The South Carolina Department of Public Safety (DPS) estimates that a traffic accident occurs every 3.7 minutes on South Carolina’s roads; a fatal collision occurs every 9.5 hours; and a car accident resulting in injury happens about every 13 minutes. With more than 140,000 total traffic collisions in in South Carolina 2017, accidents increased by 25 percent over a previous five-year period. More than 4,777 accidents took place in a recent year in Florence alone, injuring 2,256 and killing 33.
With the regularity of traffic crashes on South Carolina roads, it’s likely that you or a loved one will be in a traffic accident at some point in your life if you haven’t already. Fortunately, not all accidents result in injury or death.
If you suffered an injury because of another motorist’s negligent driving, South Carolina law entitles you to recover losses related to your injuries in civil court. Contact an experienced auto accident attorney at Hughey Law Firm at (843) 881-8644 to discuss the details of your auto accident and determine your eligibility for compensation.
Hughey Law Firm’s Results in Auto Accident Cases
The auto accident attorneys at Hughey Law Firm have extensive experience in the negotiation, settlement, and litigation of auto accident cases, resulting in the recovery of millions in damages for clients. Past cases include some of the following settlements:
- $225,000 for a client who was injured after an oncoming car crossed the center line and caused a crash;
- $231,640 for surviving family members when a loved one was killed by a speeding drunk driver;
- $264,204 for a client whose vehicle was struck by a tire that separated from a truck;
- $282,500 for a client when drunk driver struck his vehicle;
- $485,000 for a client who injured their legs in an auto accident;
- $489,000 for a client when a wheel assembly injured them in an accident;
- $500,000 after a driver rear-ended a client; and
- $1,650,000 for a client who suffered severe injuries to his arm due to another motorist’s reckless driving.
These results do not guarantee an outcome in any particular case, but the legal team at Hughey Law Firm will diligently fight for the best outcome for your Florence auto accident case.
Common Injuries Sustained in Auto Accidents
Those who live through a traffic accident might experience multiple types of injuries that vary based on location, speed at impact, number of vehicles involved, and other factors. Some of the most common types of injuries that victims sustain in auto accidents include:
- Fractures and broken bones;
- Deep cuts and lacerations that might leave scars;
- Broken ribs and internal bleeding when airbags deploy;
- Soft tissue injuries like whiplash;
- Back injuries including cracked or herniated discs;
- Spinal cord injuries that might lead to temporary or permanent paralysis;
- Head injuries including mild, moderate, and severe traumatic brain injuries (TBI);
- Amputations; and
- Burns.
Recovering Damages After a Car Accident in South Carolina
Being involved in an auto accident brings substantial economic and non-economic losses to victims and their families. If you choose to take legal action within South Carolina’s three-year statute of limitations for personal injury suits, you might be entitled to recover the following damages related to your injury:
- Medical expenses that include ambulance service, emergency room treatment, hospitalization, radiology, surgery, aftercare visits, medication, and more;
- Rehabilitative expenses including physical therapists and assistive devices such as wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, canes, walkers, and more;
- Future medical expenses when severe or catastrophic injuries require lengthy recovery or lead to permanent disability;
- Lost wages for time away from work related to an injury;
- Future lost wages when a long-term disability prevents a victim from returning to work or requires them to change to a less fruitful profession;
- Pain and suffering; and
- Loss of consortium, scarring and disfigurement, and other non-economic damages that might apply to a victim’s situation.
Fault and Comparative Negligence in South Carolina Car Accidents
Many times other motorists who have acted negligently are responsible for an auto accident. Negligent acts might include violating traffic laws such as driving under the influence, driving recklessly, or speeding. They might also include things such as distracted driving, drowsy driving, or anything else that interferes with safe handling of a vehicle. Yet, scenarios do exist where a court might find a third party at fault for an auto accident. Examples include:
- Pedestrians or cyclists that interrupt traffic and cause an accident;
- Businesses that don’t maintain company vehicles or encourage drivers to break traffic laws to meet demanding schedules;
- Government entities that don’t maintain roads or highways; and
- Car or car part companies who design or manufacture defective automobiles or auto parts.
Regardless of which party(s) you sue for a car accident, the court might rule that you share liability in the accident and resulting injuries. The law refers to this notion of shared fault as comparative negligence. South Carolina courts apply a modified version of comparative negligence to most personal injury cases. Once a court rules that the defendant(s) was negligent, they assign a portion of fault to each party named in the lawsuit. The court will reduce damages by the percentage that the plaintiff is responsible for their own injuries.
For example, the court rules that you were 25 percent responsible for your injuries because you were speeding when the crash occurred, which made your injuries worse. If you sued for $500,000, they will subtract $130,000 (25 percent) from damages, resulting in a $375,000 verdict. South Carolina uses a modified version of the comparative negligence rule which includes a 51 percent threshold. This means that the defendant must be at least 51 percent liable for the injuries, or the law prohibits the plaintiff from collecting damages.
Hire an Experienced Auto Accident Lawyer in Florence
If you have suffered an injury in an auto accident in Florence, South Carolina, because of another party’s negligence, you deserve to receive full and fair compensation for your injuries. A skilled auto accident attorney will advocate for you and fight against strategies that the defense might use to devalue your case. Additionally, a qualified attorney will handle the details of your case, investigate your accident, and gather relevant documentation and evidence to support your case while you focus on healing from your injuries. Contact the experienced legal team at Hughey Law Firm at (843) 881-8644 to discuss your auto accident with one of our seasoned auto accident lawyers.