Car Accident Attorney
Summerville · Moncks Corner · Goose Creek · Charleston
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In a car accident in South Carolina? Get the compensation you deserve!
A car accident is always unexpected. It can turn a person’s life upside down in unforeseen ways.
This is especially true when it involves mental and emotional trauma, physical injury and outrageous medical bills that continue to accrue.
To add insult to injury you may be unable to work due to these unfortunate set of circumstances that were caused by the negligence of a careless driver.
What’s worse is in most cases the careless driver’s insurance company will fight you tooth and nail to avoid compensating you for your pain and suffering.
The car accident lawyers at Templeton Mims & Ward may be able to help!
No, we can’t turn back the clock and stop the crash from happening and we can’t heal your injuries. But we can help you to recover full and fair compensation for the injuries you have suffered.
Our goal in every case is to get the maximum compensation available to you based on the facts of your case and under SC law.
We’ll work hard to hold the at-fault driver’s insurance company accountable, and most importantly to help you and your family get back on your feet.
Specifically, how can our car accident lawyers help you?
When you contact Templeton Mims & Ward, we will:
- Meet with you – coming to the hospital if you are unable to travel to our office – to answer your questions and to learn the facts of your case,
- Investigate the crash to determine who was liable and to identify all possible sources of recovery,
- Present evidence of liability and your damages to the insurance company,
- Consult with expert witnesses as needed to prove your damages and the other driver’s liability,
- Demand a full and fair settlement from the insurance company, and
- File a car accident lawsuit and litigate your case through a jury trial if the insurance company refuses to pay.
What you need to know about the at-fault drivers insurance company.
The other driver’s insurance company will often do everything they can to stop you from collecting full and fair compensation, including:
- Refusing to pay your claim,
- Arguing that you are at fault in the crash,
- Claiming that your injuries or their severity are faked,
- Offering “nuisance money” to get you to sign a release of liability,
- Insisting that they cannot settle your claim until you make a recorded statement, and
- Getting you to make statements that they can use to deny liability or damages.
Insurance companies are in business to make money, and they don’t maximize their profits by paying claims.
They maximize their profits by denying, delaying, and limiting every claim that they can while collecting premiums from their insureds. If the insurance industry was fair and reasonable, they would not be one of the most profitable industries in the world!
So, how do you get the insurance company to pay the full and fair value of your claim?
- Do not make any statements to the other driver’s insurance company,
- Get a SC car accident lawyer who knows the law, who knows the courts, and who the insurance company knows will take your case to trial when necessary,
- Know the law as applied to the facts of your case,
- Know the categories of damages that you are entitled to receive, and
- Prove both liability and the extent of your damages to the insurance company and to a jury if the insurance company doesn’t pay.
Do not allow the insurance adjuster to question you about the accident, and do not sign any release for your personal injury claim until you have met with your SC car accident lawyer at Templeton Mims & Ward.
Things You Should Do After A Car Wreck in South Carolina
- Report the accident to law enforcement immediately, and ensure the responding officer has accurate information for their accident report.
- If it is safe to do so, take photos of the roadway, vehicles, and any injuries, and get contact information for any witnesses at the scene.
- Let EMS check you out, and follow any recommendations that they make. If you go to the ER, follow any recommendations that they make, and follow up with any additional doctors appointments. Be aware that “delayed onset injuries” can manifest days or even weeks after your crash.
- Contact a car accident lawyer immediately after the car wreck – your lawyer will immediately begin investigating the crash to determine liability and answer your questions.
- Do not talk to the other driver’s insurance company unless it is to resolve your property damage claim – let your attorney handle communications with the insurance company regarding your personal injury claim, and do not give any statements to the insurance company or sign any releases unless it is for property damage only.
Types of Auto Accidents We Routinely Handle
- Car accidents
- Eighteen-Wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Uninsured / Underinsured Claims
The Most Common Questions We Get Asked Are…
Do you use experts in car accident cases?
When needed to prove liability or damages, we may use experts including:
- Accident reconstructionists,
- Medical experts,
- Economists,
- Life care planners, or
- Any expert who can explain complex issues to a jury regarding damages or liability.
What types of damages am I entitled to after a car accident in SC?
- Medical expenses and future medical expenses, including long-term care when needed,
- Property damage,
- Pain and suffering,
- Emotional distress/ emotional or mental injuries like PTSD,
- Compensation for scarring or disfigurement,
- Loss of consortium or loss of companionship, and
- Punitive damages when appropriate.
What if the accident was partly my fault?
Am I at fault if I wasn’t wearing a seatbelt?
If an insurance adjuster tells you that you cannot collect damages or your damages are reduced because you were not wearing a seatbelt, they are lying to you. Call your SC car accident lawyer immediately.
How long will it take for my case to settle?
In many cases, however, the insurance company will drag their heels, insisting on litigating discovery issues, taking depositions, attending mediation, and refusing to pay until the eve of trial when they are looking at an unpredictable jury verdict.
In a few cases, the insurance company will refuse to pay despite the evidence, and your case will be heard by a jury – and then could be appealed before any judgment is paid.
Our goal is to settle each client’s case for its full value as quickly as possible, but that process could take anywhere from weeks to years depending on the facts of each case and whether the insurance company agrees to settle.