Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in Charleston: The Thumbs Up Guys!

Pedestrian injuries are often severe. Unlike drivers and passengers in vehicles, pedestrians have no external protection in an accident. Recovery from a pedestrian accident can be a long, arduous journey, and recouping your financial losses can be even more difficult.

Fortunately, you don’t have to go it alone. If you suffered an injury as a pedestrian, Charleston personal injury lawyers can help get you the compensation you deserve. Reach out to us if you want to learn more about your rights and options after an accident.

Injured pedestrian lying in the road after an accident. Pedestrian accident lawyers in Charleston can help get you compensation.

Get a Free Consultation With a Pedestrian Accident Attorney

For a free legal consultation with a pedestrian accidents lawyer serving Charleston, call (843) 380-8350

At Miller, Dawson, Sigal & Ward Injury Attorneys. Our focus is on providing all injury victims with legal representation. We offer free consultations with personal injury lawyers. This no-risk consultation can help accident victims discover whether their case has a strong legal standing.

Since our firm works on a contingency fee basis, you can feel confident that if we agree to take your case, your odds of victory are high. Contact us today to get the ball rolling on your accident claim.

Call or text (843) 380-8350 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form

Experienced Charleston Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Can Help

It’s imperative that you focus on recovering from physical and financial injuries. Your pedestrian accident lawyer will handle every part of your case including:

Gathering police and medical reports
Speaking with eyewitnesses from the accident
Consulting with s like accident reconstructionists
Collecting additional evidence
Negotiating with insurance companies
If necessary, representing you at trial

We keep you updated with the progress of your case as well as answer any questions you may have regarding the process and next steps. Take a look at our client testimonials to learn more about how we can help.

Do I Need a South Carolina Pedestrian Injury Lawyer?

After a pedestrian accident, many people are simply looking to move on from the experience as soon as possible so they can get their life back to normal. If you were injured, you may be worried that hiring a lawyer will make it so that your case will drag on forever.

While it is certainly possible to settle a claim quickly without a lawyer by accepting the insurance company’s first offer, it is never a good idea. Insurance companies prey on claimants who want to receive a quick settlement and move on by offering an amount that is far below what is needed for a full recovery.

Hiring a personal accident lawyer is always the smart move. A Charleston, SC, pedestrian injury attorney knows how to work the system to your advantage. Even after you have paid your attorney once you receive your settlement, the average take-home amount is drastically higher for claimants who hire an attorney than for those who don’t.

Has This Happened to You?

A wide range of injuries can result from a pedestrian accident. If you’ve suffered one of these catastrophic injuries due to no fault of your own, we’re here to help.

Paralysis and Loss of Function

It’s not uncommon for those who suffer a pedestrian accident injury to lose function in one or more limbs. In the worst cases, you may be completely paralyzed.

Amputation

Among the most serious injuries from these accidents is the complete loss of one or more limbs. This is a lifelong injury that can take years to adjust to and cost hundreds of thousands in medical bills.

Back and Neck Injuries

Injuries to your spine can translate to many other types of harm, from chronic pain to loss of limb function, and can even result in damage to your heart, lungs, and basic body function when your brain can’t communicate with your body.

Soft Tissue Injuries

From whiplash to internal injuries and torn muscles and ligaments, soft tissue injuries can range from bruises to life-altering conditions. These types of injuries cover anything that isn’t bone.

Traumatic Brain Injury

Traumatic brain injury is in the news often, mostly related to sports and athletes, but a pedestrian accident can also result in life-altering brain damage. Your head doesn’t even need to strike a surface; simply whipping forward and stopping suddenly can cause significant damage.

Proving Negligence

According to the South Carolina Judicial Branch, in negligence cases, the victim of the accident or your lawyer must prove the following three elements:

A duty of care owed by the defendant to the plaintiff
A defendant’s breach of that duty by a negligent act or omission
Damages to the plaintiff proximately resulting from the breach of duty

In other words, if you wish to receive compensation from the negligent party in your case, you must prove they were behaving recklessly and that you were injured because of it.

For What Kind of Damages Can I Recover Compensation?

When you suffer a pedestrian accident injury, you may be eligible for compensation to cover a wide array of damages, including:

Medical bills
Future medical costs
Property damage
Lost wages
Lost earning potential
Pain and suffering
Mental anguish

On top of recovering compensation for these types of damages, you may also receive punitive damages if the driver of the vehicle that harmed you is found to have behaved in a reckless manner. Punitive damages aren’t for covering a specific cost you have incurred as a result of your accident. Instead, they are meant as a punishment for the driver’s dangerous behavior.

Options for Recovering Compensation

If you have been injured as a pedestrian, you are entitled to compensation. Typically, you are going to be seeking compensation from the driver’s insurance company. However, in South Carolina, drivers are only required to carry $25,000 in liability coverage.

A Charleston pedestrian accident attorney knows all of your options for recovering the full cost of your damages, including using your own insurance if you have uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. This coverage extends to protect you even when you are not in your vehicle.

A pedestrian accident lawyer can also help identify any possible third party that might hold partial responsibility for your accident. There may be multiple defendants in your claim.

What Evidence Will Be Used to Prove My Case?

When building your case, your pedestrian injury lawyer will need to gather evidence to support your claim. There are many things that could be valuable in proving your case, including:

Hospital bills
Medical records
Receipts for all associated expenses
Statements from your doctor and physical therapist
Documents from your employer
Expert testimony
Witness testimony
Photos from the accident scene

The more evidence your personal injury attorney has to work with, the better position they will be in to get you compensation.

Pedestrian Accident FAQs

Do I Need an Attorney?

While you can legally represent yourself, it’s not a good idea. The defendant and insurance company will have powerful attorneys on their side, and you need someone in your corner who knows how to stand up to them. We can fight for your rights and give you the best chance at significant compensation.

How Much Does a Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Cost?

Your personal injury lawyer won’t cost you any money up-front. Your attorneys will cover the cost of legal necessities that can help win your case. In addition, you will not be required to pay for the lawyer’s time in advance.

Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about paying a fortune for our services. We offer our services on a contingency-fee-basis for pedestrian accident clients. That means that if you don’t get paid, then we don’t get paid. This payment system also works to give you the assurance that we are truly doing everything in our power to win your case.

What Does a Pedestrian Injury Attorney Do?

A pedestrian injury lawyer will handle all aspects of your case so that you can focus on recovery. After hiring an attorney, we will take over all negotiations with the insurance company, relaying any compensation proposals we receive and advising you on whether the offer is worth taking or not.

A pedestrian injury attorney will manage all of the steps of building a court case. At the same time, we will continue to engage with the insurance company on your behalf in an attempt to get you a fair settlement offer. That way, you can hopefully settle your claim quickly and avoid an unpredictable courtroom battle.

If your case does go to court, your lawyer will defend your interests at trial and do everything in our power to get you the money you deserve.

Is a Pedestrian Accident Attorney Worth the Cost?

When trying to recover compensation to pay for medical bills after a pedestrian accident, you will most likely find yourself in a battle with an insurance company. Fighting on your own could result in your claim being denied or undervalued. With the help of a pedestrian accident lawyer, your chances of recovering the full cost of your damages increase dramatically.

When you have your initial consultation with a pedestrian injury lawyer in Charleston, you will discuss the cost. You will agree upon the lawyer’s fee, which will come in the form of a percentage of the final settlement or court decision.

Many people worry that the percentage you will pay will mean you will lose too much of your settlement. However, in most cases, the amount an accident victim retains after paying their attorney is far higher than what you would have received by representing yourself.

How Long Do I Have to File a Pedestrian Accident Claim?

It is always important to be aware of the statute of limitations when dealing with any legal action. In the State of South Carolina, pedestrian accident victims have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit.

While three years should be plenty of time to get your pedestrian injury lawsuit filed, delaying could still be costly. The closer your lawsuit is filed to the date of the accident, the better.

Your memory and the memory of any witnesses you rely upon in building your case will grow less focused the more time passes. Additionally, the accident scene could undergo changes with more time, which could make proving your case more difficult.