Personal Injury Attorney in South Carolina

Do you need a Personal Injury Lawyer near you?

Close, personal service and focus to resolve your case

Personal injury attorney David Hood, of The Law Offices of David L. Hood has 18 locations across South Carolina, including Aiken, Charleston, Columbia, Florence, Georgetown, Goose Creek, Greenville (Downtown), Greenville (Millport), Hilton Head, Mt. Pleasant, Murrells Inlet (principal office), Myrtle Beach, North Charleston, North Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, Spartanburg, Summerville, and Sumter. We have a location near you – 95% of South Carolinians live less than 15 minutes from one of our locations!

An injury can come in a flash: a car crash, a truck suddenly crossing into your lane, your bike being run off the road. Your road to recovery may be long and painful. However, you need to one day be able to put your injuries behind you. There is a lawyer for you, who knows your rights and how to fight for you. Who, you ask? Your South Carolina, statewide attorney, David Hood, of The Law Offices of David L. Hood.

If someone else is at fault, don’t you deserve to get full payment for your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering? Since 1991, The Law Offices of David L. Hood has fought for injured people and their loved ones across South Carolina. We have built a solid name for client service, strong advocacy, and very positive results. Don’t you and your loved ones deserve to be represented by a lawyer with over 85 verified, five-star client reviews?

Table of Contents

1. What is personal injury?
2. Types of personal injury cases we handle
3. Types of damages in personal injury cases
4. Steps in a personal injury case
5. Do I have a personal injury case?
6. What evidence is needed for a personal injury case?
7. Personal injury lawsuit statute of limitations
8. Do I need a personal injury attorney?
9. Pros and cons of hiring a personal injury attorney
10. How to choose a personal injury lawyer
11. How much do personal injury attorneys charge?
12. How long does it take to settle a personal injury case?
13. How often do personal injury cases go to trial?
14. Frequently asked questions
15. Personal injury attorney near me
16. Blog posts related to personal injury

What is personal injury?

Personal injury law, often referred to as tort law, allows a person to seek legal action for all losses stemming from an accident or other incident that was another person’s fault. It can also come into play when a product is involved in seriously injuring or killing someone. The primary aim of this area of law is to provide relief (monetary damages) to the injured party and help prevent other people or companies from committing similar offenses.

Types of personal injury cases we handle

When you need to hire a lawyer, one thing to look for is a lawyer with lots of contact with cases like yours. In more than 30 years of personal injury practice, we have resolved many cases in these areas:

Car accidents

When a car’s involved, we work to ensure that gravely injured drivers, passengers, bikers, walkers, and bicyclists receive the full payment they deserve. Call today for your free consult. The Law Offices of David L. Hood- where there’s never a fee unless we get a recovery for you!

Truck accidents

In 2016, The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) reported that semi-trailers were involved in 814 injury collisions that claimed 53 lives. These accidents are complex, which is why we and our legal co-counsel team get the experts needed for the best possible results. We also represent victims of truck accidents all across the state of South Carolina. Call, email or text now if you have questions! Don’t worry, your initial consultation is always free.

Motorcycle accidents

Riding a bike can be a blast. However, we all know bikes can be dangerous. Usually because the other drivers aren’t paying attention. And the injuries are often very serious and sometimes deadly. Sometimes insurance companies can be a bear to deal with. Let us help you so you and your family can move on down the road.

Work accidents

With most job injuries, the victim must rely on Workers’ Comp as their only remedy. However, if someone else (not on the job) causes the work injury, then they could also be found at fault. An example would be a truck driver who gets hit by another driver. The injured worker (the truck driver) can file a Workers’ Comp claim, then file a lawsuit to recover personal injury damages. It can get a little tricky. Let us help you and work to get you the best possible results in both cases.

Medical malpractice

We fight to hold negligent healthcare providers accountable for injuries to patients. Unfortunately, medical malpractice happens every day across South Carolina resulting in catastrophic injuries and death. Call today for the answers you need!

We accept injury cases on a contingency basis, so we never charge attorney fees upfront. You only pay us after you’ve gotten a settlement or court verdict.

Types of damages in personal injury cases

Damages fall into two main categories:

Economic damages

Calculating economic damages in personal injury cases are usually pretty straightforward. These are damages with a specific dollar amount, due to financial loss:

• You can claim your medical bills related to your injury, now and in the future, as losses.
• If you’ve missed work due to the injury, you should be able to recover your lost earnings and benefits and any wages or future job loss.
• If your injury will prevent you from making a living in the future, you should also claim costs related to your disability.

Non-economic damages

Non-economic damages may be a little more difficult to calculate. These are losses such as:

• pain and mental suffering
• scars
• loss of quality of life
• loss of enjoyment of life

It is very difficult to put a dollar amount on these losses, which is why it’s important to get reliable advice from an experienced personal injury attorney. It may also be necessary for your lawyer to get the right experts to prove your damages. These could range from a psychiatrist, psychologist, to a vocational expert.

It is also possible to be awarded Punitive Damage in some cases. These damages are awarded to punish the at-fault party, and to keep them from repeating the same bad conduct in the future. Punitive damages can be awarded against people as well as companies.

We have over 30 years helping people figure out all their damages. We do this by quantifying all damages and forcefully presenting them to the other side. Call today to see how we can help you!

As your legal advocate, we’re looking to establish the maximum amount of payment possible under the facts of your case. You can trust us to be forceful in the pursuit of justice for you and your family!

Steps in a personal injury case

Immediate steps

• Seek immediate medical attention and document your injuries.
• Contact the police, if necessary in your situation (like a car or truck accident). Make sure you get a copy of the police report.
• Inform you insurance company of the incident.

Collect evidence for proof that your injuries were the fault of someone else

Gather:

• Photos and/or videos from the scene of the accident
• Witness contact information and any statements they may have made
• Police reports
• Medical records, including information on any medical treatment that took place at the scene
• Documentation about any medical bills and/or lost wages

Contact your personal injury attorney, at The Law Offices of David L. Hood

Call personal injury attorney David L. Hood so he and his legal team can fight to help you get the maximum fair compensation for your injuries. We can help you:

• File the claim. This will inform all involved parties that you are pursuing compensation for your injury. Be sure to include any individual/company that may be liable. The Law Offices of David L. Hood can assist you in this step
• File a lawsuit. If we can’t get the other party/parties to agree to a fair settlement, and we believe that you have a strong case, Personal Injury Attorney David L. Hood and co-counsel can help you file a lawsuit.
• Defend your personal injury case in court. You and your attorney have to prove that your case was caused by the other party, and that you are entitled to compensation. If we take your case, The Law Offices of David L. Hood will strive to get you the maximum fair compensation.

Do I have a personal injury case?

Have you suffered an injury or loss due to the recklessness or negligence of another person/party? You may be wondering whether you have a strong case. Here are some of the factors we consider, to determine whether or not you have a strong potential personal injury case:

Liability

Liability is basically fault. Proving “liability” (that the other person caused the accident, not you) is typically the first and biggest hurdle in your case. This is especially true in smaller personal injury cases. Insurance companies have no fear whatsoever about rejecting claims in small cases in which there are serious questions as to liability. To put it another way, if the defendant’s fault or responsibility is unclear, then so is your chance of achieving a favorable outcome in your case.

Damages

Liability can be clear, but if there are no damages, then you may not have a case. Damages are the harm that was done to you in the accident, including your past and future medical bills, as well as your pain and suffering and out-of-pocket loss. Even in the earlier stages of your case, you probably have some idea as to how severe your injuries are. Cases involving broken bones, which show up on x-rays are relatively easy, but soft tissue cases, such as neck and back strains, are more difficult because they don’t easily show on x-rays or MRI’s.

Ability to pay

Does the potential defendant have the ability to pay? If not, you and your attorney may invest a good deal of time, money, effort and emotional energy in the case, but never see a penny in return. Either some type of insurance must cover the incident, or the defendant must have personal assets like property that could be sold to pay any possible judgment.

Jury

Will jurors empathize with your situation? On the other hand, what kind of person is the defendant? Will the jury like the defendant? There are some “bad defendants” – the drunk driver, the tire squealer, or the bully. If you have an unlikeable defendant, your settlement range goes up. But even more importantly, if the jury doesn’t like you or doesn’t believe you, your settlement range could go down.

Witnesses

Your case is only as good as your evidence, and usually your evidence is only as good as your witnesses. If, for example, your only witness to support liability is a relative or friend, your case is weaker than if you had several impartial witnesses. Your doctor might be a witness to the medical part of your case. If the doctor involved has never testified, doesn’t want to testify or can’t testify well, this will probably lower your settlement value.

How tight-fisted is the defendant’s insurance company?

As lawyers, we are familiar with which companies are the most tight-fisted and will make ridiculous, low-ball offers on cases. Some we might need to file suit on. However, if the carrier is fair, and some of them are, we may get a higher settlement offer.

How much time has passed since the injury?

How much time has passed since the incident that caused your injuries? As a general rule, the longer it takes a case to get to a jury, the less sympathetic the jurors will be. This is particularly true if you experienced pain or other symptoms for a limited time after the accident but have fully recovered by the time of the trial. That’s why it’s always important to document all your injuries as soon as they happen and as you recover.

How much damage was there?

How much damage was there to the cars involved? In many automobile cases, the actual damage to the automobile may be minimal as car bumpers are made to absorb more impact now than they could years ago. If there was only a bumper scratch or minor fender damage, the jury could question the extent of the impact and, therefore, the extent of your injuries. On the other hand, if the car in which you were injured looks like an accordion, it will be easier to convince a jury that you sustained serious injuries. That’s why, in a serious accident, it’s always a good idea to take pictures and video of your vehicle as well as of the one that hit you.

What evidence is needed for a personal injury case?

When you bring a personal injury claim, you will need evidence to prove negligence. Here are some of the kinds of evidence you may need. Your personal injury attorney, David L. Hood can help you identify any other pieces of evidence you may need:

Pictures and videos of the accident scene

Take pictures of the scene of the accident, including the general area to show the conditions when the accident happened. If this was a car accident, take pictures and/or videos of the damage to both vehicles. Sometimes, this can give information on how the accident happened, how fast the at-fault party was driving, etc. Also, as we said, take pictures/videos of any injuries, (if the injuries are not too serious to do so).

Police or incident report

Although a police report on its own may not be admissible in court, it is extremely helpful in giving an accurate account of what happened. A police report will provide a lot of information that will be helpful to your case. It will show the time of the incident and the exact location of the accident. In a motor vehicle accident, the police report will give information like contact and insurance information for all parties involved. On the report, the police will also include contact information for any witnesses that were at the scene and who was at fault or not at fault.

Witness reports

Make sure to get the names and contact information for anyone who may have seen the accident. Witnesses can be extremely helpful, because they are a third party, and do not have any stake in the claim. They should be able to give an unbiased report of what happened.

Physical evidence

Keep any items that relate to your accident, like damaged or bloody clothes, or parts that may have broken off of your vehicle, if you were in a car accident. Store these in a safe place, in case they are needed for your case.

Video surveillance

Check to see if there were any video surveillance cameras that may have caught the accident. This can be strong evidence to show exactly what happened.

Medical records

Seek treatment as soon as possible after an accident. You will need to get a diagnosis for any injuries and start a treatment plan if one is necessary. Keep a copy of all the medical records and receipts from any healthcare facilities.

Lost wages

Keep a record of any lost wages due to your accident – W2s, paystubs, etc.

The more evidence you have, the stronger your personal injury case will be.

Personal injury lawsuit statute of limitations

Each state imposes a specific timeframe for filing a personal injury lawsuit, referred to as the statute of limitations. In South Carolina, this period is generally two to three years from the date of the incident. Consulting with an attorney promptly is essential to ensure you do not miss this deadline and forfeit your right to seek compensation.

Do I need a personal injury attorney?

If you have an accident or other incident that is another person’s fault in South Carolina, hiring a personal injury attorney like David L. Hood and his co-counsel legal team can significantly enhance your chances of receiving fair compensation.

The Law Offices of David L. Hood fights for your rights, works to maximize your compensation, and allows you to focus on healing. They and their legal team bring expertise, experience, and a dedicated focus to your case, which should significantly increase your chances of a successful outcome. Hiring a personal injury attorney is not just a smart decision—it’s a crucial step towards getting the justice and financial recovery you deserve. The pros often outweigh the cons. Why not contact them today, so you can sleep better tonight!

Pros and Cons of hiring a personal injury attorney

Pros:

• Expertise in Personal Injury Law: David L Hood and his co-counsel legal team have extensive knowledge and experience in personal injury cases. They understand the complexities of the law and can navigate the legal process efficiently.
• Higher Settlements: A personal injury lawyer like David L Hood can often secure a larger settlement than you could on your own. They have the background to negotiate effectively with insurance companies and lawyers on the other side.
• No Upfront Fees: Many personal injury lawyers, including David L Hood, work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay if your case is successful.
• Reduced Stress: Personal injury cases can be stressful. Hiring a lawyer allows you to focus on your recovery while they handle the legal aspects.
• Access to Resources: Lawyers have access to resources and experts that can strengthen your claim, such as gathering evidence and consulting with specialists.
• Representation in Court: If your case goes to trial, David L Hood and his co-counsel legal team can represent you in court, advocating for your rights and presenting a strong case.

Cons:

• Legal Fees: While many lawyers work on a contingency fee basis, you will need to pay a percentage of your settlement if your case is successful, which reduces the overall amount you receive.
• Time-Consuming Process: The legal process can be lengthy. Even with a lawyer handling much of the work, it may still take time to reach a settlement or go to trial.

How to choose a personal injury lawyer

What should I ask a personal injury lawyer?

This is a tough question. It’s a good idea to check out the lawyer’s reputation online. Do they have a lot of 5-star reviews? Are they highly rated by independent legal organizations? Do they have experience dealing with adjusters and defense attorneys? What sort of results have they gotten?

When contacting a personal injury attorney in South Carolina, it’s crucial to ask the right questions to make an informed decision. Key questions to consider also include:

1. How many years have you been practicing personal injury law?

2. What is your track record with cases similar to mine?

3. How will you handle my case, and what strategy do you suggest?

4. What fees do you charge, and are they contingent on the outcome of the case?

5. How long do you anticipate the process will take?

What should I look for when comparing law firms?

When comparing personal injury law firms, consider the following factors:

– Expertise and Experience: Ensure the attorneys focus on personal injury law and have extensive experience.

– Reputation: Look for firms with a strong reputation and a history of successful outcomes.

– Client Reviews: Read testimonials and reviews to gauge client satisfaction and the firm’s commitment to their clients. A referral from a friend is also not a bad idea.

How much do personal injury attorneys charge?

At The Law Offices of David L. Hood, we operate on a contingency fee basis. This means we only charge legal fees if we secure compensation for our clients.

The Law Offices of David L. Hood provides free consultations to potential clients seeking legal advice. During the consultation, our personal injury attorney and legal team will assess your case, discuss your legal options, and help you determine the best course of action moving forward.

There are no upfront costs for our clients. Our fees are a percentage of the total recovery obtained in the case. However, you will also be liable for the costs incurred to win your case.

How long does it take to settle a personal injury case?

The timeline for a personal injury case can vary greatly, influenced by factors such as the case’s complexity, the severity of the injuries, and how willing the involved parties are to settle. Some cases might be wrapped up within a few months, while others could extend over several years before reaching a conclusion. At The Law Offices of David L. Hood, we are dedicated to resolving cases as swiftly and effectively as possible, while always working to ensure that our clients receive the best possible outcome.

How often do personal injury cases go to trial?

Out of over 300,000 personal injury cases filed in the US each year, only about 3% go to trial. Most other personal injury cases are settled mutually by the parties or voluntarily dismissed. (BJS.OJP.gov)

Why do so few of these cases go to trial?

There are a few reasons that taking a case to court is unappealing to most people. Court cases:

Are time-consuming – Going to court requires an individual to take time off work. Companies accused of being at fault for a personal injury case incur losses by not attending to their primary business activities.

Are expensive – Court cases can be expensive. The Law Offices of David L. Hood work on a contingency basis. You will only pay us if we win or settle your personal injury case. However, there are other expenses involved in taking a case to court, like expert fees, court fees, and filing fees, among others.

Require a high standard of evidence – Defendants can come into court seeming to be innocent so the evidence you have might not hold up in court. As any experienced legal professional will tell you, you will need to collect and prepare substantial evidence to prove that the defendant was at fault and the one responsible for your injuries.  The evidence threshold for settling out of court is typically lower than what is required for a court verdict against the defendant.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Personal injury attorney near me

The Law Offices of David L Hood is a well-known name in South Carolina for personal injury cases. With over 30 years of experience, David L Hood and his co-counsel legal team have become a top personal injury lawyer option in Murrells Inlet, Myrtle Beach and throughout the State of South Carolina. In fact, The Law Offices of David L. Hood has 18 locations across the state to serve you. Wherever you live in South Carolina we are not more than 15-20 minutes away. And if you’re seriously injured and can’t leave your home, attorney Hood doesn’t mind coming to you. He is committed to fighting for victims and their families, which has earned him many awards, including being named one of America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100, and the Nation’s Top One Percent.

At The Law Offices of David L. Hood, each case is treated with professionalism and personalized attention to ensure clients’ rights are protected and their needs are met.

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