How Can a Personal Injury Lawyer in Greenville, SC Help Your Case?

We examine the reasons why hiring a personal injury lawyer can give you the best chance of success.

Accidents happen. It’s a fact of life. But when an accident occurs that wasn’t your fault and leaves you with injuries, you have a right under the law to seek justice and compensation against the person or entity responsible. But it isn’t always easy. Whether you’re involved in an incident or accident at work, in a public place like a mall, or on the road, and you did nothing to cause it, it’s almost always the case that you need experienced legal help to get justice you deserve. 

A personal injury lawyer in Greenville, SC, for instance, will know precisely what to do to help your case and protect your legal rights. Because, sadly, not everyone wants what’s in your best interests when you’re making a personal injury claim — especially those who may have to make a substantial financial settlement to you. 

Those responsible for your accident — and related third parties like insurance companies — will do their best to either not pay by claiming they’re not at fault or don’t have the means or will offer the smallest sum possible. That’s not what you want, which is why expert personal injury lawyers on your side are essential to getting the maximum compensation possible in a claim.

What Cases Can a Personal Injury Lawyer in Greenville, SC, Help With?

Personal injury cases include many types of accidents and incidents in South Carolina, including cases of negligence that led to someone being injured — a poorly maintained escalator or elevator that malfunctioned and caused injury to someone, for instance. Among the most common injuries, however, are those that occur on the roads due to the high number of accidents that happen every year. 

People are involved in more than 140,000 traffic collisions in South Carolina annually, and last year that led to 496 deaths, according to figures from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, based on data supplied by the South Carolina Office of Highway Safety. Fatalities so far this year are even higher, at 526 as of writing, even though we’re just past the halfway point of 2021. 

The data also show that 73 pedestrians have tragically also lost their lives in South Carolina so far in 2021, compared to 77 last year; 68 motorcyclists were killed in road accidents in the first six months of this year, compared to 56 for all last year; and eight bicyclists have died on South Carolina streets and roads in 2021, up to three on the whole of 2020.

The trauma and complexity of dealing with such accidents and resulting injuries and loss of life mean going it alone in handling such cases is not recommended at all. You need highly experienced car accident lawyers when you’ve been involved in a motor vehicle accident, for instance, so they can help you navigate what is often a legal minefield and also take some of the worries and stress off of you as you recover from your injuries. 

Other kinds of cases that personal injury lawyers in Greenville, SC, typically handle include:

• Slips and falls, which can happen in the workplace and public buildings like malls, if, for example, there’s a wet area on the floor, after cleaning, that hasn’t been cordoned off. 
• Workers’ compensation for accidents that happen at work, which can range from everything, including accidents while using machines to unsafe buildings with hazards such as cancer-causing asbestos in them.
• Wrongful death, where someone’s actions result in the death of a person. 
• Medical negligence, which is the result of a procedure or operation at a clinic or hospital that went wrong and left the patient in a worse condition. 

Essential Elements a Greenville Personal Injury Lawyer Helps With

One of the most important aspects of a personal injury claim is proving you were not at fault — if you were or were partly responsible for what happened, you most likely won’t have a case. Demonstrating to the other party or parties — including their insurance companies — that you can’t be blamed relies on evidence. Gathering this as quickly as possible after an accident is crucial but can be challenging. 

The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in South Carolina is three years (reduced from six years in 1998), which is more than some other states, such as Texas, where it’s two. This means if you want to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit, you must do it within three years from the date of the accident. It may seem like a lot of time, but it can pass by surprisingly quickly when you’re recuperating and gathering all the various pieces of evidence you need — and waiting long spells to get reports and documentation from various bodies. 

This is where your personal injury lawyer in Greenville, SC, can prove a godsend; they will know what evidence is needed to support your claim and how to go about getting it. So there’s no need to scurry around everywhere — to the police, medical professionals, witnesses — when your lawyer can do it all for you. 

Dealing with insurance companies is also where personal injury lawyers are invaluable. As we’ve mentioned, it can be difficult to get compensation from an at-fault party, and even if you do get a payout, it might not be what it should be. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, and so they and their lawyers will go to great lengths to avoid paying a personal injury claim. 

If you don’t use a personal injury lawyer for your claim — because you’re sure you can prove it and the case seems straightforward — an insurance company might make you an offer to settle the case, and you might be tempted to take it. It’s almost always the case in such situations, though, that the sum offered is low compared to what a personal injury lawyer could get for you. Your lawyer will know the strategies of insurance companies and can negotiate to get you a higher amount of compensation. 

If talks with other parties have stalled and are going nowhere, you may have to take your case to court. Filing a personal injury lawsuit is complex and often expensive, and it’s not advised to handle it yourself. A personal injury lawyer in Greenville who is experienced in the courtroom will be able to expertly prepare your case and present it to the court, giving you the best chance of getting a positive outcome.

Can You Afford a Personal Injury Lawyer in Greenville, SC?

It’s common knowledge that legal matters and lawyers can be costly. If you’ve been involved in an accident that wasn’t your fault and are seeking justice and compensation, you might be wondering if you can afford a personal injury lawyer. 

The good news is that most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency basis. This means you don’t pay anything upfront for a law firm to take on your case, and they only charge a fee if they win for you — usually a percentage of the compensation awarded. So even if your case doesn’t succeed, there’s no financial risk to you.

It’s not a case of can you afford a personal injury lawyer, but can you afford not to hire one?