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Unfortunately, accidents are more common than you might think. And any resulting injury can have serious consequences for your bank account and your state of mind. In fact, most Americans can’t even afford a $1,000 emergency expense. If someone else caused your injury, even indirectly, they may be liable to pay for your damages.
Our team of personal injury lawyers in West Ashley at Miller, Dawson, Sigal & Ward can help you get the compensation you need to recover. You can learn more during a free consultation with an attorney from our firm.
Common Types of Personal Injury Claims
The truth is that any number of situations could result in a personal injury claim. As long as someone acted negligently and caused your injury, there’s a chance that you can get compensation for your damages. However, there are some cases that commonly result in personal injury claims.
Some common types of personal injury claims that we handle include:
- Car accidents: If you’re hurt in your car, on your motorcycle, or in any other traffic-related accident, you may be able to pursue a claim and get compensation from the other party’s insurance company.
- Defective drugs: If a manufacturer or a pharmaceutical company mislabeled their drug, made a dangerous product, or failed to keep customers safe in any other way, they could be liable for the damages that they caused.
- Slips and falls: Owners of businesses and other places where people could be hurt by dangerous conditions are responsible for compensating slip-and-fall victims or any other party injured because of their negligence.
- Wrongful death: If a loved one died in an accident that was caused by someone else, your family could be able to get compensation for the deceased’s hospital bills, funeral expenses, and more.
This isn’t an exhaustive list. If you’ve been hurt and you’re not sure whether you can get compensation for your injuries, a personal injury attorney can talk to you for free. At your initial consultation, your lawyer will assess your case and tell you what your options are.
How a Lawyer in West Ashley Can Help
Personal injury lawyers in West Ashley help their clients through every step of the settlement process. Some of the things that an attorney can do for you include:
- Investigating your case
- Gathering evidence that supports your claim to compensation
- Negotiating with the insurance company
- Protecting you from parties that may try to reduce your compensation
- Fighting for you in court, in the rare occurrence that the insurance company refuses to settle
People who try to take on their personal injury claim without the help of an attorney face significantly greater obstacles and often see less compensation in the end. A free consultation with a lawyer can show you how you could benefit from legal help.
Is There a Limit on Compensation for a Personal Injury?
Yes, in some situations, there is a limit on how much you can recover for a personal injury. However, that depends on what type of injury claim you’re making, and it often only applies to a certain type of compensation. To understand certain limits on compensation, it may help to understand the different types of damages that you can recover:
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the monetary losses that you suffered due to your injury. These include hospital bills, lost wages, and other financial damages that your accident caused. There is no limit on economic damages for any personal injury claim in South Carolina.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are the tolls on your mental health and quality of life like pain, suffering, and anguish. These are usually calculated by multiplying economic damages. There is a $350,000 per-defendant limit on non-economic damages only in medical malpractice claims according to South Carolina Code § 15-32-220.
Punitive Damages
In certain personal injury cases, there may be additional punitive damages, which aren’t meant to compensate you for your losses. Instead, they’re leveraged against the at-fault party to punish them for an especially egregious action.South Carolina caps punitive damages at $500,000 or three times the actual damages, whichever is greater.
How Much Can You Get for a Personal Injury in West Ashley?
Because there are almost no limits on how much you can get for a personal injury, the value of claims ranges widely in South Carolina. It’s very difficult to give an idea of how much you could expect from your settlement without knowing the details of your case. In general, some factors that could affect your compensation could include:
- The severity of your injuries
- How expensive your treatment is
- How much work you have to miss for your recovery
- Whether you need any special accommodations like a wheelchair or accessible housing
- Whether you had any fault in your accident
The most reliable way to find out how much you can expect from your personal injury claim is to get a free consultation with a lawyer. Someone from our firm can meet with you, listen to your story, and give you an estimate for your settlement.
Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney in West Ashley Today
Your injuries aren’t just painful–they’re expensive as well, and if you have to miss weeks or months of work to recover, you can be left wondering where you’re going to get the money to pay for your hospital bills. It doesn’t have to be that way. A West Ashley personal injury attorney from Miller, Dawson, Sigal & Ward can help you get compensation.
You can call us or contact us online to get a FREE initial consultation 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Don’t wait too long and lose your chance at compensation.
