Personal Injury Lawyer Florence SC

Dealing with a serious injury is a difficult situation. You may be struggling with major injuries that leave you suffering, ill, or traumatized by the experience. Worse, the liable party has no interest in getting you the compensation you need for your losses.

That’s why you may need a South Carolina personal injury attorney serving Florence to assist you. Your attorney from the law firm of HawkLaw, P.A. can help when you have been injured in Florence but aren’t sure how to get the compensation you’re owed.

Florence accident cases are primarily handled out of our Columbia law firm office. To begin your case, contact our legal team for a free consultation.*

What Cases Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Take?

A personal injury lawyer serving Florence accident victims can handle a wide variety of cases. These are just a few of the types of cases personal injury lawyers at respected law firms frequently manage:

• Auto accidents like car accidents, motorcycle accidents, and truck accidents
• Slip-and-fall injuries
• Birth injuries
• Catastrophic injuries like brain injuries and spine injuries
• Child injuries and dog bites
• Construction accidents
• Defective drugs and medications
• Medical malpractice
• Nursing home abuse
• Premises liability
• Property damage
• Major public harm
• Workers’ compensation
• Wrongful death of a loved one

What Are the Steps in a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Florence?

Every personal injury lawsuit in Florence is going to be unique in its own way, but they all generally follow the same basic steps. Your case will begin with a free consultation*.

Then, there is an investigation to gather as much evidence as possible before even filing a lawsuit. If a settlement can be reached before real litigation begins, that certainly makes the process easier. Accident victims should be free to focus on recovery, but the demands of the litigation process can be relentless. That is why it is always helpful to have a Florence, South Carolina personal injury lawyer from a good law firm by your side.

Filling a Summons

If no settlement is reached, it will be time to file the summons and the complaint for your accident claim. This involves serving the named defendants in the case. It is important to remember that all filings must be compliant with the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure, but a law firm can help with that. If the filing does not meet the regulations in Florence, it could be dismissed.

Injury Case Discovery Process

After the lawsuit is filed, the discovery process begins, which is essentially a process in which information is discovered and exchanged on both sides of the case with any law firms involved. This is typically the longest part of the process, potentially lasting a year or even longer. Additionally, legal motions are filed during this time, such as moves and motions that would ask the court to rule in your favor before the case goes to trial.

Pre-trial Mediation

Before trial, there is a mediation process in which both sides sit down and try to come to a solution. This process is overseen by an independent third party who acts as the mediator. A third-party mediator may be a respected local representative of an uninvolved law firm or someone with experience and without connections to your case. This can be an essential step, especially if you reside in one of the many South Carolina counties, like Florence, that require mediation within one year of filing suit before they can go to court.

Jury Trial

The last step is a trial in front of a jury. While most Florence accident cases do not go to trial, it is important to be prepared for that outcome in case you are part of the 10% that do actually see a courtroom. This is where a trial lawyer from an experienced Florence, South Carolina law firm is absolutely essential.

Liability for Personal Injury in Florence, South Carolina

After your injury, identifying the liable party is critical. They may not be willing to provide you with the compensation you need for your claim, so you may need a law firm on your side to help you hold their feet to the fire.

Determining Liability

First, you must confirm who’s responsible. The responsible party may depend on the kind of accident you suffered. For example, if you were injured because of a mechanical malfunction or a defective drug, you may need to seek compensation from the manufacturer. In other cases, a reckless or distracted driver may be the only one responsible for their actions and your injuries.

Because liability can vary between different claim types, you may need help from a personal injury lawyer who can work with Florence residents to get compensated. If you’ve been injured in a serious accident, work with your Florence, South Carolina law firm to review who could potentially be responsible for your losses.

Compensation for Your Injury in Florence

When you’re dealing with a personal injury lawsuit in Florence, it’s not just who’s at fault that will matter for your claim. You’ll also need to know what your compensation is worth. Unfortunately, the severity of your injuries may leave you overwhelmed and struggling to look at the worth of your damages (also called losses) caused by the accident.

If you’ve been injured and the responsible party is trying to avoid paying for the damage they caused, reach out to a law firm that offers free consultations* that can help you get compensation for the following damages and more.

Personal Injury compensation that can be acquired:

• Medical bills
• Mental trauma
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Lost wages

Is There a Cap on Personal Injury Damages in South Carolina?

Damage caps for accidents are in place in Florence, South Carolina, and it is important to keep up with them, as they can change quite often based on what local law firms see. With the caps in mind, you can better understand the potential earnings that will come with a lawsuit.

For economic damages, there is no damage cap. Economic damages are the damages that are easily quantifiable, like medical expenses and lost wages. Not only do these not have a cap in Florence, South Carolina, but you can even sue for future losses in addition to current losses. For example, if you sustained an injury that will require ongoing medical care, your future medical costs can also be covered.

Non-economic damages are damages that are harder to quantify, like pain and suffering, and they generally do not have a cap either. There is an exception, however, when it comes to medical malpractice cases. In these cases, you may only sue for up to $350,000 in Florence, South Carolina. 

As a disclaimer, punitive damages are where the caps are more strict and comprehensive. In Florence and the rest of South Carolina, punitive damages can only be three times the amount of compensatory damages or no greater than $500,000, depending on which threshold is met first. For example, if you recover $50,000 in damages, punitive damages cannot exceed $150,000. If you recover $200,000 in damages, however, punitive damages are capped at $500,000 rather than $600,000.

A free consultation* with our law firm can help determine the value of your case.

What Is the Statute of Limitations on Personal Injury in South Carolina?

In Florence, South Carolina, the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit is three years from the date of the injury, which is most often the date of the accident. The reason it starts with the date of the injury is that some injuries are not apparent right away. Additionally, wrongful death cases do not start the three-year timer until the death has occurred.

If the target of your suit is the Florence government or any other government entity, you will have even less time to file. Some cases allow you to extend the statute of limitations, however, granting more time to file your suit. For example, a minor who suffered a personal injury does not have their three-year limit begin until they turn 18. Mental and physical disabilities can warrant an extended timeline, too. A free case evaluation* can help determine the circumstances relevant to your case.

Why You Need a Personal Injury Lawyer After an Injury in Florence

A South Carolina personal injury lawyer serving Florence with years of experience is essential if you want to put yourself in a good position regarding your legal issues. Not only is the litigation process difficult to navigate on your own, but a personal injury lawyer can help compile a lawsuit and gather evidence to help make your case strong. 

Help Determining Negligence

A major aspect of personal injury cases is determining negligence, and a lawyer can help document this negligence and show that it was the direct cause of your injury. An experienced lawyer can also help calculate compensation. Economic damages are easy enough to determine, but a law firm can offer legal advice on how much you should ask for regarding non-economic damages in your personal injury claim.

Personal Injury Lawyers Analyze Evidence

Analyzing evidence is a long and comprehensive process, but a law firm will know the right approach to getting the information that is important to your case. To find this evidence, a lawyer within this practice area can send out communications across various channels, and they can even negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf. This is assistance you may benefit from greatly, as insurance providers tend to lowball people without much experience filing claims.

Filling a Lawsuit On Your Behalf

Finally, a personal injury lawyer will be able to file a lawsuit on your behalf. Quite a few particulars go into filing a valid lawsuit, but a law firm will know how to meet the necessary standards to avoid dismissal based on technical issues. Overall, you are more likely to get compensation when you work with a law firm serving Florence accident victims than if you take on this endeavor on your own.

What to Expect From a Personal Injury Lawyer Serving Florence

When you enlist the services of a personal injury lawyer in Florence, your experience begins with a free consultation*. This free case evaluation examines the merits of your case and develops some preliminary strategies for how to proceed. Expect the law firm’s free consultation* to be thorough, as the attorney will need to have a complete grasp on exactly how the personal injury occurred and the circumstances surrounding it.

Once your case is taken on, you can expect a personal injury lawyer to do the heavy lifting for you. A major benefit of law firm services is that you get to focus on recovery while your lawyer takes care of the litigation on your behalf. The law firm will conduct its own investigation into the accident that caused your personal injury and use the available evidence to make your case. Of course, the law firm will communicate with you as much as you like throughout the process.

How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

A personal injury lawyer serving Florence does not have to cost you anything upfront. Our law firm operates on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not owe any money unless we win your case, and there is no risk for you to pursue a lawsuit in the event that you do not win*. Plus, we have active incentives to fight for you.

Upon winning your case, however, a contingency legal team will have to be paid. Typically, the law firm’s payment is a percentage of the total compensation you were awarded in the case. This percentage is typically around 33% of the total damages won, but every case in Florence will be slightly different*.

Hear What Our Clients Have to Say

These testimonials from our previous Florence clients should give you an idea of what working with our law firm is like.

“Excellent and professional service! Each and every person I have been in contact with in the law firm HAWKLAW treated me with the utmost personal kindness and understanding! I feel they went above and beyond what was expected. I would certainly recommend Ivey and her team to those looking for help and advice. Thank you again HAWKLAW for going the extra mile.” — Elizabeth C. *

“It was a pleasure working with Ivey at HawkLaw. After being hit on my bike by a motorist, Ivey went right to work for me. Throughout, she communicated and explained things well and fought hard to get me compensated adequately. I highly recommend using Ivey and the HawkLaw firm!!!!” — Brian M. *

We Take Each Case Personally

Dealing with a personal injury is rarely easy. You’ve been put in a painful situation, and it won’t be easy to get compensation for your injuries in Florence County. Fortunately, our team from HawkLaw, P.A. can help you with this.

If you have been hurt and are ready to file a lawsuit in Florence, you may be eligible for compensation. However, you may also need help seeking out that compensation. Fortunately, our law firm offers free consultations.* That way, you can check out what we have to offer and more easily get the help you need to get your maximum compensation.

When you are ready, contact a personal injury lawyer serving Florence at our law firm. To begin with a free consultation,* reach out by calling 1-888-HAWKLAW (429-5529), visiting one of our law firm’s office locations during open office hours, or completing our online contact form.