As you try to recover from a jet ski accident injury, insurance companies are already working to limit their liability, using tactics to blame you for the accident and diminish the value of your claim or deny it outright. South Carolina’s “modified comparative negligence” law allows insurers to pay you nothing at all if they can argue you were 51% or more at fault.
Even after meeting the legal requirement for recovery, any share of fault reduces your payment. Auger & Auger Accident and Injury Lawyers was established to protect injury victims from insurance company tactics and take the legal burden off their shoulders. Today, our jet ski accident lawyers in North Myrtle Beach push back when insurers attempt to shift blame away from their policyholder.
Our North Myrtle Beach personal injury lawyers conduct independent investigations to gather evidence that protects your claim and positions you for fair recovery. Plus, our A&A Zero Fee Guarantee™ means you waste no time getting started since there are no upfront fees and no attorney fees unless we win. Our team handles insurance adjusters and manages all legal paperwork for you, so you can focus on your physical recovery. Call now for a free consultation.
Why Choose Our North Myrtle Beach Lawyers to Protect Your Jet Ski Accident Claim?
Insurers use aggressive blame-shifting tactics after jet ski accidents to reduce their liability and minimize your payout. Our team has been successfully taking on insurers for jet ski accident victims since 1995, recovering over $100 million and maintaining a 99.5% success rate in settled cases.
We know how insurers use modified comparative negligence laws in their favor and have developed legal strategies to push back.
How Insurers Shift Blame Onto Injured Jet Skiers
They’ll argue you were negligent in operating the jet ski, claiming you were traveling at an unsafe speed, failed to yield to other watercraft, or violated South Carolina boating laws under South Carolina Code Section 50-21-110.
If your accident occurred in a crowded waterway or near swimmers, they may assert that you were reckless or inattentive. Insurers will suggest a lack of experience on your part or even insinuate alcohol use, whether or not there’s any evidence to support it.
If they can pin just enough blame on you, it will reduce or completely erase your claim under South Carolina’s legal fault standards.
Why Our Attorneys are Equipped to Handle Your Claim
Our North Myrtle Beach jet ski accident attorneys block insurers from using false claims to reduce or deny your compensation by:
- Investigating every detail of your case: We know how to investigate a collision that occurred on the water. Our attorneys survey the area and review local waterway regulations to expose false claims of negligence or recklessness on your part. We can also secure GPS data and analyze boating company procedures to determine how negligence caused your injuries.
- Leveraging specialists’ testimony: When insurers argue you were inexperienced or at fault, we bring in accident reconstruction specialists or boating regulation professionals to prove the other party’s negligence.
- Countering allegations of intoxication or reckless behavior: We can obtain police reports and toxicology data to block baseless accusations made by the insurer to assign fault to you.
- Exposing boating operator negligence: We focus on demonstrating the reckless or unlawful behavior of the other parties involved, such as excessive speeding, failure to yield, unsafe maneuvering, or violating no-wake zones.
Our decades of experience handling personal injury claims allow us to build trial-ready cases and stand up to insurance companies. Our client services do not stop at the legal process, though.
At Auger & Auger, our jet ski accident attorneys in North Myrtle Beach actively prioritize communication with our clients, going the extra mile to keep them updated and supported with our client-centered approach.
How Jet Ski Rental Companies Use Joint and Several Liability to Avoid Responsibility
When a jet ski accident involves a rental company’s equipment, its insurer will try to cite South Carolina’s updated joint and several liability laws to shift the blame away from the company. Under the 2026 revision of the South Carolina Tort Reform and Liquor Liability Act (Act 42), any party found less than 50% at fault cannot be held responsible for the entire damages.
Rental companies will argue that the primary fault lies with other parties, such as another boater, to avoid paying their share of your compensation. Rental companies and their insurers strategically distance themselves from liability by claiming:
- You were negligent: They will argue that you failed to follow safety instructions or operated the jet ski recklessly, shifting fault onto you to reduce or eliminate their financial responsibility.
- A third party was more at fault: Insurers point to other factors, such as another watercraft’s operator or a government agency that oversees the waterway signage, to claim that their rental equipment or processes didn’t contribute to the accident.
- They met minimum standards: Rental companies may argue that they complied with basic safety requirements, such as providing life jackets or a brief safety tutorial, to limit their role in the accident under South Carolina law.
If they can push their fault below the 50% threshold, they may reduce their financial exposure and limit the compensation available from their policy.
How Our North Myrtle Beach Jet Ski Accident Attorneys Protect Your Right to a Fair Recovery
Our attorneys know how to push back against insurers who try to pass the blame. We start by identifying all liable parties, including the rental company, other operators, or manufacturers, to secure compensation for you under every applicable law.
We counter insurer tactics using the evidence we secure early on in the process. The rental company’s logs, inspection reports, and maintenance history help us identify signs of negligence, such as failure to fix worn-out parts or unsafe equipment.
Our team of North Myrtle Beach jet ski lawyers also looks into how the company trained or instructed renters and whether they provided adequate tutorials, safety equipment, and guidance on local regulations. We build a counterargument that can stand up during negotiations or a trial.
After a jet ski accident, dealing with medical bills, lost wages, and insurers looking to reduce your claim can feel overwhelming. Let us take the burden off your shoulders.
With our A&A Zero Fee Guarantee™, there’s absolutely no financial risk to you. You pay nothing up front, and you’ll never owe us a dime unless we recover compensation for you. This contingency-based approach lets us get to work on your case immediately without adding to your stress.
