Georgetown Serious Injury Lawyer
A catastrophic injury immediately turns life upside down for victims and families. The Georgetown serious injury lawyer at the Stanley Law Group helps these people get back on track.
Medical bills average more than $150,000 in catastrophic injury cases. Most group health insurance policies exclude injury-related costs, and most families cannot possibly afford to pay these bills out of pocket. The financial stress worsens the physical stress, which leads to more medical bills and more stress, and the downward spiral continues. Making matters worse, insurance adjusters seemingly call constantly, demanding settlements.
Attorneys help serious injury victims in the short and long term. Right off the bat, our team connects these victims with top-notch doctors who, in most cases, charge nothing upfront for their professional services. We make similar arrangements to meet other immediate needs, such as alternative transportation. Then, when these bills become due, we force negligent drivers and other parties to accept responsibility for the injuries they cause. Paying compensation is part of this responsibility.
How a Georgetown Serious Injury Lawyer Builds a Case
Compensation is usually available if a Georgetown serious injury lawyer proves negligence, or a lack of care, by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not.
Most drivers and property owners have a duty of reasonable care. They must go out of their way to ensure that other people on the road, or their invited property guests, are reasonably safe and secure.
Drivers breach their duty of care when they drive aggressively (e.g. speeding or making an illegal turn) or while impaired (e.g. under the influence of alcohol or drugs). Typically, property owners breach their duty of care when they knew about, or should have known about, an injury hazard (e.g. wet spot on a floor or a dangerous dog) yet they did not promptly and adequately address the hazard.
Attorneys must also prove cause and damages. Cause is a connection between the breach and the damages. If Amy lost control of her car on a wet road, the weather contributed to the wreck, but Amy’s negligence, probably speeding, substantially caused it. In most cases, damage is a physical injury to a person or thing.
A preponderance of the evidence is one of the lowest standards of proof in SOuth Carolina law. A little evidence goes a long way in negligence matters.
Hit & run wrecks are a good example. Assume Amy fled the scene after the crash. A nearby witness saw the same kind of car with front-end damage. The witness also saw the last few digits on the license plate.
An attorney can use that scant bit of evidence to locate the vehicle’s owner. It’s more likely than not that the owner was driving the car at the time.
A preponderance of the evidence is a low standard, but minimum efforts typically yield minimum results. To obtain maximum compensation, a Georgetown serious injury lawyer must go the extra mile and keep digging for proof.
Resolving a Case
Most serious injury cases settle during mediation. A third-party mediator oversees a settlement negotiation session and ensures that both sides negotiate in good faith. “I’ll see you in court” is not a good-faith offer. Both sides must honestly try to settle the matter before trial.
Mostly because of the good faith negotiation duty, and also because both sides want to avoid an uncertain trial, civil mediation is about 90 percent successful.
Work With a Diligent Georgetown County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced serious injury lawyer in Georgetown, contact the Stanley Law Group. Virtual, home, and hospital visits are available.
