Charleston Injury Lawyers

Call 911 and get medical attention first — then document everything. Photograph the vehicles, scene, and your injuries; get the other driver’s insurance and contact information and any witness names; and report the crash to your own insurer. Do not give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company, and do not sign anything before speaking with a Charleston car accident lawyer.

Nothing upfront — we handle personal injury claims on a contingency fee, meaning you pay no legal fees unless we recover money for you. In many cases, the fee is one-third of the total recovery. Your consultation is free, so there is no financial risk in having a lawyer evaluate your claim before you talk to any insurance adjuster.

There is no formula for case value in Charleston SC. The value depends on the severity of your injuries, your medical bills (past and future), lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, and the available insurance coverage. Beware of any lawyer or ad that promises a number before reviewing your medical records — every legitimate valuation starts with the evidence.

Yes — Charleston SC is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who caused the crash (through their insurer) pays for the resulting injuries and property damage. Drivers must carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage, along with matching uninsured motorist coverage.

You can still recover damages in Charleston SC as long as you were 50% or less at fault — your compensation is simply reduced by your percentage of fault. This is called modified comparative negligence. If you’re found 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. Insurance adjusters know this rule and often try to inflate your share of blame, which is why fault disputes deserve a lawyer.

Your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage pays for your injuries, and every Charleston SC auto policy must include it at minimum 25/50 limits. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage, which is optional, applies when the at-fault driver’s insurance isn’t enough to cover your damages. Claims against your own insurer are still adversarial; they can and do dispute value.

No — never give the other driver’s insurance company a recorded statement without talking to a lawyer first. Adjusters are trained to ask questions that minimize their payout: getting you to downplay injuries, admit partial fault, or commit to facts before you know the full extent of your damages. Refer them to your attorney and let your lawyer handle all communication.

No — once you sign a release, you cannot recover anything more, even if your injuries turn out to be worse than you thought. First offers typically come before the full extent of your medical treatment is known, and almost never account for future care or lost earning capacity. Have a personal injury attorney review any release or settlement offer before you sign.

Straightforward claims often settle within a few months after medical treatment ends; contested cases that go to litigation typically take one to two years or more. The timeline depends on the length of your medical recovery, the clarity of fault, and whether the insurer negotiates fairly. A quality settlement usually takes longer than a quick lowball one — and the difference can be substantial.

Most personal injury cases settle without trial — but the credible threat of trial is what drives fair settlements. Insurance companies track which lawyers actually try cases and which always settle. Our Charleston injury lawyers prepare every case as if it will be tried in the Charleston County Courthouse, which is exactly why most of them never need to be.

There are no caps on compensatory damages in most Charleston SC personal injury cases — your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering are not limited. Exceptions exist: noneconomic damages in medical malpractice cases are capped by statute (S.C. Code § 15-32-220, adjusted annually for inflation), punitive damages are generally capped at three times compensatory damages or $500,000 (§ 15-32-530), and claims against government entities are capped under the Tort Claims Act.

A wrongful death claim in Charleston SC is filed by the executor or administrator of the deceased person’s estate, for the benefit of the surviving spouse and children — or parents and heirs if there is no spouse or child (S.C. Code § 15-51-20). Damages can include funeral expenses, lost financial support, and the family’s grief and loss of companionship. The statute of limitations is generally 3 years from the date of death.

Charleston SC is a strict liability state for dog bites — under S.C. Code § 47-3-110, the owner is liable if the dog bites or attacks you while you’re in a public place or lawfully on private property, even if the dog never showed aggression before. You don’t have to prove the owner was negligent. Provoking the dog is the main defense, and homeowner’s insurance typically pays these claims.

Yes — if the property owner knew or should have known about the dangerous condition that caused your fall and failed to fix or warn about it. Slip and fall claims in Charleston SC turn on notice: how long the hazard existed, whether staff created it, and whether warnings were posted. Photograph the hazard immediately and report the fall before leaving — those two steps often decide these cases.

Yes — Charleston, SC’s 2025 tort reform act (S.244) changed how fault is divided in injury lawsuits. Juries now allocate percentages of fault among all parties, and a defendant found less than 50% at fault generally pays only its percentage of the damages rather than the full amount. The law also revised alcohol-related liability rules for bars and restaurants. These changes make experienced trial counsel more important, not less, in multi-defendant cases.