Practice Areas
Testimonials
Mr. Morris was extremely helpful with helping me understand the situation. What seemed very confusing to me he actually broke everything down so I could understand what everything meant. Thank you so much for your advice! I highly recommend him!
Crissy Blumer
Jeff is a very proficient lawyer when it comes to the laws surrounding accidents, settlements and workers comp cases. He is very understanding, communicative and worked diligently on my case and settled in a very timely manner. Jeff did not allow anyone to take advantage of me and ensured that I got the proper care attention and payout I deserved. I recommend him highly.
Guiseppe Paparo
I appreciate all that Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers did for me. Very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable staff that helped during a difficult time.
Lindsey Rogers
Real Case Results
Fill out the form below and we’ll contact you within 24 hours.
"*" indicates required fields
Walking should never mean putting your safety at the mercy of distracted, speeding, or inattentive drivers. Yet when a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the injuries are often catastrophic because there is nothing between the person and the impact. Even collisions at relatively low speeds can leave someone facing months of rehabilitation, multiple surgeries, permanent disabilities, or a traumatic brain injury that changes everyday life.
At Morris Law, our Murrells Inlet pedestrian accident lawyers represent people who have been seriously injured because a driver failed to exercise reasonable care. These cases require more than reviewing a police report. We investigate how the collision occurred, preserve evidence before it disappears, identify every available source of insurance coverage, and build claims that reflect the full impact the injuries will have on our clients’ lives. If you were hit by a car in Murrells Inlet or anywhere along the Grand Strand, we are prepared to help you determine what happened and pursue the compensation you deserve.
Pedestrian accident claims often appear straightforward at first. A person was walking, a vehicle struck them, and someone was seriously injured. In reality, these cases are rarely that simple. Drivers and insurance companies frequently argue that the pedestrian entered traffic unexpectedly, crossed outside a designated crosswalk, ignored a traffic signal, or could not be seen in time to avoid the collision.
Determining what actually happened requires far more than accepting one driver’s version of events. Our personal injury attorneys begin investigating immediately because some of the most valuable evidence can disappear within days of a crash.
Depending on the circumstances, that investigation may include:
Building a strong pedestrian accident claim often comes down to small details that are easy to overlook without an early investigation. Identifying those details allows us to present a clearer picture of how the collision occurred rather than relying solely on competing statements from the driver and the injured pedestrian.
Tip
Save the clothing and shoes you were wearing during the collision. They may become important evidence later.
The Murrells Inlet Marshwalk draws heavy foot traffic among restaurants and shops throughout the year, while Highway 17 and Business 17 carry fast, steady traffic just blocks away. Residential streets off SC-707 add another layer of risk, where sidewalks are sometimes absent, and visibility can be poor after dark. Most drivers navigate these areas safely, but a single moment of inattention can cause devastating injuries.
Some of the most common pedestrian accident scenarios we investigate include:
Marked crosswalks near the Marshwalk and along Business 17 are intended to provide pedestrians with a safe place to cross the street, but they only work when drivers pay attention. Many pedestrian collisions occur because a driver turns through an intersection without checking for someone already crossing or attempts to beat a changing traffic signal.
Drivers making turns often focus on finding a gap in traffic instead of watching sidewalks or crosswalks. A pedestrian may have the legal right of way while a turning driver is looking in the opposite direction for approaching vehicles.
Looking at a phone for only a few seconds can prevent a driver from seeing a pedestrian until it is too late to stop. Texting, adjusting navigation, eating, or interacting with passengers all reduce the attention needed to safely operate a vehicle, particularly on a corridor as heavily traveled as Highway 17.
Higher speeds reduce the amount of time available to react while dramatically increasing the force of impact. A collision that might cause relatively minor injuries at lower speeds can become life-threatening when a driver is traveling significantly faster than conditions allow, a risk that climbs during peak tourist season when traffic along Highway 17 and SC-707 backs up and frustrated drivers look for gaps to make up time.
Not every pedestrian accident occurs on a public roadway. Restaurants and shops along the Marshwalk, grocery stores off Highway 17, and rental properties near the beach all present situations where drivers back out of parking spaces, cut across parking lanes, or fail to watch for pedestrians walking between vehicles.
Alcohol, drugs, prescription medications, and exhaustion all reduce a driver’s ability to recognize hazards and react appropriately. Because pedestrians are far less visible than other vehicles, impaired drivers often fail to notice them until after a collision has occurred, a particular concern in the restaurant and nightlife district around the Marshwalk.
Regardless of how a pedestrian accident case begins, one question remains the same: could the collision have been prevented if the driver had exercised reasonable care? Answering that question requires a careful review of the evidence, and that investigation forms the foundation of every claim we pursue.
Unlike occupants inside a vehicle, pedestrians have no seat belts, airbags, or structural protection during a collision. The body absorbs the full force of the impact before often striking the pavement or another object nearby. As a result, even crashes that occur at relatively low speeds can produce injuries requiring months or years of medical treatment.
Some of the most common injuries we see include:
Recovering from a pedestrian accident is rarely measured in weeks. Medical treatment often continues long after the visible injuries begin to heal, and the long-term effects frequently influence a person’s ability to work, care for family members, and return to the activities they once enjoyed. When a collision proves fatal, surviving family members may also have grounds to pursue a wrongful death claim against the responsible driver.
Every pedestrian accident claim begins with the same question: what caused the collision? The answer is not always as obvious as it may seem from the initial police report. Drivers, insurance companies, and witnesses may each describe the same accident differently, which is why our attorneys focus on gathering the evidence needed to establish exactly what happened.
Building a strong claim often requires us to answer questions such as:
The answers to those questions often determine whether an insurance company accepts responsibility or disputes the claim. Rather than relying on assumptions, we build cases around evidence that can be documented, preserved, and presented if litigation becomes necessary.
The driver who struck a pedestrian is not always the only party who may be legally responsible. Part of our investigation involves determining whether additional individuals or organizations contributed to the circumstances that caused the collision.
Depending on the facts of the case, responsibility may extend to:
Identifying every potentially responsible party is about more than assigning blame. Different defendants may carry different insurance policies, and additional sources of coverage can significantly affect the compensation available to an injured pedestrian. One of the first things we do is determine whether every appropriate party has been identified before the claim moves forward.
Many people assume a pedestrian accident claim is straightforward because the injuries are often severe. In reality, insurance companies frequently dispute how the collision happened, even when the pedestrian suffered catastrophic injuries.
Common arguments include:
These arguments are not unusual, and they do not automatically determine the outcome of a claim. Our job is to evaluate the evidence supporting each position, identify inconsistencies, and develop the facts needed to show how the collision actually occurred. The stronger the evidence collected early, the more difficult it becomes for an insurance company to shift responsibility away from a negligent driver.
Jeff Morris was great to work with. Easy to work with. Made sure I received the best settlement I could get. Thanks Jeff.
Not every pedestrian accident involves one party who is entirely at fault. South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule, sometimes called the 51% bar rule, which means an injured pedestrian may still recover compensation if they were partially responsible for the collision, as long as their share of fault stays under 51 percent.
Insurance companies know this rule well. It is one reason they often argue that a pedestrian crossed outside a crosswalk, ignored a traffic signal, or entered the roadway unexpectedly. Even a small increase in the percentage of fault assigned to the injured person can reduce the compensation the insurer ultimately pays.
Determining how fault should be allocated requires more than opinions. We examine surveillance footage, witness statements, photographs, vehicle damage, roadway markings, and any other available evidence before reaching conclusions about how the collision occurred. Every piece of evidence contributes to building the most accurate picture possible of what happened in the moments leading up to the crash.
The financial impact of a pedestrian accident often extends far beyond the first emergency room visit. Serious injuries can require months of treatment, multiple surgeries, ongoing rehabilitation, and permanent changes to a person’s ability to work or live independently.
Tip
Avoid discussing the accident on social media while your claim is pending.
We evaluate each pedestrian accident claim based on both your current losses and the long-term effects your injuries are reasonably expected to have on your life. Depending on the circumstances, compensation may include:
No two pedestrian accidents produce identical consequences. A broken leg may heal within several months for one person while preventing another from returning to a physically demanding career. Our goal is to understand how the injuries affect your life as a whole so your claim reflects more than the bills that have already arrived.
The hours and days following a pedestrian accident often shape the strength of a future claim. While medical treatment should always come first, important evidence can disappear surprisingly quickly if no one takes steps to preserve it. Tidelands Waccamaw Community Hospital on Highway 17 South handles many of the serious injuries we see from crashes in this area, and records from that initial treatment often become an important part of the case.
Security camera footage from nearby businesses may be automatically overwritten within days. Witnesses become harder to locate as time passes, and even those who can be found may struggle to remember details that once seemed clear. Vehicles involved in the collision are repaired, roadway conditions change, and physical evidence at the scene disappears.
Our pedestrian accident attorneys begin preserving evidence as soon as we become involved because those details often provide the clearest picture of how the collision occurred.
If you are physically able after a pedestrian accident, it may also help to:
Not every case begins under ideal circumstances. Many clients contact us days or weeks after their accident, and valuable claims can still be built. Beginning the investigation sooner, however, often provides access to evidence that may no longer exist later in the process.
I appreciate all that Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers did for me. Very friendly, professional, and knowledgeable staff that helped during a difficult time.
Pedestrian accident claims involve more than filing paperwork before a legal deadline expires. A thorough investigation takes time, particularly when serious injuries require ongoing medical treatment or questions remain about how the collision occurred.
One of the first things we evaluate is how much evidence is still available. Surveillance footage may need to be requested before it is deleted. Witnesses should be interviewed while events remain fresh in their minds. Photographs, vehicle inspections, and medical documentation all become part of understanding not only how the collision happened, but how it continues to affect your life.
South Carolina also places deadlines on filing personal injury lawsuits. Generally, you have three years from the date of the accident to file suit, though shorter deadlines can apply in claims against a government entity, which becomes relevant when a malfunctioning traffic signal or dangerous roadway design contributed to the crash. Waiting too long can prevent an otherwise valid claim from moving forward, regardless of how serious the injuries may be. Determining which deadline applies and making sure the necessary investigation is completed beforehand are important parts of preparing a strong case.
Early involvement also gives us the opportunity to communicate with insurance companies on your behalf, allowing you to focus on your recovery while we begin gathering the evidence needed to support your claim.
A pedestrian accident can leave you facing questions that extend well beyond your immediate medical care. You may be unable to work, uncertain how future treatment will be paid for, or dealing with an insurance company that disputes what happened. Understanding your legal rights begins with understanding the facts of your case.
At Morris Law, we take the time to review the available evidence, evaluate how the collision occurred, and determine whether the driver’s negligence caused your injuries. If the evidence supports a pedestrian injury claim, our attorneys will explain what comes next and begin building a case designed to pursue the compensation your situation deserves.
If you were injured after being struck by a vehicle in Murrells Inlet or elsewhere along South Carolina’s Grand Strand, contact Morris Law today to schedule a free consultation with a pedestrian accident lawyer who takes the time to get the facts right. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation on your behalf.
Meet Our Dedicated Legal Team
