Charleston Personal Injury Lawyer
An accident can leave you with serious and potentially life-threatening injuries. While many accidents are nobody’s fault, there are many situations where your injuries will be the direct result of someone else’s negligent, reckless, or even intentional actions. In those cases, you have the right under South Carolina law to seek compensation for your injuries and related losses.
If you’re injured by another’s error or recklessness, you need an advocate on your side who cares about the wrong you’ve suffered and the fact that you are now coping with serious economic and non-economic losses. At the offices of The Stanley Law Group, our Charleston personal injury lawyers are here to fight for you. With experience behind our name and a reputation of excellence, we are prepared to build your personal injury claim and work hard to get you your maximum award.
Our Personal Injury Practice Areas
If you’ve been injured and you think that your injuries would not have occurred but for the negligence of another party, you may have a personal injury case. Our lawyers are well-versed in all aspects of personal injury law, and have experience handling the following personal injury case types:
- Bicycle Accident
- Boat Accident
- Bus Accident
- Car Accident
- Car Accident Whiplash
- Car Wreck
- Distracted Driver Accident
- Dog Bite
- Hit & Run Accident
- Medical Malpractice
- Motorcycle Accident
- Pedestrian Accident
- Personal Injury
- Product Liability
- Rear End Accident
- Slip & Fall
- Stop Sign Accident
- Truck Accident
- Uber Accident
- Wrongful Death
If you have been hurt in an accident, it is critical that you consult with a Charleston personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. South Carolina law imposes strict deadlines for filing civil lawsuits. For most personal injury cases, the statute of limitations is 3 years from the date of the accident or other event that caused the injury.
Through a personal injury claim, you can seek financial compensation–known as damages–for any losses arising from the defendant’s conduct.
Damages in South Carolina
- Economic Damages: This compensates you for direct, out-of-pocket expenses, such as the costs of your medical care, reimbursement for your loss of income, and any damage to your property.
- Non-Economic Damages: These are losses that cannot be documented with receipts yet still exist, such as your pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
- Punitive Damages: In exceptional cases where the defendant was not simply negligent but engaged in “willful, wanton, or reckless conduct,” a South Carolina court can award punitive damages as a means of punishing the defendant and sending a message to others who might engage in similar actions.
Please note that South Carolina also follows a “modified comparative fault” rule in personal injury cases. In simple terms, this means a judge or jury can take into account your own role in causing your accident and injuries, which may reduce how much compensation you can receive. Our Charleston personal injury lawyers can review this rule with you further and advise you on how it might apply to your case.
Your Rights After a Personal Injury
If you can prove that your injuries would not have been incurred but for the negligence of another party, you can seek compensation for the full value of damages that you have suffered. Our lawyers will represent you in seeking compensation for:
- Medical expenses;
- Lost wages;
- Pain;
- Suffering;
- Property damage expenses; and
- All other economic and non-economic damages.
Personal Injury Statute of Limitations in South Carolina
In South Carolina, a personal injury claim must be commenced within three years from the date that the injury occurred. If you wait more than three years to file your claim, you can be permanently barred from recovery. Note that if your claim is being filed against a government entity, the statute of limitations is shortened and you have even less time to act.
Steps to Take Now
You can take steps right now to preserve your right to a personal injury claim. If you have not already done so, be sure to:
- File a police report related to the accident or another formal report and request a copy of the report;
- Seek medical care;
- Follow your doctor’s orders;
- Keep thorough documentation of your injuries, your treatment, and your healing progress;
- Gather any evidence related to the accident that you can, including photos of the accident scene, names of any eyewitnesses, and more; and
- Call a lawyer as soon as possible – remember, evidence doesn’t last forever, and the clock on the statute of limitations is ticking.
Reach Our Charleston Personal Injury Lawyers Today
The Charleston personal injury lawyers at The Stanley Law Group can help. We have represented victims throughout South Carolina since 1990. Our team has over 60 years of combined legal experience in building and presenting cases on behalf of our clients. We can review your accident and injuries and advise you on the best strategy for holding the responsible parties legally accountable. If you’re ready to bring forth a personal injury claim, you can get started by calling our Charleston personal injury lawyers for a free consultation. We work on a contingency fee basis.
Most personal injury claims in South Carolina are resolved through negotiated settlement rather than litigation. But you must always be prepared to go to court to assert your rights. Our skilled Charleston injury attorneys can help make sure you are ready. Call the Stanley Law Group today at 803-799-4700 or contact us online to request a free consultation.