Excerpt from: Motorcycle Lawyer
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| May 04, 2009 | | Hard to Find a Motorcycle Lawyer | It wasn't a total surprise to read that the town of Myrtle Beach has banned motorcycle rallies.
A few years ago, a rider called me, looking for help after a fairly bad crash in Myrtle Beach. The rider was from out of town, and had ridden down with a few friends in a riding group. The crashed caused some permanent injuries, with a lot of unsightly scarring.
Many riders know that I help locate motorcycle savvy riders for injured riders all over the country, so it was no surprise that I got involved.
The injuries in this case were such that I wanted to stay actively involved, and when I called around, I offered to fly in to participate in critical parts of the case, like depositions and settlement conferences.
Initially, I found what seemed to be a good firm, and they held themselves out as motorcycle savvy. Everything seemed to be in place. I prepared a draft complaint, put together a memo on what was involved, and sent it over. They sent some material back.
Suddenly, everything started to feel wrong. They insisted that the case would have to go to federal court, rather than being filed locally in Myrtle Beach. Then they raised one problem after the next, and finally advised the client, and me, that they were no longer willing to proceed.
Of course, they were reacting to the public sentiment in Myrtle Beach, and this was a rider who would be seen as an out of state rider.
Some time later, I had a conversation with two dedicated riders from Myrtle Beach who were on a ride I went on with a group of friends in Wyoming.
The conversation was surprisingly anti-motorcycle, particularly coming from two riders who themselves attend numerous rallies. There was more than a hint of racism, as well.
What I gathered from this was that Myrtle Beach was a place for riders to avoid, not a destination for rallies. I have no way of evaluating the truth of their anecdotal information, but the sentiment was clear.
Now that Myrtle Beach has announced how it feels about motorcyclists, it seems necessary to also realize that injured riders will not likely receive fair or balanced treatment in their legal system. If you get hit by a car turning left in front of you, hope that you aren't in Myrtle Beach.
Of course, I will continue to help injured riders find motorcycle lawyers wherever I can, but this is just another example of how difficult it can be.
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