If you get hurt in a car, truck, pedestrian, motorcycle, or some other sort of accident in the Charleston, SC area, where do you turn for help? You have potential legal rights that need to be protected, and you may be owed compensation for your injuries, missed time from work, pain and suffering, and more. Mickelsen Dalton is here to help. Our goal is to help our clients get everything they deserve.
After being injured in an accident, it’s normal to have a lot of questions. One of the most common is “Do I need a personal injury lawyer?” More often than not, you’re going to benefit from consulting with a lawyer. Below are some situations in which you should definitely consider hiring a personal injury lawyer:
If the other party involved in your accident is disputing liability, you’ll need the help of an experienced personal injury attorney. Your attorney will investigate the accident, collect evidence, and build a strong case to prove that the other party is at fault. Without an attorney, you’ll likely have a difficult time getting what you’re entitled to.
If you’ve been in an accident and sustained severe injuries—broken bones, traumatic brain injury, disfigurement, or paralysis—you will likely have high medical bills and a long road to recovery ahead of you. In cases like these, it’s in your best interest to consult with a personal injury lawyer who can help you navigate the legal system and get the compensation you need to cover your expenses.
Insurance companies are notoriously difficult to deal with when it comes to reimbursement for medical bills and other expenses related to an accident. If you’re not getting the answers or assistance you need from your insurance company, it may be time to seek legal counsel. A good personal injury lawyer will know how to work with insurance adjusters and get you the settlement you’re entitled to.
As personal injury lawyers, we know that the stress of being involved in an accident can be enormous. That’s why we take all of the pressure off of you. We fight for you, letting you focus on recovering, mentally and physically.
When Mickelsen Dalton takes your case, our attorneys will:
Since opening our doors, we have fought hard for our clients, and we’ll fight hard for you!
Here at our law firm, we handle all types of personal injury claims. This includes, but is not limited to, those involving catastrophic injuries like traumatic brain injuries and spinal cord injuries. If you don’t see your specific situation on the list below, contact us—we can help.
We routinely handle injury cases involving:
There are laws in place regarding personal injury cases in South Carolina. To prove you have a case, you must prove that your injuries result from negligence. State law dictates that you have three years to file a personal injury lawsuit from the date of the accident.
Negligence has four main elements:
Duty: The first element you must prove is that the defendant owed you a duty of care. This means that the defendant had a legal obligation to act in a certain way to avoid causing you harm. The type of duty owed will depend on the relationship between you and the defendant. For example, drivers owe other drivers on the road a duty to operate their vehicles in a reasonably safe manner. Doctors owe their patients a duty to provide a reasonable standard of care.
Breach: The second element you must prove is that the defendant breached their duty by failing to act in the required way. For example, if a driver runs a red light and hits another car, they have breached their duty to drive safely. If a doctor fails to diagnose an obvious condition, they may have breached their duty to provide a reasonable standard of care.
Causation: You must also prove causation. Causation means that but for the defendant’s breach, you would not have been injured. In other words, your injury must have been caused by the defendant’s failure to live up to their legal obligation. If you cannot prove causation, then you will not be successful in your negligence claim.
Damages: Finally, you must prove damages. This means that you suffered some type of harm as a result of the defendant’s breach. The type of harm can be physical, emotional, or financial. If you cannot show that you suffered some type of harm, then you will not be able to recover damages from the defendant and your negligence claim will fail.
To win your case, we must show negligence caused your injuries. We can help you prove it and fight for you if you believe you have a case.
In South Carolina, if you are injured in an accident that was partially your fault, you may still be able to recover damages. This is because of the state’s comparative negligence law. Under this law, as long as you are less than 51% responsible for an accident, you can recover damages from the other party or parties involved.
How does this work in practice? Let’s say that you are involved in a car accident. It is determined that your percentage of responsibility is 49%. Under South Carolina’s comparative negligence law, you would still be able to recover damages from the other driver since you are less than 51% at fault.
However, any damages that you do recover will be reduced by your percentage of fault. So, if you are awarded $10,000 in damages, but are found to be 49% at fault, your recovery will be reduced to $4,900.
If you are a victim of a personal injury case, here are some steps to help you:
If you’ve been involved in an accident, the first thing you should do is report it—even if you don’t think you’ve been injured. This is important because insurance companies often require that accidents be reported as soon as possible after they occur. Furthermore, reporting the accident will create a paper trail that may come in handy later on if you decide to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
If you have been injured in an accident, it’s important to begin gathering evidence as soon as possible. This can include taking pictures of the accident scene, getting contact information from witnesses, and saving any documents related to the accident, such as a police report or medical records.
If you’ve been injured in an accident, it’s important to seek medical treatment right away—even if your injuries seem minor. This is because some injuries (such as internal bleeding) may not be immediately apparent but can still be very serious. Furthermore, getting prompt medical treatment will create a record of your injuries that will be helpful if you decide to pursue a personal injury claim or lawsuit at a later date.
After an accident, one of the best things you can do is speak with an experienced personal injury attorney who can answer your questions, explain your legal rights and options, and help you navigate the legal process. Call Mickelsen Dalton to schedule your free consultation.
These steps can help us prove your case. They can help show that you were not at fault for the injuries that you sustained.
The statute of limitations is the deadline for filing a lawsuit. In South Carolina, the statute of limitations for personal injury claims is three years.
However, there are some exceptions to this rule. For example, if you were under 18 when you sustained the injury, you may have additional time to file a lawsuit. It’s always best to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible so you don’t miss the deadline.
When you’re injured due to someone else’s negligence, you may be able to recover damages. Damages are designed to make you “whole again” by placing a monetary value on the losses you suffered. There are two primary types that might be available: economic and non-economic.
Economic damages are those that are quantifiable in monetary terms. They include things like:
Non-economic damages include losses that are more difficult to quantify than economic damages. They include things like:
There is no set standard for calculating non-economic damages—each case is unique. To help determine an appropriate amount for non-economic damages, most attorneys will consider factors like the severity of your injuries, how long you were in pain, whether your injuries resulted in any long-term effects or disability, and whether your relationships with family or friends were affected by your injuries.
Mickelsen Dalton are trial lawyers who are ready to help you. We can promise to fight for the compensation owed to you, and we will not settle for less than you deserve. Contact our law office today to schedule a free, no-risk consultation. You can schedule online or call (843)804-0428.