When you are injured in an accident, the damage done often extends far beyond the accident scene. Repercussions from a serious injury can last a lifetime. To minimize the damage, it is critical to recovering fair compensation, and the best way to do so is by hiring an experienced personal injury lawyer.
The Thumbs Up Guys at Miller, Dawson, Sigal & Ward Injury Attorneys have helped countless clients get their lives back on track after an accident. Schedule a free consultation with us today to find out if we can do the same for you. During your consultation, a Knightsville personal injury lawyer will review your case and advise you of your legal options.
What does a Personal Injury Attorney in Knightsville Do?
If you’ve been hurt in an accident, you probably have a lot on your plate. A personal injury lawyer can help shoulder the burden and protect your right to compensation. They’ll ensure that your financial situation is sound while you focus on healing from your injuries.
Launch an Investigation
If you choose to retain our services, one of the first actions we will take is to launch an independent investigation into your accident, which will likely include:
- Visiting the scene of the accident
- Speaking with eyewitnesses
- Consulting with accident reconstructionists
- Analyzing the official police report
- Collecting video and photo evidence of the crash
- Reviewing your medical history as it relates to your injury
Calculate the Value of Your Claim
After completing the investigation process, a personal injury lawyer from Kinghtsville will calculate the total value of your claim. They’ll refer to your accident-related bills and other documents to determine how much you’re owed.
If you are expected to experience employment-related earning losses, your attorney may also work with a vocational witness to calculate how much you’re owed for loss of future earnings. Once your attorney has calculated the full value of your claim, they’ll know how much to request during insurance negotiations or court proceedings.
Pursue Damages on Your Behalf
Depending on your unique situation, your attorney will file an insurance claim or submit a lawsuit with the court. If your best option is to seek compensation from the insurance company, your lawyer will negotiate with adjusters and work hard to convince them that you need a fair settlement.
Unfortunately, insurance companies and personal injury attorneys don’t always see eye to eye. While your lawyer’s main goal is to secure adequate compensation for your injuries, the insurance provider is probably more concerned with reducing your payment to protect their bottom line.
If the insurer denies your claim or offers too little for your losses, a personal injury attorney from our team in Knightsville can take your case to trial. Your lawyer will keep you updated throughout the litigation process and let you know when a favorable verdict is in sight.
Damages You Can Claim After an Accident Resulting in Personal Injury in Knightsville
Whether you get your compensation from a negotiated settlement or a court verdict, the money you receive can be used to pay for a variety of different bills and can help you cope with the effect of the incident you were injured in.
Economic Damages
The damages you receive from your case can be divided into economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages can make up for losses you suffer that have a direct financial impact, like lost wages and medical bills. Compensation for these losses is meant to directly replace the money you have lost or will lose in the future.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are far more complex. Things like pain & suffering and permanent disability may not have a financial impact but instead diminish your quality of life.
Since there is no way to properly make up for these irreplaceable losses, the money awarded tends to be quite significant. Non-economic damages usually make up the bulk of a compensation package.
Punitive Damages
In certain circumstances, you may also be eligible to recover punitive damages. Punitive damages differ from those listed above in that they don’t compensate for a loss suffered by the victim. Instead, they’re used to punish the at-fault party if their behavior was criminally negligent and carried out with wanton disregard for public safety.
All Available Damages
Depending on the particulars of your case, you could receive compensation for a number of different economic and non-economic losses, including:
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain & Suffering
- Mental anguish
- Medical bills
- Future medical costs
- Permanent disability
These damages can help you bring your life back to normalcy after a serious accident, but it will be extremely hard to obtain them without the help of our experienced personal injury attorneys. So reach out to our firm today for the assistance you need to put your accident in the past.
Accidents We Can Pursue Compensation for
Our personal injury attorneys in Knightsville can help you pursue compensation for injuries and losses suffered in a number of different situations. Contact our firm if you need help recovering from any of the following incidents:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Workers’ compensation
- Dog bites
- Pedestrian accidents
- Slip & fall accidents
- Wrongful death
- An accident that caused a traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Nursing home abuse
- Defective drug
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents
There’s no lack of situations that can lead to severe injuries. If you’ve been hurt in any of the incidents listed above, make sure you contact our firm as soon as possible. Contacting a lawyer today can ensure your suit is submitted before South Carolina’s filing deadline.
Filing Deadline for Personal Injury Lawsuits in South Carolina
According to South Carolina Code of Laws § 15-3-530, you have exactly three years from the day you were injured to file a lawsuit against the at-fault party. While three years might seem like more than enough time, it is always best to get started as soon as possible. Under certain circumstances, the window to file can be reduced significantly.
Waiting too long to start your case can also have other unwanted results. For example, significant delays can cause witness testimony to become less reliable and allow more time for evidence to go missing.
Talking to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible after your accident will ensure that you won’t miss any deadlines and that everything will be handled efficiently.
How Much does a Personal Injury Lawyer in Knightsville Charge?
The cost of hiring a personal injury attorney from our firm is usually less than zero dollars. That’s not to say that your attorney will pay you to work on your case. Rather, those who hire our personal injury attorneys generally end up in a significantly better financial position than those who attempt to represent themselves.
There are multiple reasons for this. For starters, our personal injury lawyers in Knightsville work on a contingency fee basis. That means that they only get paid if you receive compensation. There is no risk in hiring an attorney from our team because you will never pay a penny out of pocket. Instead, they’ll receive a percentage of your final compensation.
Since our lawyers work on a contingency fee basis and make more money the more they earn for their clients, they tend to do everything in their power to ensure the highest possible settlement. After all, their compensation depends on how much they’re able to secure for you.
What to Do After a Personal Injury Incident in Knightsville
If you’ve been injured in a car accident, slip and fall, or another type of incident in Knightsville, it’s important that you seek medical attention ASAP. Waiting too long to go to the doctor could cause unnoticed conditions to progress into serious health complications.
Getting medical treatment right away will also show insurers and the court that your injuries were legitimate and not fabricated purely for personal gain. Once you’ve been treated, we strongly advise you to contact a personal injury attorney from our team in Knightsville right away.
Don’t Talk to Insurers Without a Lawyer
Before you get the chance to speak to a lawyer, you may receive a phone call from the insurance company. If that happens, don’t answer any of their questions. They could try to get you to say something that hurts your case. Tell them you’re waiting to hire an attorney before answering any questions.
Insurers may also present you with an early settlement offer. Remember, early offers are almost always too small to cover all the damage done. A skilled lawyer can review any offers you’ve received and determine if they’re large enough. If you get an insufficient offer, your lawyer can negotiate a higher payment with the insurance carrier.
Finding the Right Knightsville Personal Injury Lawyer for You
It’s important to find an experienced personal injury lawyer and one you feel comfortable working with. At Miller, Dawson, Sigal & Ward Injury Attorneys, we’re easy to work with, and we have a proven track record of helping our clients recover the compensation they need to get their lives back on track after an accident.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Knightsville personal injury lawyer. They will walk you through your options, answer any questions, and advise you on the best course of action. There is no obligation to retain our services after your consultation, so feel free to contact us risk-free.