Educating yourself about South Carolina law is always a smart idea. When you can speak knowledgeably to a law enforcement officer or state or government official, you’ll find yourself feeling more confident and entitled to your rights.
Below are a few of our favorite resources for researching the law and staying informed about state and federal government:
South Carolina State House website: If you are ever unsure of South Carolina laws, this is a great website to find legislation pertaining to your needs. The site also offers information on the process of legislation process, as well as senate and house information.
United States Courts website: This is an excellent website to use if you’re looking for bankruptcy resources, court records, federal rulemaking, and other elements pertaining to the judicial system.
And, if you ever have to appear in court for catastrophic injuries, criminal defense, or any other suit, it’s a good idea to improve your court literacy and stay in the know.
Find Law website: This website provides a holistic approach to the law and is the perfect place to find everything from legal resources to lawyers in your area, and legal answers to legal forms.
When researching law, always remember that even though you can educate yourself and understand your rights as a citizen, it’s always important to seek out additional legal assistance when needed. For example, if you are ever in an accident, are charged with a DUI, receive unfair treatment in the workplace, or any other serious issue, hiring a lawyer to investigate and use additional resources to ensure you receive full compensation is important.
If you’re ever involved in a serious motorcycle accident, you have up to two years to file a suit. And it’s important when filing a suit to find the best legal representation for your situation. The personal injury attorney you choose should be able to tactfully pursue personal injury claims and have an understanding of how motorcycles operate on the road. Many people who do not ride or understand the operation of motorcycles don’t understand how motorcycles handle on the road, which can lead to misinterpretation. From witness statements to police reports, and lawyers without riding experience, anyone can misinterpret the facts. Having a motorcycle injury lawyer will help you to assist in obtaining proper compensation for your injuries by deeply investigating the accident and the facts involved.
Motorcycle accident attorneys should also be able to perform a comprehensive investigation around your case and the facts involved in your accident. Because not all facts are recorded during accident investigation and facts may be misinterpreted in a police report your attorney should do extensive research with an accident investigation team to extract any additional facts from the accident and ensure that all recorded facts are accurate.
It’s also important to ensure that you are properly compensated for medical coverage and other injuries that you have sustained. A great personal injury lawyer has the power to do this.
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If you’re involved in a motorcycle accident and you do not have a legal representative, it’s important to get one immediately. When you have a personal injury attorney available to investigate your case, he or she will interview witnesses, take photographs of the accident scene and other vehicles involved.
An excellent personal injury attorney will also ensure that you receive proper medical care with zero out-of-pocket expenses. Your attorney will then prepare documents and information to help you receive an appropriate settlement. If the personal injury attorney believes that your case needs to go to trial, then he or she will prepare it to do so.
If you’ve put off filing a lawsuit after a motorcycle accident, you still might have time to file. South Carolina law states that you have at least 2 years from the date of an accident to file your lawsuit and serve on the “at fault” party.
Depending on your claim, your settlement and injury compensations will differ. Money and compensation you receive from lawsuits are typically based on medical expenses and other elements of injury and / or damage incurred from the motorcycle accident.
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Receiving compensation after a motorcycle accident can be a challenge for many individuals who do not fully understand their insurance coverage. This can cause even more stress on an individual’s life, in addition to their previous accident.
When you don’t know the facts about your insurance policy, you run the risk of your insurance provider taking advantage of your situation and benefiting from your lack in understanding your insurance policy. This can result in low compensation for your motorcycle accident.
You’ll find some of the highest accident compensation with your uninsured / underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage ensures that you receive compensation for accidents where you were not at fault and the at-fault driver is underinsured or uninsured. This may also involve hit-and-run accidents.
Whether you’re driving a motor vehicle, motorcycle, or are involved in a pedestrian accident, South Carolina law ensures uninsured / underinsured coverage is applied. In order to receive the compensation you and your family are entitled to, it’s important to be educated on your policy and uninsured / underinsured motorist policies. In cases where you are unsure of your rights and the compensation you are entitled to, contact a local South Carolina motorcycle accident attorney or personal injury lawyer.
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Lane splitting, which is depicted in the video below, is extremely dangerous and has led to thousands of motorcycle accidents. See the video below of a motorcyclist lane splitting:
As you might already be aware, there is no South Carolina law that requires motorcyclists to wear helmets. However, although you’re not required to wear helmets, it’s always a good idea to wear one for safety purposes. Motorcycle accidents are just that, accidents. You can’t prevent the way others drive on the road. Even if you’re a highly experience biker, there is always the chance of being involved in a motorcycle accident with a motor vehicle or other bike.
Image above taken from Motorcycle-Superstore.com.
When you wear a helmet, not only can you prevent severe brain damage, but you can also prevent death. If you’re ever in a motorcycle accident and your head smacks the ground, curb, or any other brain object, the brain rattles against the scull, which can cause internal bleeding or swelling—all of which can lead to death or lifetime brain injury. In order to prevent impact, a motorcycle helmet is required.
A helmet is comprised of an outer shell and an inner lining that works by absorbing energy. The inner lining is the most important component of a helmet, since it is the element that absorbs the impact. The lining controls the movement of your head and absorbs energy that would force your head from side to side.
And it’s always a good idea to get a full-coverage helmet to prevent facial abrasions in case of an accident.
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Nothing is worse than a frigid snow storm to inconvenience a motorcyclists to purchase a full-coverage helmet. Snow pelting your face at 65 mph, is not a feeling you want to experience. A full-coverage face-shield on an open-face helmet will block the snow, but you run the risk of having more water droplets drip onto your face.
You also want to be sure to stay warm and dry. When you become wet and cold your mind begins to doze, reducing the mental awareness you need to stay alert on the road.
Once you’re dressed appropriately, you now need to focus on traction.
No matter what, if ice starts forming on the road or there’s a wintry snow / ice mix, you want to be sure to get off the road. If you slip or another car slips, you run the risk of facing personal injuries—and there is no four-wheel drive that will protect you or other drivers from slipping on ice.
How much? The easiest way to test traction is to feel for it with your rear brake.
Assuming you know how much deceleration you can develop on dry pavement before the rear tire breaks loose, you have a gauge of what’s available if you repeat the test when the road is covered with snow. This also assumes that you have a reasonable amount (say 3/16 of an inch) of tread depth. If you do this at moderate speeds on a flat, straight road, it won’t become a thrill ride. Avoid locking up the rear wheel on a steeply crowned road, where it will tend to slide downhill and out of line.
You also can do a couple of things to improve traction. Premium aftermarket tires are virtually certain to give better wet-road grip than original-equipment tires. Also, a slight increase in tire pressure also improves the wet-weather traction of any tire.
For those of you who either want to start riding for the first time, or who would like a briefing on motorcycle safety, Ride Like a Pro offers a great video that covers the essential elements of motorcycle safety. See below for the video:
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