order a lot more money to be paid to you than what the insurance company wants to offer. Sometimes the most reasonable and fair settlement offers do not get made until right before a trial is scheduled to begin. Some cases even settle during or even after trial. While this is less common, it occurs from time to time.

Mediation

Mediation is a process where both parties meet in front of an agreed-upon mediator. Mediators are trained professionals who are skilled at moderating fair negotiations. The goal of mediation is a resolution, but if no resolution is reached, the case will continue on.
During The Course Of The Case, Both Parties May Also Engage In Direct Negotiations.

Trial

We prepare every case as if we are going to trial. We believe the best way to avoid trial and obtain the best settlement possible is to show the insurance company that we will accept nothing other than a fair settlement, and take it to a trial if it is necessary.

What Happens At Trial?

At trial, we will present your case in front of a jury or judge to let them decide the fair value of your case.

Resolution

At the end of trial, we typically receive a verdict, which can result in a judgement. Trial can take anywhere from a day to a week (or more) depending on the complexity of the case.

Reviews

One Star One Star One Star One Star One Star
I would highly recommend Attorney Bringardner and Inez bennett amazing people committed to excellence. Extremely personal and professional and truly loves helping their clients. Very easy to talk to and nice you're definitely going to feel like family. If i could give 10 stars I would. If your looking for an attorney who is going to listen to you, understand you and go up and beyond for you this is your attorney!!!
Jotavia Myers
July 23, 2021
One Star One Star One Star One Star One Star
It was a very positive experience being represented by Mark Bringardner. He always kept me apprised of the latest developments on my case and of the various options open for resolution. When asked, Mark offered his recommendations of the most advantageous outcome, though ultimately he let me make the final decision. Through Mark’s negotiating expertise, the best possible (and better than expected) settlement was achieved. For the above reasons, I would highly recommend Mark’s services.
Linda Caplis
May 12, 2021
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