Legal Assistance FAQs

Yes. Our South Carolina injury lawyers have decades of experience in handling various types of claims in addition to claims involving personal injury or death. We are actively representing individuals and businesses that have suffered economic losses as a result of trade violations, breaches of contract, and other improper and illegal activities. We also work closely with other attorneys who practice in specific areas of the law where we may not. If your specific case is not the type of case we handle, we can certainly put you in touch with a respected attorney to assist you and evaluate your case.

Typically, you’ll need to file a lawsuit in the state where the accident happened. It makes sense to hire a lawyer from that state, because he or she is familiar with the state’s laws and courts. Also, an attorney from out-of-state may not be eligible to practice law in South Carolina without the permission of the court and association with a local lawyer. If you were hurt in South Carolina, it makes sense to hire a South Carolina attorney.

Different types of cases are subject to different filing deadlines. For personal injury actions in South Carolina, you usually have three years from the date the injury occurred. For workers’ compensation claims, you must give notice within 90 days of the accident. Claims against the government must be filed within one year of the accident.

Each of these deadlines may be extended if an injury or loss is not immediately apparent. In this case, the deadline begins when you “discover”—or should reasonably have discovered — the loss or injury. For example, this could occur in the case of an occupational disease, which may take months or even years to develop.

In any event, it’s a good idea to file a claim as soon as possible. Missing the statute of limitations may result in you losing the ability to file a claim.

This is one of our most-commonly asked questions, and also one of the most difficult to answer. The simple truth is that every case is different, and we cannot speculate about any particular case without first knowing the facts.

Your case is worth either what our South Carolina injury lawyers tell the insurance company it’s worth or the amount of an award granted by a judge or jury. We examine all of the conditions surrounding your case in order to arrive at a figure that we believe the insurance company must pay for your injuries. These conditions include how the accident happened, what injuries you suffered, future medical problems, the amount of insurance, the amount of medical expenses and lost income, as well as future medical costs and future loss of income. We study every detail so that we can get you the money you deserve for your injuries.

Personal injury victims typically are eligible to receive two types of compensation:

• Economic damages, which cover losses such as medical bills and lost wages.
• Non-economic damages, which cover losses such as pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

A third type of damages, punitive damages, are occasionally awarded in personal injury cases, but only those that involve intentional acts of harm or other egregious behavior.

For examples of some of the top settlements and verdicts we’ve helped clients to obtain, please see our results page.

You must file your case within the statute of limitations, a fixed period of time dictated by the law. In many injury cases, you are required to bring your case within two or three years from the date of the event that caused the injury. For an explanation of these time limits, always consult with a lawyer experienced in these matters.

While a successful personal injury case involves many aspects, the overall goal is to show that the person who injured you was negligent, and that his or her negligence caused your injury.

Negligence, in a legal sense, means that someone, whether by his or her actions or omissions, failed to behave with a level of care that a reasonably prudent person would have exercised under the same circumstances. For example, a person who runs a red light at an intersection is probably negligent, because a reasonably cautious person would stop for a red light, knowing that failure to do so could harm somebody else.

A competent adult, who is over the age of 18 and injured, must bring the lawsuit in their name. A minor or an incompetent adult must have suit brought by either their parents or a court-appointed guardian.

There are several important differences between these types of cases. One of the main ones is that civil cases – such as personal injury cases – do not result in criminal sentences (fines or jail time, for example). Civil cases involve private disputes between persons and/or organizations. They allege that a legal duty has not been upheld and seek money damages to “make the victim whole again.” Criminal cases are brought by the government, not by victims.

Some injuries, such as those from assaults and drunk driving accidents, for example, may involve both criminal and civil cases. These are separate matters in the eyes of the law.

A competent adult who is over the age of 18 and injured may bring the lawsuit in his or her name. Minors and incompetent adults must have a suit brought by either their parents or a court-appointed guardian. If the victim is deceased, South Carolina law allows certain close relatives to bring a wrongful death action.

The main ways that an attorney can help an accident victim include:

• Conducting an independent investigation of the accident to find out what really happened.
• Consulting with medical experts and others, such as accident reconstructionists and engineers.
• Filing paperwork on your behalf, making sure to meet all applicable deadlines.
• Negotiating a settlement with the other party or the other party’s insurance company.
• Helping victims get the medical treatment they need, including treatment from specialists.
• Providing information and advice about your case.
• Protecting your rights.

You’ve probably never been through a lawsuit before, which puts you at a serious disadvantage when dealing with insurance adjusters and defense attorneys. Hiring representation of your own simply helps to level the playing field.

If a recovery is not made in your injury claim, you pay nothing for our lawyers’ time and services. Your only cost will be the responsibility for reimbursing the law firm for its out-of-pocket costs. If our attorneys are successful, we receive a portion of the amount obtained through a settlement or court award to cover our legal fee and case expenses. The typical fee is 33 percent if the case doesn’t go to court.