Have you been injured in an accident in Fort Mill, SC? You could be entitled to a substantial monetary award from the responsible party. A Fort Mill personal injury attorney at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys can help you pursue compensation for your medical bills, lost income, and other damages. Call us at (803) 902-4045.
Our legal team has over 150 years of combined legal experience. We’ve recovered $100+ million for injured clients just like you. We’re ready to put our experience and reputation of success behind your claim.
Contact our law office in Fort Mill to schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced attorneys. We work on contingency; we won’t charge any attorney fees unless we secure compensation for you first.
Why Should I Hire Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys To Handle My Fort Mill Personal Injury Case?
You deserve first-class legal representation if you’ve been injured in a Fort Mill, South Carolina accident. Access to quality representation can make a huge difference in recovering maximum compensation. It can also give you peace of mind to have an attorney handling all aspects of your case as you heal from your injuries.
Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys has over a century of combined personal injury experience. We’ve won tens of millions for injured clients in South Carolina. Our attorneys have been recognized by leading legal rating services, including The National Trial Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell.
When you enlist our services, you can count on us to:
- Explain your rights and legal options
- Investigate your accident to gather evidence and identify liable parties
- Track and calculate your damages to understand the value of your losses
- Work with leading experts (when necessary) to strengthen your claim
We’re ready to stand up for you and your family. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation with one of our top-rated Fort Mill personal injury attorneys.
Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?
Personal injury claims arise after many types of accidents. Often, they are filed after someone has been negligent and injured another person. Negligence cases frequently involve motor vehicle accidents, workplace accidents, nursing home abuse, wrongful death, and other incidents where an at-fault party has acted carelessly.
However, not all personal injury matters involve negligence. Some involve intentional misconduct, such as those based on assault. Others involve strict liability, such as injuries related to dog bites and product defects.
The best way to determine if you have a valid cause of action is to speak with a personal injury lawyer in Fort Mill. An experienced attorney can help you understand your rights. Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys offers free case reviews to prospective clients.
Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Fort Mill?
If you have been seriously injured due to someone’s negligence, you should consider hiring an experienced personal injury attorney in Fort Mill. Studies show that clients who hire an injury attorney to represent them can receive up to 3x more compensation. Representing yourself or hiring a generalist attorney may not get you the result you want.
Here are some benefits that injury attorneys provide:
- Your attorney can evaluate your situation and help you understand your options for pursuing compensation. They can identify all liable individuals and seek compensation from every person who contributed to your injuries. They can also help you calculate the value of your losses and work to obtain that amount.
- They can level the playing field between you and the insurance company. Insurance companies are often the defendants in personal injury cases. These insurers are large, wealthy corporations that have almost unlimited resources and strategies to fight claims. By hiring an attorney, you get a legal advocate who won’t let the insurance company use underhanded tactics to deny you compensation.
- You may be blamed for your accident. Insurance companies are infamous for blaming victims for their own accidents. This tactic allows them to reduce the amount of compensation they owe to claimants — and in some cases, deny claims altogether. Sometimes, injury victims may not share blame for their accident at all. An attorney can protect you from unfair allegations of shared responsibility.
- An attorney can take on all aspects of your legal action and give you time to rest and recover from your injuries. That way, you can focus on your health — not your legal situation.
Contact our law firm today to learn more about how a personal injury lawyer can help you after an accident.
We Handle All Personal Injury Cases in Fort Mill
With over a century of experience in total, our personal injury attorneys are qualified to help you with any type of case in Fort Mill, SC. We specialize in the following practice areas:
Car Accidents
South Carolina has “at-fault” car insurance rules. That means you can take legal action against the other driver or their insurance company after a crash. Our Fort Mill car accident lawyers can maximize the value of your claim and make sure you are fairly compensated.
Motorcycle Crashes
Motorcyclists in Fort Mill are at risk of sustaining severe harm in an accident, including head injuries and spinal cord damage. If you’ve been involved in a collision, you may be entitled to substantial compensation from the responsible driver. Learn about your legal rights by contacting our Fort Mill motorcycle accident attorneys.
Truck Accidents
Commercial trucks tend to cause immense damage when they get into a wreck, considering how large and powerful they are. If you were injured in a collision with a semi-truck or other similar type of vehicle, you might have a claim against multiple parties – including the trucking company. Call our Fort Mill truck accident lawyers to review your best course of action.
Workers’ Compensation
Most employers in South Carolina are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. You can usually receive benefits no matter whose fault the workplace accident was. You might even have a claim against a liable third party for additional damages. Contact our experienced Fort Mill workers’ compensation lawyers for help.
Catastrophic Injuries
A catastrophic injury is one that severely impacts your day-to-day life for a long period of time. Common examples include brain injuries and amputations. These injuries can be sustained in a number of different contexts, but one thing is clear: you deserve to be fully compensated. Our Fort Mill catastrophic injury lawyers are here to assist as best we can.
Premises Liability
If you get hurt while on someone else’s property – whether public or private – you may have a valid premises liability claim. However, these cases often require going up against a corporation or other powerful entity. Our Fort Mill premises liability attorneys are capable of enforcing your rights no matter who’s on the other side.
Slips and Falls
A slip and fall accident can lead to serious injuries. Unfortunately, these incidents are usually preventable. The law allows you to pursue compensation under these conditions, but you’ll have to establish liability. Our Fort Mill slip and fall accident lawyers can tackle the legal side of things while you focus on your well-being.
Medical Malpractice
Medical malpractice is when a doctor or other healthcare provider fails to uphold their duty of care to you as a patient, causing you harm as a result. These cases almost always require expert analysis to assert their validity. If you retain our Fort Mill medical malpractice lawyers, we’ll work hard to obtain compensation for your injuries.
Wrongful Death
Losing a family member is never easy, but it can be especially devastating if someone’s negligence or wrongdoing caused it. If you’ve lost a loved one, our Fort Mill wrongful death lawyers can help you take legal action against the liable individual.
These are just some of the practice areas our personal injury law firm can help you with. We also take cases involving dog bites, pedestrian accidents, nursing home neglect, and dangerous or defective products. Reach out to us today to learn about your next steps after sustaining an injury that was caused by another individual or entity.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in Fort Mill, SC?
Our personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. We only receive payment for our legal services if we recover compensation for you – whether through a jury verdict or settlement agreement.
In addition, hiring us will cost you absolutely nothing upfront. We will receive a percentage of your awarded monetary compensation as our attorney’s fees. This percentage is the contingency fee, and it will be around 33%.
With this payment system, we are incentivized to increase your case’s value as much as we can. Furthermore, you can utilize our top-rated legal representation even if your accident has caused you financial hardship.
What Damages Are Available to Fort Mill Accident Victims?
Personal injury law in South Carolina allows accident victims to seek both economic and non-economic damages.
They aim to make up for your financial losses and the other consequences of your injuries.
Economic damages include:
- Lost wages
- Medical bills (future and current)
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
Non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental anguish
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of consortium
You may also be awarded punitive damages – but only in rare circumstances. They are not meant to compensate you; rather, they aim to “punish” the wrongdoer. To get punitive damages, you must demonstrate that the defendant exhibited “willful, wanton, or reckless conduct.”
How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
It’s best to thoroughly evaluate how much your case is worth prior to demanding compensation from the liable party. Otherwise, you risk settling for less than you deserve.
Factors that could influence the calculation include:
- The seriousness of your injuries
- The strength and amount of supporting evidence
- The nature of your pain and suffering
- Sum total of your financial losses
- Whether you will make a full recovery
- The terms/conditions of any relevant insurance policy
We often bring in expert assistance to assess how much a case is worth, such as a forensic economist who can attest to the long-term financial impact of your injuries.
You only have one chance to collect compensation; let our award-winning attorneys help you make the most of it.
What If I’m Partially At Fault For the Accident?
South Carolina is a modified comparative negligence state. This means you can still receive compensation if you’re partially to blame for the accident. However, you will be barred from recovering compensation if you are over 50% at fault for the accident.
Your compensation will be reduced proportionately if you are 50% or less at fault. For example, if your damages are valued at $100,000 and you are 20% to blame, the defendant is only liable for $80,000.
Claims of comparative negligence can negatively affect your ability to secure compensation. A skilled personal injury attorney in Fort Mill can help you combat these allegations.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After an Accident in South Carolina?
Most personal injury lawsuits must be filed within three years in South Carolina. The clock starts to run on the date of the accident. However, the time for a wrongful death lawsuit starts to run on the victim’s date of death (which may differ from the accident date).
Failure to bring your lawsuit before the statute of limitations expires can preclude you from recovering compensation.
It can be challenging to keep track of crucial information while healing from your accident or grieving the wrongful death of a family member. A Fort Mill personal injury lawyer can work with you to ensure you don’t miss vital deadlines.
What is Negligence, and How Do I Prove It?
Most personal injury cases arise out of negligence. You typically must show that the opposing party’s actions or failure to act constituted negligence.
Negligence has occurred when the following elements are established:
- A duty of care was owed
- That duty was breached
- The breached duty caused your injury
- You suffered damages as a result of the breached duty
You can prove negligence by using the following evidence:
- Photos and videos of the accident scene
- Witness statements and testimony
- Incident reports
- Surveillance footage
- Medical records
- Police reports
- Expert testimony
- Medical expenses
- Proof of lost wages
You must establish all four elements of negligence by a preponderance of the evidence (i.e., they’re more likely than not true).
South Carolina Personal Injury Laws
There are various South Carolina laws to be mindful of if you’re taking legal action after an accident or injury.
You only have a limited time to file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations bars recovery. You could be unable to secure compensation entirely if you are found to be more than 50% at fault for the accident.
Additionally, South Carolina is an at-fault state for car accidents. This means that the driver who causes a collision is responsible for the injury victim’s losses.
A personal injury attorney in Fort Mill can help you navigate these and other South Carolina laws.
Will My Personal Injury Case Go to Trial?
Most Fort Mill personal injury claims don’t go to trial. Instead, they’re settled through negotiations between the involved parties.
Most people prefer to arrive at a settlement. Court proceedings can be unpredictable, costly, and time-consuming for everyone involved. It’s often deemed the safer alternative to negotiate and resolve the matter out of court.
However, our personal injury lawyers in Fort Mill aren’t afraid to file a formal lawsuit and go to trial if doing so is in your best interests. We can help you navigate the process and explain the pros and cons of litigating your case in court.
How Long Will My Injury Case Take?
While many personal injury matters follow similar steps, they’re all unique to each client. There isn’t a “standard” timeline involved.
Instead, the time it takes your case to resolve might depend on:
- The severity of your injuries
- How long it takes for you to reach maximum medical improvement (MMI)
- The time it takes to gather the necessary evidence
- The duration of the negotiating process
- Whether you go to trial
These and other factors can affect your specific legal timeline. We can provide more customized information if you schedule a free initial consultation.
What Should I Do After an Accident?
The steps you take after an accident in Fort Mill can affect your physical health and legal rights.
Here are a few tips to follow to safeguard yourself:
- Remain at the accident scene and fulfill any duties you may have under South Carolina law. For example, if you’re involved in a collision that causes injury or death, you should exchange information and notify the police immediately.
- Call 911. We recommend taking this step even if you don’t think you need to. You can request an ambulance if you’re injured. Additionally, a police report can be crucial evidence in a personal injury matter.
- Don’t admit fault for the accident. You never know if an investigation will uncover some unknown underlying cause or contributing factor.
- Take photos and videos of anything relevant at the scene. Ask witnesses for their contact information.
- Don’t discuss the accident with anyone or post about it on social media.
- Seek a prompt medical evaluation. Many accident victims are unaware of their injuries due to an adrenaline rush and other factors. It’s best to receive medical attention just in case anything is wrong. If they find an issue, your medical record will create a causal link between your harm and the accident.
The best thing you can do is contact our Fort Mill attorneys for assistance. We can guide you and your family through this uncertain time and ensure that your rights are protected.
Contact Our Experienced Fort Mill Personal Injury Lawyers For Legal Help
If you’ve suffered an injury in Fort Mill, SC, Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys can provide immediate assistance.
Our team has 150+ years of combined legal experience assisting injured victims in their pursuit of fair compensation. We’ve secured over +$100 million in settlements and awards for our clients since opening the firm in 1980.
Let a Fort Mill personal injury attorney take on the legal issues so that you can focus on your well-being and recovery. Call today for a free, no-obligation consultation.
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