How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Georgetown, SC?

Our Georgetown personal injury attorneys can assist you with claims involving:

• Car Accidents. Countless car accidents are caused by negligence every year. All motorists owe a legal duty of care to everyone else on the road whenever they get behind the wheel. Drivers who speed, drive while distracted, or drive while impaired can all be considered negligent under the law, meaning they become liable for any harm their actions cause. 
• Drunk Driving Accidents. Driving while intoxicated impairs judgment and reaction time. Drivers operating vehicles while under the influence of drugs or alcohol are much less likely to make smart decisions when faced with dangerous scenarios on the roads, dramatically raising the likelihood of collisions with other vehicles. Driving while intoxicated is a crime in South Carolina, but victims injured by the negligent actions of a drunk driver also have the right to take civil legal action and seek damages. 
• Rideshare Accidents. Typically, when a person is injured in a car accident that was caused by another driver’s negligence, they can file an injury claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company. This is not always the case when it comes to rideshare accidents. In some cases, the rideshare driver may not carry enough insurance coverage for all damages that occurred as a result of the accident. This leaves victims without adequate compensation for their losses if they choose to pursue legal action against the driver. Fortunately, Uber and Lyft maintain comprehensive insurance policies that may be able to cover what the negligent driver’s insurance does not. We understand how to effectively approach these cases and will fight to get you fair compensation. 
• Motorcycle Accidents. Motorcycle accidents can be particularly dangerous due to the lack of protection for riders compared to other vehicles on the road. Motorcycles are much smaller than other vehicles, meaning that riders are more exposed to the forces of a crash. Motorcycles also lack safety features such as airbags and seatbelts that may provide protection in car accidents. Consequently, the number of fatalities from motorcycle accidents is significantly higher than those from car accidents.
• Truck Accidents. Because semi-trucks and other large trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, collisions involving these vehicles can cause catastrophic damage to smaller cars and even pedestrians. The force generated from a truck accident is typically much greater than a regular car crash, resulting in more serious injuries. Depending on what caused the collision, one or more parties other than the truck driver may be liable for injuries caused in an accident. 
• Pedestrian Accidents. Like motorcyclists, pedestrians have no layers of protection in the event of a collision with a vehicle, making them completely vulnerable to the forces of a crash. Even low-speed impacts with vehicles can cause catastrophic injury or death in these situations.
• Premises Liability. Premises liability is a legal concept that holds property owners accountable for injuries or losses that occur on their property due to negligence. Premises liability laws apply to both residential and commercial properties, meaning that property owners or operators can be held liable for failing to maintain safe conditions on their premises. Put another way, if you are injured by an unsafe hazard on someone else’s property that the property owner knew or should have known about yet did not do enough to sufficiently address, you may have a case. 
• Wrongful Death. Wrongful death is a legal term used to describe when a person’s death is caused by the reckless or negligent actions of another party. When this occurs, the executor of the deceased’s estate can pursue civil action against the at-fault party for wrongful death on behalf. Any awarded damages are ultimately distributed to the victim’s most immediate surviving family members.

Types of Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Georgetown, SC

You should not have to worry about how you will cover losses stemming from an accident that was not your fault. If you suffered harm because of the actions of another party, you may have a case and should get in touch with Bell Legal Group. We can assess what happened, determine liability, and review your legal options for recovering compensation. 

How Long Do I Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Georgetown, SC?

In South Carolina, individuals who have been injured due to the negligence of another party generally have three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury claim. This may seem like a considerable amount of time, but it is in your best interest to start the legal process as soon as possible. If you do not file by this deadline, you will most likely be barred from recovering any compensation. 

Wrongful death cases work differently. When someone passes away due to negligence, the clock effectively “resets” in South Carolina. The executor of the victim’s estate will have three years from the date the decedent passed away – not the date of injury – to bring a claim. Additionally, if the defendant in your case is a government entity, you only have two years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. 

What Types of Compensation Can I Recover in a Personal Injury Claim?

When you suffer injuries in an accident, you are likely to sustain several types of losses. Some of these will be directly measurable, while others will be more challenging to assign a dollar amount to. A personal injury claim covers both of these categories by allowing you to recover compensation for both economic (calculable) and non-economic (less calculable) damages.

Our Georgetown personal injury lawyers will seek maximum compensation for all of your losses, including:

• Past, current, and future medical bills
• Lost income and earning potential
• Property damage
• Pain and suffering
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium

You owe our firm nothing unless we help you recover damages, so call (843) 396-1777 or contact us online to start discussing your legal options today.