Mount Pleasant Car Accident Lawyer Near You

Have You Been Hurt in a Car Accident in Mount Pleasant? We Can Help

If you or someone close to you has been in a car accident, contact us for help.

You don’t have to face this situation alone. If you are asking yourself, “Is there a car accident lawyer near me?” Our team can help you navigate through the steps you need to take. Watch the short video below.

IMPORTANT: If you’ve been injured in a car accident, please seek medical attention immediately.

Who Is Responsible for Medical Bills after a Car Accident?

A common question that people who have been injured in automobile accidents have is who will be responsible for paying their medical bills. Accident victims may be left facing staggering medical bills combined with a reduced ability to earn an income. If you have been injured in an accident, it is important for you to understand the collateral source rule.

The collateral source rule is a common law principle that states that the person who is responsible for causing your accident because of negligence cannot have the amount that he or she is ordered to pay you reduced by payments that may have been made by an independent source. For example, if the liable party is found to be responsible for causing $100,000 in medical expenses for your injuries, that amount cannot be reduced by amounts that your insurance company might pay out of the total amount.

If the other driver caused your accident, his or her insurance company will pay for your medical expenses up to the policy limits for bodily injury in a car accident settlement or a verdict award. Until you receive the payment from the at-fault driver’s policy, your own health insurance will pay your medical bills. If you do not have health insurance, your attorneys will work to negotiate down the total amount that you have to pay for your medical costs. 

Who Will Repair My Car?

Another common question that accident victims have is who will pay to fix or replace their vehicle. If your car is repairable, and the at-fault party has accepted liability, their insurance company will pay to have your vehicle repaired. If your car is repairable, and the at-fault party has not accepted responsibility, the situation is different. If you have full coverage, your insurance company will pay to repair your vehicle. The company will then pursue the at-fault driver’s insurance company for reimbursement after liability is determined in your case.

If your vehicle is totaled out, the at-fault driver’s insurance company will determine the value of your vehicle and write you a check – if the driver has accepted liability. If not they have not acknowledged liability and you have full coverage insurance, you can submit a claim to your insurance company to replace your vehicle. When the at-fault driver is determined to be liable in your case, your insurance company will try to recoup reimbursement from the at-fault driver’s insurance company. Always get a police report if you have been involved in a car accident in Mount Pleasant. Contact the local police department at 100 Ann Edwards Ln, Mt Pleasant, SC 29464.

How Much Is My Car Accident Case Worth in Mount Pleasant?

Every car accident case is different. There isn’t a single, easy answer for determining how much a particular case is worth. The amount that you might expect to receive in compensation for your accident will depend on a number of different factors, including the nature, severity, and extent of your injuries, the likelihood that you will recover, the time that you have lost from work, your medical bills, and other factors. Your attorney will analyze the facts of your case to calculate an estimated value of your case.

Will I Get Compensated for Lost Wages After a Car Accident?

If you have income losses because you were forced to miss work because of your injury accident, the amounts are recoverable in your personal injury claim. However your income losses and the amount of time you have missed from your job must be documented by your employer. You can also show your doctor’s order to not work during your recovery period.

Your tax returns will be important if you are self-employed. This is because you have the burden of proving your income losses and other damages. You may also need to hire an economist as an expert witness to prove that your accident resulted in income losses and will likely reduce your ability to earn an income in the future.

Can I Get Compensation for Pain and Suffering?

in South Carolina, pain and suffering damages are considered non-economic or general damages. Pain and suffering damages are intended to compensate you for physical pain as well as emotional distress car accident compensation you may be entitled to after your accident. Juries are instructed there is no set standard for determining the amount of compensation awarded for pain and suffering or whether to award damages at at all. Jurors are supposed to use their own reasoning, in addition to testimony and evidence they have been presented at trial, to decide what amount of compensation is appropriate to award for pain and suffering.

How Much Is the Average Car Accident Settlement?

Every case is unique. You can’t just call up a personal injury attorney and expect to find out what type of settlement you will receive for car accident injuries. Your attorney will review evidence and expenses from your case to determine a range of value for a reasonable settlement amount.

Recent South Carolina Car Accident Settlements 

How much compensation am I entitled to for a car accident case? It can be difficult to determine accurate averages for car accident settlements because of numerous factors in car wreck cases. Severity of injuries plays a role, as well as how debilitating your injuries are, and whether you were at fault at all for the accident. How much compensation you will receive for a car accident in South Carolina varies based on the circumstances. According to our internal settlement data, the average South Carolina car accident settlement ranges from $98,284 to $250,000. Every car accident case is different, so it is advised to speak with an experienced accident lawyer near you for an accurate case evaluation.

At the Lovely Law Firm, we have helped numerous clients recover substantial compensation settlements after a serious car accident. Below are examples of settlements we have won for our clients in Mount Pleasant and the the nearby region:

• MVA Tractor Trailer Illegal U-Turn with Lights Off – $4,000,000
• MVA Car Wreck Rear Ended By Dump Truck – $725,000 
• MVA Rollover Case – $419,047
• MVA Drunk Driver With Tesla in Auto Pilot – $305,852
• MVA Failure to Yield Accident – $250,000
• MVA Head on Collision with Drunk Driver – $250,000
• MVA Hit and Run Accident Failure to Yield – $211,000 
• MVA Sideswiped By at Fault Fleeing From Police – $138,832
• MVA Hit and Run Accident Failure to Yield – $110,000
• MVA Car Wreck Collision with Drunk Driver – $98,284
• MVA Rear-ended by a Dump Truck – $65,000

Jury Instructions on How to Calculate Damages

If your claim goes to a jury trial, the jury will receive instructions from the judge about potential damage amounts. Your attorney may ask for the jury to receive instructions about actual damages, loss of enjoyment of life, personal injuries, prospective damages, life expectancy impacts, punitive damages, recklessness, and punitive damages in negligence cases if applicable.

If the jury issues a verdict in your favor, the actual damages instruction informs them they must calculate the actual damages by determining what compensation you would need to get you back to the same place you were before your accident, as if it had never occurred. The loss of enjoyment of life instruction explains to the jury that if you have been limited by your injuries from being able to enjoy your life, that limitation can be compensated.

Personal injury instruction explains several things to the jury. The jury is instructed that your actual damages include noneconomic losses, including pain and suffering, mental anguish, impairment of your physical condition or health condition, and any disfigurement that you have suffered. Instructions to the jury include considering both past and future losses caused by your injuries. Plaintiffs may be able to recover future expected losses that they might incur as a result of their accidents and injuries.

Mental suffering instructions explain to the jury what constitutes mental suffering and that mental suffering is a recoverable loss. The life expectancy instruction may be used in cases in which the plaintiff has been seriously and permanently injured, resulting in permanent disability. Life expectancy instructions may also be given in wrongful death cases when the jury is calculating future income losses of the decedent’s income. The punitive damages instructions may be given to the jury in cases that involve defendants who have engaged in particularly egregious conduct. Punitive damages will not be available in every case however.

Should I Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

If you have been injured in an accident that was caused by someone else, you should hire a car accident lawyer. You may be able handle on your own  a claim that only involves property damage, but injury claims are more complex. Hiring a car accident attorney for your injury claim can help you to ensure that you receive fair compensation for losses sustained in a car wreck.

What Is a Contingency Fee and How Does it Work?

Most car accident attorneys do not charge money upfront. Instead they practice under a contingency fee basis. A contingent fee is a percentage that a car accident attorney takes from the total amount of your settlement or verdict award. Contingency fees may range from one-third of your recovery amount to 40%. Choosing a lawyer based on the contingency fee percentage is not advisable in many cases. Some attorneys who are less experienced charge lower contingency fee percentages, while more experienced lawyers may charge higher contingency fee percentages. An experienced car accident attorney can also help you secure a Letter of Protection for any medical care you need. This can ensure your doctors provide top-tier care with the guarantee that they’ll be paid from the settlement you may receive.

Since car accident attorneys who work on a contingency fee basis will not be paid unless they recover compensation for you, they will likely only accept your case if you have a good chance of winning. When you meet with an attorney, ask about fees and contingency percentage. The lawyer should be able to provide you with an honest assessment of the likelihood of winning your claim and to give steps to take in the process.

When you retain a car accident attorney, you will be hiring a personal injury lawyer whose practice includes representing people who have been injured in motor vehicle accidents because of the negligence of other drivers or parties.

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