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A car accident can permanently alter your life or the life of a loved one in an instant. If someone else is at fault for an accident, you can hold the liable party accountable and get justice with the help of a Charleston car accident lawyer.
Learn more about these accidents, the claims process, and how Trey Harrell Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney can help with your case.
Types of Car Accidents Your Charleston Car Accident Lawyer Handles
When you need a Charleston car accident attorney, our team can represent you for any type of automobile collision, including:
- Head-on: These are some of the most dangerous crashes with two vehicles accelerating toward each other, resulting in compounding force.
- Rear-end: These common accidents can cause internal injury that may not be immediately evident.
- Rollover: A vehicle may tumble onto its side or roof due to a vehicle defect or another vehicle in your path.
- Sideswipe: This can occur when a driver veers out of their lane or makes an illegal lane change and runs up against you.
- T-bone: T-bone accidents usually happen when a driver fails to yield the right of way and either hits the side of another vehicle or gets hit by crossing traffic.
We’ll represent you whether the incident was a multi-car pileup or a single-car crash that resulted from the actions of someone else.
Our Charleston car accident lawyer also assists with wrecks involving more unique circumstances, including the following:
- Rideshare, commercial, or rental cars
- Hit-and-run incidents
- A driver under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Distracted or drowsy drivers
- Accidents resulting from someone’s road rage or aggressiveness
We also take claims that involve uninsured or underinsured motorists. Never assume you have no hope of recovering compensation; call us for a free consultation to understand your options.
Common Injuries Your Charleston Car Accident Attorney Can Assist With
Often accident victims don’t recognize or address injuries in a timely manner, causing them to miss the opportunity to recover damages. Seemingly minor harm could have long-lasting impacts, such as lengthy medical care and lost earning potential.
Common injuries from car accidents include:
- Broken bones, contusions, abrasions, and fractures
- Cuts, lacerations, burns, and amputations
- Internal bleeding, organ failure, and sepsis
- Traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries
- Head, neck, and back injuries
A car accident could also cause deep-seated mental or emotional trauma that alters your life. Post-traumatic stress and anxiety are especially likely to occur when dealing with catastrophic injuries such as paralysis, disability, or disfigurement.
Your Charleston car accident lawyer helps you understand, calculate, and claim all legitimate losses. However, you must show a direct correlation between these injuries and the accident to receive compensation for them.
Seeking medical treatment as soon as possible after the incident is crucial to both your health and the possibility of recovering damages. Even if you don’t immediately notice any pain, an unrecognized injury could worsen without medical treatment.
The Annual Statistics on Accidents in Charleston County
The odds of being in an accident in South Carolina and, in particular, Charleston County remain relatively high.
Unfortunately, the Palmetto State has the nation’s second deadliest roads, with U.S. Route 17 being one of the most dangerous roads in America.
The latest statistics from the South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book show that Charleston County had 16,071 road collisions, with 4,118 of those causing injuries. Almost 6,000 people were injured and 77 killed in those accidents. These resulted in:
These statistics underscore that you cannot eliminate the risk of an accident – no matter how safely you may drive, you share the road with others. If you’ve had a crash, call us so our Charleston car accident lawyer can offer support.
What To Do at the Scene of an Accident
The actions you take immediately after a crash impact the strength of your claim. The following steps lay the foundation for a positive outcome:
- Get to a safe spot near the crash site to avoid any further harm. Assess your condition and that of any passengers with you.
- Call first responders to obtain medical treatment and register an official record of the incident. Provide an accurate recollection of events to the police without speculating about who caused the collision.
- If you can do so safely, document the scene with notes, photos, and video. Try to collect the statements and contact information of any witnesses at the scene.
- Collect the information of the other parties to the incident, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email, insurance details, and license plate numbers. Stay calm, and don’t argue about fault.
Your insurer typically requires you to report the accident within 24 hours, so you don’t necessarily have to contact them at the scene. If you work with us, our Charleston car accident lawyer can handle that communication for you.
The Parties That May Be Liable for a Car Accident
After a collision, you may initially be ready to blame another driver. However, even if that motorist bears fault, other parties might be liable as well. If you don’t identify all parties responsible, you could miss the opportunity for full compensation.
Our Charleston car accident lawyer can determine if you need to bring a case against any of the following parties.
Employer or vehicle owner
If the driver is an on-duty employee, you should bring your case against their employer. If a car owner was negligent when allowing someone else to drive the vehicle, your case will be against the owner.
Manufacturer, distributor, repair person, or seller
Accidents can result due to a vehicle or part defect. These cases are tricky because they require you to determine which specific organizations were responsible for allowing the problem. Anyone from engineers and factory owners to dealerships and technicians could be at fault. Our Charleston car accident lawyer investigates the facts to find the truth.
Government entity or public institution
In rare circumstances, you might have a case against the agency that is responsible for maintaining the roads. Likewise, if an at-fault driver was an on-duty government employee, your claim would be against the department that employs the individual.
Dram shop
Dram shop laws apply to any business that sells alcohol. If a store, bar, club, or sports venue sells hard drinks to a clearly inebriated person, that company could be liable for an ensuing crash.
Property owners
If someone’s property created an unsafe situation on a road, that person could be liable. For example, a homeowner may not have trimmed vegetation that obstructed a road sign.
It can be a challenge to obtain the information you need to determine who is responsible for the incident. We have experience in these areas, so call your Charleston car accident attorney at Trey Harrell Auto Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer today.
The Statute of Limitations for a Car Accident
The statute of limitations is the timeframe you have for filing your case in court. In South Carolina, that period is typically three years from the date of your accident and injuries. However, if your case is against a government entity, the statute of limitations is two years.
There may be instances where you have longer than three years to file. For example, minors have until their 19th birthday to file if a responsible adult will not do so for them. Also, if you were mentally incapable of filing, the courts can postpone the start date of your statute of limitations until you regain competence.
Bear in mind that it’s never a good idea to delay starting your case. Memories and physical evidence begin to degrade immediately, making it harder to prove your claim. Reach out to us so our Charleston car accident lawyer can guide you through the process to get your claim in on time.
What Trey Harrell Auto Accident and Personal Injury Lawyer Can Do as Your Car Accident Lawyer in Charleston
After a car crash, your focus needs to be on recovery and not paperwork or insurance companies. Our car accident lawyer in Charleston handles all of the work so you can recuperate with peace of mind.
We start by fully investigating the evidence to determine liable parties and proof of your injuries. When necessary, we’ll locate expert witnesses, such as medical or financial professionals, to prove the extent of your losses.
You’ll also receive advice about what to do and what not to do to strengthen your case. Throughout the process, we keep you updated and explain any complex legal procedures or terminology.
Additionally, if the insurance company or defense uses any dishonest tactics, we’ll help you sue for additional damages for those bad-faith actions. All along the way, we do whatever we can to maximize your claim.
Contact Our Charleston Car Accident Lawyer Today
Numerous elements and a considerable amount of legwork go into obtaining justice after an automobile crash. Trey Harrell Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney is a dedicated and determined advocate for your legal rights.
If you need a Charleston car accident lawyer, call our team today. Trey helps by ensuring that we won’t rest until we’ve made every effort to recover what you deserve, and you don’t have to pay us anything unless you win.
