South Carolina’s Riding Season Continues Bringing Serious Risks For Lexington Motorcyclists
The warmer months bring many more motorcycles onto South Carolina's roads. This time of year also often brings a sharper rise in the number of serious motorcycle accidents. That's not a coincidence. More riders on the road mean more chances for a distracted driver, an inattentive trucker, or a motorist who never bothered to look twice and makes a deadly mistake. When that happens, it's the motorcyclists who often pay the price.
Two motorcyclists were recently killed in separate crashes within a single week in the Charleston area, prompting the Charleston Police Department to step up motorcycle safety enforcement across the city, according to News 2 Charleston. That back-to-back toll in one city tells you something about how riding season is unfolding statewide. In Lexington County and the greater Columbia area, riders face the same dangers every day on roads like US-1, I-20, US-378, and Lake Murray Boulevard.
In an effort to prevent such accidents in the future, South Carolina is observing Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month this month. At Johnson + Johnson Attorneys at Law, our Lexington motorcycle accident attorneys are well aware of the risks riders face every day. That's because we represent injured motorcyclists hurt by reckless or negligent drivers. As a result, we know how quickly the situation can turn against a rider after a crash and what riders need to know to protect their rights.
Why Are Motorcycle Crashes More Common In Spring And Summer?
A driver who spent the winter months behind the wheel rarely looked for motorcycles, because there weren't many around. By the time riding season ramps up in April and May, that habit may still be in place. A driver pulling out of a side street on Augusta Road or crossing traffic on Sunset Boulevard may glance both ways without actually registering that a motorcycle is approaching. The rider closes that distance fast, the driver acts on a gap that was never really there, and the crash happens.
South Carolina law enforcement has recognized this pattern, which is why agencies increase traffic enforcement as riding season accelerates. But stepped-up patrols come after the deaths have already happened. The riders who were killed don't benefit from the enforcement campaign that follows.
Riders in the Midlands face additional road conditions that drivers often ignore:
- Rural Two-Lane Roads With Limited Sight Lines: Motorcycles can be harder to see on roads without shoulders or medians, and drivers who cut corners or drift across the centerline leave riders nowhere to go.
- High-Speed Interchange Ramps: Merging traffic on I-20 and I-26 gives drivers a narrow window to spot motorcycles, and many don't take the time to look carefully enough.
- Intersections Near Commercial Strips: Roads like US-1 through Lexington and Bush River Road near Columbia are heavily congested with turn movements, and left-turn crashes at these intersections remain a leading cause of motorcycle fatalities statewide.
The Insurance Company's First Move Is Not Always in Your Favor
After a motorcycle crash, the driver's insurance company begins building a version of events. That version often involves questioning the rider's speed, lane position, or visibility. South Carolina follows a modified comparative fault rule, which means the insurance company has a financial incentive to find something, anything, to blame on the rider. If the adjuster can push enough responsibility onto you, the company reduces what it owes. If it can push the number past 51 percent, it owes you nothing at all under South Carolina's comparative fault statute.
For example, if a driver made a left turn in front of your motorcycle on US-378 and the insurance company claims you were traveling above the speed limit, they may argue you were more than half at fault. That argument doesn't have to be true to cause real damage to your claim. It just has to be made early and often enough that the evidence gets muddied before you have a lawyer working for you.
That's why how you handle the days immediately after the crash matters as much as what happened during it.
Do Motorcycle Injury Victims Need To Talk To Insurance Companies?
Adjusters often contact injured riders quickly, sometimes before the person has left the hospital. They may sound sympathetic. They may suggest that a quick recorded statement will help move the claim forward. What they don't say is that anything you tell them can be used to lower or deny your claim.
You are not required to give a recorded statement to the other driver's insurance company. You have every right to let an attorney handle that communication. If you've already spoken to an adjuster, that's not necessarily fatal to your case, but it does mean the lawyer you hire needs to know exactly what was said and when.
At Johnson + Johnson Attorneys at Law, our attorneys in Lexington review those early communications, investigate the crash scene, and push back against the kind of fault-shifting that insurance companies use to protect their bottom line rather than injured riders.
What a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Actually Does After a Crash Like This
Hiring a lawyer isn't just about having someone file paperwork. After a serious crash, there's a narrow window to gather evidence before it disappears. Traffic cameras get overwritten. Skid marks fade. Witnesses move on. A lawyer who moves quickly can request surveillance footage, identify eyewitnesses, obtain the police report, and document the scene in ways a recovering rider simply can't from a hospital bed or a living room couch.
Lawyers who handle motorcycle accident cases also calculate losses in a way that adjusters don't. An insurance company may offer to cover your emergency room visit and your bike repairs. It is not going to volunteer to calculate your long-term physical therapy, your lost earning capacity if you can't return to the same work, or the pain and limitations you'll carry for years. Those losses are real and recoverable, but only if someone fights for them.
Our attorneys, Kevin and Steven Johnson, grew up in Lexington and have built their practice around representing people in this community who were seriously hurt by someone else's carelessness. They know the roads, the courts, and how insurance companies operate in this region.
What To Do If You Were Hurt in a Motorcycle Crash in South Carolina
The decisions you make in the first days after a crash can have real consequences for your case. These steps matter:
- Get Medical Attention Right Away: Delayed treatment gives insurance companies a reason to argue that your injuries weren't serious or weren't caused by the crash.
- Document Everything You Can: Photos of the scene, your injuries, and your motorcycle help preserve evidence before conditions change.
- Do Not Give a Recorded Statement: The other driver's insurance company is not on your side. Let an attorney review the request before you respond.
- Talk to a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Before Accepting Any Offer: A settlement that covers your immediate bills may leave you short when higher medical costs arrive weeks or months later.
Contact a Motorcycle Accident Lawyer in Lexington, SC
South Carolina's riding season is just getting started, and the crash numbers are already alarming. If you or someone you love was hurt in a motorcycle accident caused by another driver in Lexington or anywhere in the greater Columbia area, contact Johnson + Johnson Attorneys at Law today for a free case evaluation.
We handle motorcycle accident cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Your rights as a rider deserve to be defended, and we're ready to get serious about winning your case.
"I came to Steven Johnson stressed and unsure after a car accident. From day one, they handled everything and got me a settlement. I recommend their firm!" - Regina M.,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
