Myrtle Beach Personal Injury Lawyer
Personal Injury Lawyer in South Carolina - Jeff Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers
When you suffer a personal injury accident, your world turns upside down. Not only have you been injured, but the injury occurred due to another's negligence and caused monetary loss. At the Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we believe that no one should pay both physically and financially because of another's mistake.
We fight for our client's rights from the start, beginning with the initial free case review. Our investigative team actively pursues the evidence we need to resolve your case successfully. We leave no stone left unturned to reach a favorable conclusion for our clients. We have the experience and resources to handle your case from start to finish.
How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer Help?
You may be wondering if you need the assistance of a personal injury lawyer, especially in a minor accident. There are times when the injured party can submit the necessary paperwork on their own. However, this is not always the best plan. Studies show that people without an attorney to provide legal insight do not fare as well as those with a legal advocate.
Reasons Why Handling a Case By Yourself is Problematic
The big problem here is that injury symptoms are not always apparent right away. This time lag may be due in part to the release of adrenaline in the initial moments after an accident occurs. Health authorities report that it could take hours to days for symptoms to be noticeable.
Telling an adjuster or someone from the at-fault driver's insurance company that you "feel fine" despite the existence of inapparent physical damage can mean that you will be responsible for medical payments and other financial losses associated with the accident. Your injury lawyer in South Carolina helps ensure that this does not happen.
In fact, at Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we deal with the insurance company for you. This eliminates the stress you might feel doing it yourself. We urge our clients to let us take the pressure off them so they can heal with the peace of mind that we are there for them.
What Is a Personal Injury?
Personal injury is an umbrella term used for any type of bodily, emotional and psychological harm caused by another person or entity. The injuries are often the result of an accident but can be due to intentional harm, defective products or wrongful death. Here's a more complete of personal injury types:
- Car Accident
- Tractor Trailers
- Slip and Fall
- Dog Bite
- Wrongful Death
- Motorcycle Accident
- Moped Accident
- Pedestrian Accident
- Medical Malpractice
- Aviation Accident
- Nursing Home Abuse
- Boating Accident
The insurance company of the at-fault party usually pays for the damages the injured party suffers. In some cases, the defendant lacks adequate insurance coverage, and your personal injury lawyer can help you receive the compensation you deserve. In cases where the insurer fails to provide compensation, your injury lawyer will take the matter to civil court.
Can a Government Agency Be Responsible for a Personal Injury?
On many occasions, an injury can be caused by the lack of care reasonably provided by a government agency. For example, poor roadway conditions and inadequate care of government buildings such as the post office can be the source of an accident. In such cases, the deadline to file is different from other personal injury accidents. Your attorney will ensure that all documents are filed on time.
How Much Time Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim?
This differs from one state to another. In South Carolina, the statute of limitations is three years from the time of the accident injury or the wrongful death of an individual. If a government agency is involved, the deadline within which a claim can be filed is two years.
The statute of limitations begins in most cases when the injury happens. For example, if a claimant slips and falls on a wet floor at the grocery store and hurts their knee, the start of their deadline to file begins then.
There are a few exemptions to compliance with the deadline. Your injury lawyer will be able to help you with an extension if it is needed. However, this is usually decided by the court. A time extension may be granted if the victim is a minor or if they are incapacitated mentally. Medical malpractice lawsuits are not extended due to mental issues. Minors have an extra year to file after they turn 18.
Recoverable Damages in a Personal Injury Lawsuit
After an accident, the injured party faces both physical pain and monetary loss. A personal injury lawsuit's goal is making the person whole again, meaning they are compensated for damages caused by the negligent party. The most frequent recoverable damages our firm helps clients obtain are:
- Medical expenses: Most medical costs related to the accident injury are recoverable. These include ambulance costs as well as emergency room and hospitalization fees and physicians' bills. The cost of medication, lab and x-ray expenses as well as surgical and rehabilitation efforts are also covered. The injured person can also be compensated for travel to and from the doctor's office.
- The wages the plaintiff lost due to the accident injuries are also recoverable. This includes bonuses and other perks relative to employment.
- If the injured person must take a lower-paying job due to their injuries, this damage can be recovered through a personal injury lawsuit.
- Domestic household duties the person normally handled may be lost due to their injury. The cost of hiring another person to perform such work is recoverable. This can include mowing the lawn or caring for children.
- Punitive damages are available in some cases. These are not meant to compensate the plaintiff but to punish the defendant and possibly prevent the accident from happening again. The negligence must be egregious for punitive damages to be awarded. Such willful, wanton and reckless acts exceed those of negligence or gross negligence. In South Carolina, punitive damages are not to exceed three times the compensatory damages or $500,000. Reasons for removing this cap include if drugs or alcohol were involved if the defendant meant to harm the plaintiff or if the defendant was convicted of the same actions in the past.
Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers
At Morris Law Accident Injury Lawyers, we are dedicated to helping clients recover damages after a personal injury accident. These include car and truck accidents, wrongful death cases, motorcycle crashes and other types of trauma. We work hard to obtain the compensation our clients deserve and help preserve their rights.
Since proof of negligence is necessary for a case to move forward, we use investigative techniques to determine liability. Our lawyers use this evidence to build a strong case against the at-fault party. We have helped numerous residents of South Carolina, including Horry County and Myrtle Beach recover damages after a negligent party caused an accident.
Call us at (843) 232- 0944 to schedule a free case review. Our cases are billed on a contingency basis. This means unless you win, there is no fee. You can also reach out to us online if that is more convenient for you.
