Dirt Bike Accidents

A bicycle is a toy; you can buy them in the toy section of Walmart and test drive them by riding them up and down the aisles. By contrast, a motorcycle is a motor vehicle. To drive one, you must pass a written test and a road test, just like you would with a car, and you must register your motorcycle at the DMV, at which point it will issue you a motorcycle-sized license plate. At least, this is how the law sees it, but in practice, things are more complicated. Bicycles made for racing or long-distance rides are intricately crafted machines, even if they do not have a motor. Even a simple, inexpensive bicycle can be someone’s means of transportation to work; adults who choose bicycles over cars often ride their bikes in traffic on public roads. Likewise, there are plenty of vehicles with two wheels and a motor that do not count legally as motorcycles. For example, dirt bikes are motorcycles in all but name. When they crash, the consequences can be as bad as those of an accident involving a bicycle or motorcycle. If you have been injured in a dirt bike accident in South Carolina, contact a Columbia motorcycle accident lawyer.

South Carolina Dirt Bike Laws

In South Carolina, anyone can ride a dirt bike off road or on bike trails. There is no age limit on dirt bike riding in these venues. The laws are more restrictive if you want to make your dirt bike street legal. To turn it into a de facto motorcycle, you must make some modifications to the bike itself. After that, you must register it with the DMV. To ride a street legal dirt bike on public roads, you must be at least 16 years old and hold a valid driver’s license.

Beaufort Teen Dies in Single Vehicle Dirt Bike Accident

On September 27, Kamden Jackson was riding his dirt bike on Edding White Road in Beaufort late in the afternoon. For unknown reasons, he lost control of the dirt bike and crashed into an electrical pole. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital. He was 14 years old.

News reports did not reveal many details about the accident that claimed Kamden Jackson’s life. For example, they did not say whether his dirt bike was street legal or whether he was wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.

No reports have emerged about litigation arising from the accident. If it was a result of a manufacturer’s defect in the bike, then his surviving relatives could file a product liability claim against the manufacturer. If it was because of a poorly maintained road, they might have a premises liability claim against the city.

Let Us Help You Today

The personal injury lawyers at the Stanley Law Group can help you get justice after getting injured in an accident where a dirt bike crashed on a public road.  Contact The Stanley Law Group in Columbia, South Carolina or call (803)799-4700 for a free initial consultation.

Sources:

yourislandnews.com/beaufort-boy-killed-in-dirt-bike-accident-saturday/

scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c001.php#:~:text=(7)%20%22Motor%20vehicle,and%20a%20moped.