Charleston Car Accident Lawyer

Charleston is a busy city, which means plenty of cars on the road. While most of us know to follow the rules of the road, accidents can still happen. Unfortunately, that means you could be badly injured and left with the bills and lost wages that come after a collision.

This could leave you in a difficult financial, emotional, and physical situation for years after the crash if you don’t get the help you need. Pursuing compensation isn’t easy, and the person responsible for the wreck will almost certainly fight back to avoid paying for your car crash damages.

When this happens, you may need the help of a Charleston car accident lawyer from HawkLaw, PA. Our attorneys understand how traumatic and painful an auto accident can be—and how easy it is to lose your chance to recover compensation. Instead of facing the coming difficulties alone, speak to our attorneys about your case.

Injuries in Car Accidents

Unfortunately, many Charleston car accident victims will face sky-high medical bills. While cars have many safety measures to keep drivers safe on the road, high speeds can make a crash especially dangerous. When multiple cars are involved, you can expect even more serious injuries.

These injuries require medical treatment. Even if you feel fine, be sure that you seek treatment immediately. Some injuries, such as internal bleeding, may not be noticeable until it’s too late. Even if you’re not seriously injured, getting medical attention immediately can prevent any claims later on that your injuries didn’t stem from your accident.

Unfortunately, you might face doubts about your injuries if you don’t seek treatment quickly, so act now to recover as soon as possible and make sure your health isn’t in serious danger. The following are some serious injuries that are common in auto accidents:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Whiplash
• Bone fractures
• Organ damage
• Burn injuries

Shared Fault in Charleston Car Accidents

When you’ve suffered through an auto wreck, determining who is responsible for your injuries will be critically important to recovering full compensation. While your insurance company might help by providing some services, such as a rental car when yours is totaled, South Carolina is a “fault” state. This means that the at-fault party or their insurance company should compensate you for your damages.

Unfortunately, the at-fault party or insurance company might try to blame you for the accident. This is especially common if it’s not immediately clear who’s responsible for the accident. For example, if the other car T-boned yours, it might be unclear who caused the accident. If you believe the other person was responsible, you and your car accident lawyer in Charleston will need to gather evidence.

Suing a Commercial Driver

Not every accident is between two private motorists, however. You might have been hit by a delivery car, for example, or a taxi. In these cases, you might not be sure who’s responsible for your damages. It should be the person who caused your injuries, right?

Unfortunately, your claim might not be so simple. If you were involved in a car accident with someone who was on the clock, their employer might owe you compensation. Employers often hold responsibility for the actions of their employees when they’re working.

For example, let’s say you’re driving past a construction zone, and the driver of a construction vehicle clips your car. Instead of just suing the individual driver, you might file a claim against the company they work for.

Suing a Government Agency for an Auto Accident

What if the person who hit you was a government employee? Or what if a government road authority failed to properly maintain the road, and that failure caused you to crash? In South Carolina, lawsuits against the government can be complicated.

Most states have laws that attempt to protect the state or local government from injury lawsuits like car crash claims. These laws make it more difficult to sue, which only further emphasizes the need to call an auto wreck attorney in Charleston.

While the typical injury claim in South Carolina will give you three years to file, a lawsuit against the government may face a shorter deadline. Your damages may also be subject to caps, so it’ll be important to make sure you maximize the value of your claim as much as you can. An experienced attorney can help with that.

Dealing with the Auto Insurance Company

Unfortunately, the insurance company is not likely to be happy to see your claim for compensation. Almost without exception, insurance companies prioritize their profits above everything else. They’ll do what they can to avoid paying out for an expensive settlement if at all possible.

That means you can expect the insurance company to try to avoid compensating you fairly. They might lowball your settlement, for example, offering you far less than what your claim is worth and saying that’s the best they can do. They might even refuse to respond to you for a time.

When this happens, you’ll need to fight back to get what you’re owed. If you go into the exchange knowing how much your claim is worth, you’ll know when the insurer is trying to avoid paying you fairly. If the insurers won’t budge, your car accident lawyer in Charleston can help you take them to court.

Compensation After a Car Crash in Charleston

To get the compensation you know you deserve, you and your attorney will have to assign a monetary value to every single damage you’ve suffered because of a negligent driver.

Unfortunately, some damages can be difficult to calculate on your own. Your economic damages, which include any financial losses tied to your collision, will be the simplest, but these can be complex, too. You’ll need to calculate both the costs you’ve already suffered and the future expenses that will affect you. For example, you might need future surgeries for your injuries.

Non-economic damages, or the emotional and mental trauma that come with an accident, can be especially complex because they’re intangible. A lawyer with the right resources and experience can find the true value of your non-economic damages and make sure you receive every cent.

You’ll want to be sure you’re getting compensation for all of your damages, including the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Emotional trauma
• Pain and suffering
• Property damage
• Scarring and disfigurement

Contact a Charleston Car Accident Attorney

When you’ve been in a car crash, it can be tough to overcome the suffering that comes with it. You’re not just dealing with injuries, unfortunately. The expenses are building up, you’re unable to work, and you’re overwhelmed by the trauma. What can you do?

One of the most important steps for the success of your claim is to talk to a lawyer. The attorneys at HawkLaw, PA are ready to help you determine the full value of your claim and fight for that compensation so you can focus on your recovery. You don’t have to take on the difficulty and stress of a lawsuit alone.

If you’re concerned about your auto crash claim, reach out to a Charleston car accident lawyer for a consultation. Give us a call at 1-888-HAWK-LAW (429-5529) or fill out the form below.