St. Andrews Personal Injury Lawyer

While injuries and accidents are common, injured people still deserve justice. The person who caused the accident that led to your injuries should be held responsible, and you should be provided with fair compensation. Speak to a lawyer about your situation and they can help you take legal action to get the compensation you rightly deserve.

A wide range of accidents and injuries may fall under the legal umbrella of personal injury claims, and it can be hard to determine exactly what kind of case you have. Our team has experience with various personal injury claims, including nursing home accidents, slip-and-falls, truck crashes, and more. If you experience an injury in some kind of accident, contact our team as soon as possible, as you have a limited time to file a claim in court. We need as much time as possible to find evidence, evaluate damages, and prepare your case. The more prepared we are when we file the case, the greater our odds of success might be.

Contact our Columbia, SC personal injury lawyers at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers by calling (803) 451-4000 and ask about a free, confidential case evaluation to begin.

Possible Personal Injury Claims in St. Andrews

Numerous cases and claims may be personal injury cases as long as a bodily injury is at the center of the case. An injurious accident might occur in many ways, so there are just as many different types of claims. Below are a few cases our team has worked on and can help you with. Even if you do not see your situation described here, you should still contact an attorney for help.

Nursing Home Accidents and Injuries

Many people who are older or in poor health and incapable of living independently rely on nursing homes. While many nursing home residents are cared for properly, this is not always the case. Abuse and neglect in nursing homes are more common than many people realize, and the injuries involved in these cases are often shocking. Abuse victims might have numerous injuries that were never reported or treated, and they might not have healed correctly or at all. Neglect, such as insufficient food, medicine, cleaning, or general care, may also lead to serious injuries, and you should call a lawyer about it immediately. In many cases, the people responsible for nursing home abuse or neglect also face criminal charges, and our personal injury attorneys can work with investigators to find evidence.

Slip-and-Fall Accidents

If you slipped and fell on someone else’s property, the property owner may be held responsible for your injuries and damages. These kinds of accidents are common in stores, restaurants, and other places of business where spills or wet floors are frequent occurrences. Property owners owe guests a duty of care to keep the premises safe. If they violate this duty by failing to maintain the property, you may take legal action for your injuries.

However, there are a few exceptions to the duty of care. For example, according to S.C. Code Ann. § 27-3-30, a landowner owes no duty of care to keep their property safe if guests use it for recreational purposes. The law defines a recreational purpose as outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, outdoor sports, and hunting, among others. If you slipped and fell while engaged in recreational activities on someone else’s property, you might need to explore other legal options with your lawyer.

Truck Collisions

Accidents on the road are common, but accidents with large trucks are especially worrisome. These kinds of collisions can be extremely severe due to the truck’s sheer size, weight, and potential speed. These vehicles are often enormous, and people who are injured in collisions with trucks are often severely injured. Some experience lifelong complications. Others do not survive the accident. Your damages might be vast, and you might need financial compensation to keep up with medical care and the income you lose from being unable to work.

How Long After an Accident in St. Andrews Should You Contact a Personal Injury Lawyer?

You might need time to rest and recover from your injuries before making any important legal decisions. You might also be hesitant to start legal action, knowing it might be a long, frustrating court battle. While these are certainly important concerns, you should not let them stop you from talking to a lawyer as soon as possible. You have a limited time to file a case, and you might not be able to file anything if you wait too long.

Under S. C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(5), the statute of limitations gives plaintiffs only 3 years to file a case for damages. The limitation period begins on the same day as the accident, meaning the clock starts counting down immediately. Considering it often takes many months or more to fully prepare a case before it is filed, time is of the essence.

If time is running out, your attorney may be able to help you have the limitation period tolled. Tolling halts the limitation period, but only for a certain amount of time and specific reasons. According to § 15-3-40, tolling may be possible for plaintiffs who were minors when they were injured or for “insanity.” Insanity may include mental or psychological conditions that prevent a plaintiff from understanding the accident, their injuries, or their rights when they get hurt. If you were a minor, the statute of limitations may be tolled until you are 18. For those with certain mental conditions, the limitation period may be tolled until the mental condition is lifted or removed.

How to Support Your Personal Injury Case in St. Andrews with Evidence

Building a strong claim for damages requires strong evidence. Where we find evidence may depend on numerous factors unique to your case, and you should talk to your attorney about the issue right away. We need evidence before the case even gets started. When filing the initial legal complaint to begin the case, our personal injury lawyers must include enough evidence to show the court that you have a valid cause of action.

Much evidence may come right from the location of the accident. Photos of the accident scene, security camera videos showing the accident unfold, and even physical objects from the accident can help us explain the situation to a jury and support your claims. It is crucial that we gather this evidence quickly, as it might disappear if we wait too long.

We should also talk to people who were at the accident or are somehow connected to it. Witnesses often provide valuable testimony that can help build a case and convince a jury of your claims. If other people saw the accident happen, they may testify as eyewitnesses. Their testimony may be priceless if they saw how the defendant caused the accident. Your testimony might also be crucial, especially if nobody else was around. You might have to testify if you are the sole witness, and your attorney can help you prepare.

Certain kinds of records may also shed light on the case. For example, if you were hurt while at work because of dangerous conditions in the office, business records regarding maintenance and repairs might help us prove how the defendant negligently failed to care for the premises. Also, your medical records may help us establish the extent and severity of your injuries.

Damages Available in Your St. Andrews Personal Injury Case

Your damages are some of the most important parts of your case, as they form the basis of potential financial compensation. Damages should reflect how the accident cost you money, caused you pain, and affected your quality of life, among other things. Compensatory damages revolve around making up for actual losses, while punitive damages are intended to punish defendants, but only under specific conditions.

Compensatory Damages

Compensatory damages represent your economic and non-economic injuries and losses. Economic damages revolve around the money you spend as a direct result of the accident. For example, the cost of medical care, repairing damaged property, and losing income because you cannot return to work while injured are just a few possible damages. Be sure to thoroughly track your spending and costs so your attorney can help you account for all your losses.

Non-economic damages are sometimes harder to evaluate because of their subjective nature. These damages are rooted in your personal experiences rather than money, and juries may base compensation on how your life was disrupted rather than concrete costs. For example, your physical pain and emotional or psychological trauma from the accident deserve compensation. So might humiliation, scarring, disfigurement, and any reduction of your quality of life because of the accident and your injuries.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are rare. However, they may be significant if they are awarded. These damages are not meant to make up for the plaintiff’s losses but are instead meant to punish the defendant for extremely bad behavior. To be eligible for punitive damages, the defendant should have acted with wanton, reckless, or willful conduct. Ordinary negligence is not enough. According to S.C. Code Ann. § 15-32-520(D), we must prove claims for punitive damages by clear and convincing evidence, which is a high burden of proof.

According to subsection (E) of this law, the jury may consider numerous factors when determining punitive damages. For example, they may consider the defendant’s culpability, the severity of harm, the plaintiff’s conduct and whether they contributed to their own harm, the defendant’s ability to pay, whether punitive damages would serve as a deterrent for future bad actions, and more.

Limits are imposed on punitive damages under § 15-32-530(A). Generally, these damages are capped at triple the value of the plaintiff’s total compensatory damages or $500,000, whichever is greater. The cap may be removed under certain circumstances, and you should ask your lawyer about punitive damages as soon as possible.

How Long a Personal Injury Case in St. Andrews Might Take to Complete

One of the biggest concerns many plaintiffs have before taking legal action for personal injuries is time. They want to know how long their case could take and whether a lengthy time commitment is worth their efforts. The answer to this question can be hard to predict. While some cases drag on for months or even years, others end in only a few weeks.

When initiating legal action, it might be wise to assume that the case will take at least a few months of your time. Depending on the complexity of the case and the parties’ willingness to cooperate, a case could last a year or more. Again, this all depends on things like the availability of evidence, the complexity of important facts and laws, and whether the parties are willing to cooperate.

Many cases end quickly because defendants and plaintiffs agree to private settlements. The defendant may agree to pay a certain amount of compensation in exchange for the plaintiff dropping the case. How much compensation is paid must be negotiated and agreed upon by both parties. While a private settlement might not net you the full value of your damages, it can help you get some or even most of the compensation you need, and you do not have to endure a lengthy legal battle.

Reasons Why You Should Hire an Experienced Personal Injury Lawyer in St. Andrews

Tackling something as complicated as a lawsuit or private settlement might be more than most people are prepared to deal with. It is in your best interest to talk to an experienced lawyer about your case as soon as possible. Even if you are unsure about how to approach the situation, your attorney can advise you of all your legal options so you can make a more informed decision about what to do.

Your attorney may know how and where to find evidence so it does not disappear. They should also know how to apply the complex law to the facts of your case and use the evidence to support your claims. On top of it all, they should be able to navigate the complicated legal procedures involved in the case. This may include important legal paperwork and documentation, arranging court dates and hearings, and communicating with the court and the defendant’s legal counsel.

Call Our St. Andrews Personal Injury Attorneys to Start Your Case

Contact our personal injury lawyers at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers by calling (803) 451-4000 and ask about a free, confidential case evaluation to begin.