Greenville Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

A motorcycle collision can leave you seriously injured while questions about fault begin almost immediately. You may also face assumptions about your speed, experience, or riding decisions before all the evidence is available. A Greenville motorcycle accident lawyer can help make sure the claim is based on what happened, not assumptions about the person on the bike.

At Mooneyham Berry, we bring more than 40 years of combined experience to representing injured people across the Upstate. We understand that a serious motorcycle injury can affect your health, work, independence, and ability to ride. Our attorneys investigate the evidence, stand up for your interests, and prepare the claim with trial in mind when necessary.



If another driver, an unsafe road, or another hazard caused your injuries, contact Mooneyham Berry and tell us what happened.

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Get Help After A Motorcycle Accident

A serious crash can leave you facing injuries, insurance questions, and uncertainty about what comes next.

Why Motorcycle Accident Claims Can Be Different

Motorcyclists have the same rights and duties as other drivers under South Carolina law. Yet questions about speed, visibility, and rider behavior can become part of a claim. The evidence may tell a different story.

In 2023, investigating officers identified the other vehicle as a contributing factor in 55.7 percent of South Carolina multi-vehicle motorcycle collisions. Motorcycle riders were identified as a contributing factor in 41.7 percent.

Visibility is particularly important in collisions between motorcycles and passenger vehicles. Nationally, the other vehicle was turning left in 46 percent of fatal two-vehicle motorcycle crashes in 2023. In those collisions, the motorcycle was traveling straight, passing, or overtaking.

A driver may say they never saw the motorcycle, but that does not answer why the collision occurred. At Mooneyham Berry, we examine sight lines, signal timing, vehicle positions, witness accounts, and other available evidence. Our focus is on establishing what happened rather than allowing assumptions about motorcycle riders to fill gaps in the evidence.

Motorcycle accidents can be severe; the injuries can change everyday life for months or permanently. Surgery and rehabilitation may interfere with work and family responsibilities. Some riders lose mobility or independence. Others face lasting pain or find that injuries prevent them from returning to activities they enjoyed before the collision.

Serious motorcycle injuries may include:

• Traumatic brain injuries: Head trauma can affect memory, concentration, balance, mood, and the ability to work or live independently.
• Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spinal cord may affect movement and sensation. Severe injuries can require rehabilitation, assistive equipment, home modifications, or lifelong care.
• Road rash and burns: Deep abrasions can damage skin, muscle, and nerves. Severe injuries may require skin grafts and leave permanent scarring.
• Broken bones and orthopedic injuries: Fractures to the arms, legs, hips, or pelvis may require surgery and months of rehabilitation. Some riders continue to experience pain or limited mobility after the bones heal.

Some injuries are not immediately apparent at the scene. A rider who can stand or speak after a collision may still have a concussion, internal injury, or other trauma requiring medical attention.

At Mooneyham Berry, we want the claim to reflect more than the name of an injury in a medical record. We document how the injury affects your ability to work, move independently, care for your family, ride, and participate in the life you had before the accident. Those effects can become particularly important when an injury is permanent or requires future care.

When a motorcycle collision results in a death, surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim. Our firm can help families understand their legal options while they focus on the people and responsibilities that need them most.

South Carolina Motorcycle Laws That May Affect Your Claim

South Carolina law gives motorcyclists full use of a traffic lane, but it also places specific requirements on riders. After an accident, questions about helmet use, riding behavior, and fault may become part of the insurance claim.

Helmet Use and Fault

South Carolina requires motorcycle operators and passengers under age 21 to wear an approved helmet. Riders age 21 and older are not subject to that requirement.

Questions about helmet use should not automatically be treated as questions about who caused the collision. At Mooneyham Berry, we look separately at the actions that led to the accident and the evidence concerning your injuries. If an insurer argues that your speed, gear, or riding decisions contributed to the outcome, we examine whether the evidence actually supports that position.



South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence. You may generally recover when your share of fault is 50 percent or less, although your recovery is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. Because fault can directly affect compensation, we do not assume an insurer's assessment of a rider's actions is the final word.

Lane Use and Other Riding Rules

South Carolina gives motorcycles the full use of a traffic lane and allows two motorcycles to ride side by side. However, riders cannot operate between lanes of traffic or pass another vehicle within the same occupied lane.

These differences can matter when the parties disagree about how the collision occurred. Mooneyham Berry compares statements about a rider's position or movement with the physical evidence and the rules that actually apply.

Most South Carolina personal injury actions are subject to a three-year limitations period. Claims involving a government entity can have different requirements. Under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, an action generally must begin within two years, although the statute provides a three-year period when a claimant first files a claim under the Act.

South Carolina requires drivers to carry at least $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person. A serious motorcycle injury can exceed that amount quickly. Additional coverage may be available through other policies that apply to the collision.



At Mooneyham Berry, we identify available insurance coverage before evaluating a settlement offer. This can include the at-fault driver's liability policy and applicable coverage under the rider's own policy. South Carolina insurers must offer underinsured motorist coverage, although drivers are not required to purchase it. Medical payments coverage may also help with medical expenses when it is part of the policy.

Compensation in a motorcycle accident claim may include:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Physical impairment or disfigurement
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Damage to the motorcycle and other personal property

Property damage can require its own careful review. A standard motorcycle valuation may not fully account for custom parts, upgrades, riding gear, or accessories. We document those losses and review the insurer's valuation rather than treating the bike's base value as the entire property claim.

A motorcycle passenger has their own potential injury claim after a collision. Depending on what caused the crash, responsibility may rest with another driver, the motorcycle operator, or more than one party. At Mooneyham Berry, we examine each person's actions and the available insurance coverage rather than assuming the passenger's claim follows the rider's.

Group rides can create different evidence issues. Other riders may have seen the collision from angles unavailable to drivers or responding officers. Helmet cameras and bike-mounted cameras may also capture the moments before impact.



Identifying those riders early can be important. People may leave the scene before their names appear in a crash report, and camera footage can later be deleted or overwritten. We work to identify witnesses and preserve available recordings before that evidence disappears.

Why Motorcycle Riders Choose Mooneyham Berry

A serious motorcycle claim can involve disputed fault, significant injuries, insurance issues, and technical evidence. Mooneyham Berry brings more than 40 years of combined experience to investigating these claims and advocating for injured riders.

Trial Experience When a Claim Is Disputed

Mooneyham Berry has substantial trial experience in South Carolina state and federal courts. That experience can be valuable when an insurer disputes fault or challenges the extent of a rider's injuries.

We prepare claims with the evidence needed to support our client's position, including when litigation becomes necessary.

Experience With Complex Accident Claims

Our firm handles complex motor vehicle litigation and understands the arguments insurers may raise after a serious collision. We investigate the evidence, evaluate available insurance coverage, and address disputed issues based on the facts of the case.

Experience Beyond Driver Negligence

Not every motorcycle accident begins with another driver's mistake. A defective tire, brake, motorcycle component, or other product may contribute to a crash.

Mooneyham Berry's experience includes defective product and other complex injury litigation. This broader background can be useful when a motorcycle claim involves multiple causes or technical issues.

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