If you or someone you love has been injured by someone else’s negligence, your path toward healing can be long and difficult. Obtaining the compensation to which you’re entitled can make a significant difference in your recovery, and an experienced Moncks Corner, South Carolina personal injury lawyer can help.
Personal Injury Claims We Handle
Every personal injury claim comes with its own set of unique circumstances, but these claims tend to be grouped in the following categories:
- Traffic accidents of all kinds, including car, truck, motorcycle accidents, and bus accidents
- Slip and fall accidents and other premises liability claims
- Product liability from dangerous products
- Medical malpractice involving practices or hospitals
- Nursing home abuse and negligence
- Wrongful death when a loved one succumbs to their injuries
West Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers bring experience to every personal injury claim. Our expertise also manages claims involving accidents on the job – such as construction accidents and repetitive stress injuries.
The Role Negligence Plays in Personal Injuries
In order to bring a successful personal injury claim, you’ll need to demonstrate the other party’s negligence. The role this negligence will play in your claim is highlighted in the elements present in every personal injury claim, including:
- The other party owed you a duty of care. For example, when we drive, we accept an immense responsibility — or duty of care — for the safety of everyone with whom we share the road.
- The other party failed to live up to this duty of care, which means they were negligent in some way.
- This negligence on the other party’s part caused you to be harmed.
- The damages — or losses — you experienced are covered by personal injury law.
Your Losses From a Personal Injury
The losses you incur as a result of someone else’s negligence can be immense, and they are often grouped in three basic categories.
Medical bills
If you are seriously injured, you could be facing medical bills in the here and now as well as into the future. Serious injuries are closely associated with secondary health issues, and complications are not uncommon. Ensuring that your personal injury claim includes your current medical expenses and the treatment and care you’re likely to need in the future is critical to your overall recovery.
Lost income
While you are recovering from your physical injuries, there’s a good chance that you’ll be off the job and that you may experience lost income as a result. Suppose your ability to perform your job duties, continue advancing your career, or reach your earning potential is affected. In that case, your financial losses in this category will be even more substantial. Because our careers tend to be interwoven with our identities, losses in this category can have a psychological as well as a financial component.
Pain and suffering
While other losses come with a clear price attached, your physical and psychological pain and suffering is more difficult to quantify but is just as real. Being injured by someone else’s carelessness can have profound emotional consequences that touch every aspect of your life, are difficult to overcome, and should not be glossed over.
Safeguarding Your Claim
Someone else’s negligence has harmed you, and obtaining the compensation to which you are entitled is paramount to your recovery. While your claim will be specific to you and the circumstances that are involved, everyone in your situation is well advised to take the following steps:
- Seek the medical attention that you need as soon after the accident as possible. Even if you don’t believe you were seriously injured, erring on the side of caution is always to your advantage.
- Consult with a trusted personal injury lawyer early in the process.
- Follow your medical team’s healthcare guidelines very closely in order to bolster your recovery and to send a strong message to the insurance company regarding the serious nature of your injuries.
- Take a break from posting on social media. The insurance company is watching, and they are apt to apply their own unique meanings that are unlikely to do your claim any favors.
- Leave the insurance company to your dedicated personal injury lawyer.
By keeping these few simple basics in mind, you’ll be well prepared to protect your claim throughout the legal process.
How a Personal Injury Lawyer Can Help
Your seasoned personal injury lawyer will ably take on a range of important tasks that help to protect your rights and to move your claim forward toward a favorable resolution, including:
- Your lawyer will communicate with the insurance rep handling your claim so that you don’t have to. The insurance company is invested in minimizing the value of your claim, and one of the tools at their disposal is obtaining statements from claimants that weaken their own claims.
- Your lawyer will negotiate skillfully with the insurance company for a just settlement that fairly addresses every category or loss you experience.
- Your lawyer will gather and compile all the relevant evidence in building your strongest claim.
- Your lawyer will ensure that you understand your claim and the legal process – helping you make well-informed decisions throughout, which includes whether or not you should accept a specific settlement offer.
- Your lawyer will be well prepared to file a lawsuit against the insurance company and take your case to court if the company is not interested in fair, straightforward negotiations.
Having a savvy personal injury lawyer in your corner is always in your best interest.
Reach out to an Experienced Moncks Corner Personal Injury Lawyer for the Help You Need Today
Mason West is the accomplished personal injury lawyer at West Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, and he dedicates his practice to helping clients like you prevail with the compensation they need to move beyond recovery. This family firm has enduring ties to the community — with the West family going back several generations.
We’re committed to skillfully advocating for your legal rights and best interests, so please don’t wait to reach out and contact or call us at 843-483-8630 for more information today.
Personal Injury Case FAQs
How can I afford a personal injury lawyer?
In the face of all the losses you’ve experienced, it’s not surprising that you’re concerned about how you are going to afford a personal injury lawyer. The good news is, however, that most reputable personal injury lawyers work on contingency. This means that you won’t owe anything until after your claim is successfully settled — or it receives a court award. At this time, your lawyer will be paid a prearranged percentage of that amount. If your claim is not successful, you won’t owe anything.
How long will my claim take to settle?
Every personal injury claim follows its own path. Still, with a focused personal injury lawyer on your side, you can expect your claim to proceed smoothly forward — toward its optimal outcome.
Do I really need a lawyer?
The best way to protect your legal rights and to obtain fair compensation is with a practiced personal injury lawyer on your side.