Myrtle Beach Car Accident Lawyer

Myrtle Beach is one of the busiest cities in South Carolina and one where car accidents are common. You deserve compensation if you have been injured in a car crash due to another person’s negligence.

Car accidents occur in numerous ways in Myrtle Beach, especially during the summer months when many more drivers are on the road. Regardless of how you were injured, our team can help you gather the evidence you need to prove your case. Legal counsel can make all the difference when proving the many elements you need to show that the other party was negligent.

For a free case evaluation, contact our car accident lawyers at Burriss & Ridgeway at (803) 855-1040.

Typical Ways Car Accidents Happen in Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach is a beautiful beach city that attracts thousands of tourists each year due to its impressive coastline. However, it is also one of the most dangerous cities in South Carolina for car accidents. Fortunately, our car accident attorneys are here to help you recover the compensation you deserve if a negligent driver injured you. As the city population explodes during the summer, the chances of being involved in a car accident greatly increase. These are some of the most common causes of car accidents in Myrtle Beach:

Traffic Violations

One of the main causes of car accidents in Myrtle Beach is when drivers break traffic laws. Common traffic violations that cause serious injuries include running red lights, failure to yield right-of-way, and failing to stop at a stop sign or traffic light. Drivers have a duty to make sure that they obey all traffic lights and stop signs when driving. For instance, many car accidents happen at intersections because drivers are not aware or respectful of these traffic signals.

Distracted Driving

Another major cause of car accidents in Myrtle Beach is distracted driving. Typically, this occurs when drivers are texting or talking on their phones while behind the wheel. Sometimes drivers are distracted by kids in the back seat or eating food while driving. Whatever the cause, distracted driving can lead to serious injuries and fatalities if proper attention is not paid to what is happening on the road around them.

Speeding

Speeding is another common cause of car accidents in Myrtle Beach. Speed limits exist for a good reason, as they establish safe speeds for travel on most roads and highways. Speeding can dramatically affect a driver’s ability to control their vehicle, particularly on curves and hills where it is especially important to slow down. Speeding also increases stopping distances, which can be extremely dangerous if you need to stop suddenly for another vehicle or pedestrian. Speeding can even result in deadly accidents, especially when Myrtle Beach is hosting thousands of bikers during the major bike fests that take place here.

Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs (DUI)

People who drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs are far more likely to get into car accidents in Myrtle Beach. As a beach city, people like to have fun. However, some people have too much fun and do not act responsibly when doing so by driving after they have been drinking. Drunk drivers have slower reaction times and poorer judgment than sober drivers. They might also be unable to concentrate on the task at hand, resulting in dangerous driving behavior, such as drifting between lanes or failing to obey traffic signs and signals.

However, DUI is not limited to just alcohol. Driving under the influence of drugs is also dangerous for everyone on the roadway because it can impair a driver’s judgment and reaction time just as much as drinking too much alcohol does.

How to Prove Negligence in a Myrtle Beach Car Accident Case

If you can prove that your injury occurred because of the negligence of another party, you will be entitled to compensation for your damages. However, proving negligence requires more than simply stating that another person was at fault. You must prove that the other party owed you a duty of care and breached that duty by failing to conform to the standard of care expected. You must also prove that your injuries were caused by their breach of duty rather than some other cause.

Duty of Care

Duty of care refers to the standard that people must follow to protect others from harm. In the context of car accident cases, this means following all traffic laws and exercising reasonable care while driving. For example, if a driver speeds through a red light and causes injuries in an accident, they have failed to act with reasonable care and can be held liable for damages.

Breach of Duty

A breach occurs when an individual fails to act with the care expected in the situation. Taking the example above, a driver that fails to stop at a red light and causes an accident will have breached their duty of care by failing to follow traffic laws. In other words, you must prove that the other driver failed to do what a reasonable person would have done under similar circumstances.

Causation

Causation is arguably the most important aspect of a Myrtle Beach car accident lawsuit and the most argued over by attorneys. The plaintiff must prove that the defendant’s negligence was the cause of their injuries and losses. This means showing that another party did not cause your current injuries or were not the result of a previous accident or condition.

Causation can be proven by evidence like medical records, eyewitness testimony, and police reports. Suppose you were involved in an accident that resulted in injuries. In that case, collecting evidence immediately after it happens is important so that any available evidence is not damaged or destroyed. The more evidence you have, the more you will be able to connect your current injuries with the other party’s negligence.

Damages

In order to proceed with a lawsuit against someone for a car accident, you must show that you suffered actual damages. If you were not injured and did not suffer property damage in your car accident, you might not be able to file a lawsuit since you did not incur any “real” damages. This is because damages are typically measured in a victim’s financial losses. However, car accident victims can also recover damages for non-economic damages, like emotional distress and the physical pain their injuries cause.

You can prove damages by submitting evidence like your medical records, showing how much money you have spent on medical treatment so far and how much more it will cost before your injuries heal completely. You should also keep records of any lost wages or other financial losses that resulted from the accident, including repair estimates for your car, out-of-pocket expenses related to your treatment, and other losses associated with your injuries.

Our Myrtle Beach Car Accident Lawyers Can Help

Call our car accident attorneys at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers today at (803) 991-4656 for a free review of your legal options.

$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 insured 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.