Fairfield County Car Accident Lawyer

A car accident can stop your day dead in its tracks. It can also have serious repercussions that impact numerous areas of your life. Going back to work, enjoying your hobbies, and accomplishing normal daily tasks might be very hard after you are injured in a car accident. An attorney can help you get compensation so you can get your life back.

Car accidents happen for all kinds of reasons, and they can be very unpredictable. Some are injured by intoxicated drivers, while others are hit by distracted drivers, and still more are hurt because of ordinary traffic violations. The evidence we need to build your case may depend on how your accident happened. We can use details from the crash site, witness testimony, and your medical records to prove your case in court. While some opt to file insurance claims rather than a court case, things do not always play out how we hope, and a court case might become necessary. Talk to an attorney now, as your time to file is limited.

Contact our car accident lawyers for a free case evaluation by calling Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers at (803) 451-4000.

How Vehicle Collisions Can Happen in Fairfield County

Any number of factors or circumstances could lead to a bad car accident. Drivers often do not even see the accident coming until it is too late. Some drivers do not even remember the accident and have little to no memory of how they became injured. Our car accident attorneys can review your situation, determine how your accident occurred, and build your case so the negligent driver is held responsible.

Intoxicated drivers are unfortunately common and tend to cause serious accidents. When a driver is intoxicated, their reflexes are often much slower than normal, and they might be unable to slow down or stop in time to avoid a collision, even if they have plenty of time to do so. Their judgment is also severely impaired, and they are more likely to speed, weave between lanes, and drive recklessly.

Distracted driving is another huge problem, and it is becoming increasingly common. The other driver might have been on the phone, texting, or distracted by their radio or GPS device. Vehicles have far more electronic and communication devices than in years past, and accidents caused by distracted drivers are on the rise.

Ordinary traffic violations happen all the time, and most people are probably guilty of committing such a violation. Speeding, running a stop sign, failing to signal a turn, and other traffic violations might seem like no big deal, but they can easily cause severe accidents. If the other driver committed a traffic violation just before the accident, talk about it with your lawyer.

Evidence We Might Need to Prove Your Claims in a Fairfield County Car Accident Case

No case can succeed without evidence. Without evidence, not only are you unlikely to get any compensation, but you are unlikely to even get your claims into court. We must include at least some evidence in the initial complaint, so the court knows your cause of action is valid and not baseless.

Photos are a common part of many car accident cases. It is common for drivers to take pictures of accidents immediately after they happen so they can send them to insurance companies. While photos might be helpful in an insurance claim, they might also make for very useful evidence in court. The authorities tend to clear away crash sites quickly, and important details and evidence might be gone forever. Your pictures might preserve these details for us.

If physical evidence is scant, we can build a strong case based on testimony. Witnesses who were present at the accident may testify about what they saw. You can also testify about the accident and your non-economic injuries, like pain and psychological distress. If multiple witnesses can back up your claims that the other driver caused the accident, you might have a much stronger case. After a crash, try to talk to other people nearby who might have stopped to help. We need their information so we can contact them later about providing testimony.

Your medical records might be a big part of your evidence in a car accident case, especially if your injuries are severe, complicated, or expensive to treat. We need your medical records to establish the existence of your injuries. We may also use them to show how much it costs to treat you and whether you can reasonably expect future medical treatment needs.

How Insurance Might Play a Role in Your Fairfield County Car Accident Case

Insurance almost always comes up at some point in car accident cases. Often, injured drivers try to file claims on their own only to be offered paltry settlements or to be outright denied by insurance companies. At that point, they seek help from an attorney. Many people do not realize that a lawyer can help you with your insurance claim, and you should call one before you submit anything to an insurance company.

South Carolina follows a fault-based system for car insurance claims, meaning you must file a third-party claim with the other driver’s insurance and provide evidence of their fault. If the insurance company believes your evidence is insufficient, they may deny your claim. If that happens, your lawyer can help you sue them to make them pay for what you deserve. If the other driver fled the scene or is uninsured, you might have to file a claim with your own uninsured motorist if you have it.

What confuses many people is how insurance affects damages. If insurance covers only part of your damages, you may still claim the full value of your damages in a lawsuit. According to the Collateral Source Rule, your compensation in a lawsuit may not be reduced because you received other compensation from an independent or collateral source (i.e., an insurance company). However, if you win your lawsuit and are awarded the full range of your damages, the insurance company that already paid you may file a subrogation claim to get the money back. You may not be compensated twice for the same damages.

Speak to Our Fairfield County Car Accident Lawyers for Legal Assistance

Contact our car accident lawyers for a free case evaluation by calling Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers at (803) 451-4000.

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$6 Million

The Plaintiff was injured as a result of a failing component of a commercial motor vehicle that fell from the vehicle into the roadway. The Plaintiff brought claims against the owner and operator of the tractor trailer as well as the manufacturer of the vehicle.

$4.1 Million

The Plaintiff was injured as a result of a refrigeration system that malfunctioned, spraying ammonia gas into the Plaintiff's face. As a result of this event, the Plaintiff sustained significant vision loss. The Plaintiff brought claims against his employer and the manufacturer of this system.

$2 Million

The Plaintiff was injured while riding his motorcycle when he collided with another vehicle. This event occurred in the city of Columbia and the Plaintiff sustained significant bodily injury resulting in extensive medical expenses and permanent injury.

$1.8 Million

The Plaintiff was injured when he was rear-ended by a tractor trailer on Interstate 20. The Plaintiff brought claims against the owner and driver of the tractor trailer for his injuries relate to his lower back.

$1.5 Million

The Plaintiff sustained significant injury when she was attacked by a dog while performing repairs on a rental property. The Plaintiff was at the rental property as part of her employment with a rental management agency. She was attacked by the animal and sustained permanent nerve damage in her legs.

$1.3 Million

The Plaintiff was killed as a result of a collision with a logging truck that had been improperly loaded by a timber harvester. The proceeds of the settlement were funded by both the timber harvester and the owner of the logging truck.

$1.5 Million

The Plaintiff underwent surgery to her neck as a result of injuries sustained when she was struck on the head by a piece of loading equipment at her job. The Plaintiff was employed by a national retailer and was engaged in stocking shelves when the piece of equipment failed. After settling her workers' compensation claim, the Plaintiff brought a claim against the manufacturer of this equipment.

$1.1 Million

The Plaintiff brought a claim against a local medical facility for a false positive HIV reading. As a result of this false positive, the Plaintiff lived for 4½ years believing that she had the virus which leads to what she feared was an eventual AIDS diagnosis.