Each year, millions of Americans suffer unintentional injuries. In fact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), accidents account for a whopping 39.5 million visits to the doctor’s office and 24.5 million emergency room visits each year.
In many situations, an accident is just something unfortunate that happened, and nobody was at fault. But if you have been injured in an accident because of something that someone else did (or failed to do), you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. This may include money for lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, property damage, and more.
At Derrick Law Office, we help injury victims in Mauldin, South Carolina who have been hurt in all types of accidents. Using our knowledge of the law and experience handling these types of cases, we work hard to get our clients the compensation that they deserve for their injuries.
Types of Cases We Handle
Our law firm represents people who have been hurt due to the negligence – or intentional conduct – of others. Our practice areas include:
- Car accidents
- Slip and fall (premises liability)
- Motorcycle accidents
- Dog bites
- Nursing home abuse
- Sexual abuse and assault
In addition to representing clients on a range of personal injury matters, we also represent individuals who have suffered a workplace injury or developed an occupational illness. Workers’ compensation claims are typically the only way for injured workers to get compensation (including medical treatment and disability payments). However, in some cases, an injured worker may also be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against a wrongdoer.
Derrick Law Office aggressively advocates for each of our clients, working hard to help them achieve the best possible outcome. We handle all personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, which means that we never charge a fee unless we recover money for you.
What Damages Can I Recover in a Maudlin Personal Injury Lawsuit?
In a personal injury lawsuit, you may recover financial compensation for any losses that you have suffered, known as damages. There are three types of damages that may be available in a personal injury claim:
- Economic damages for direct losses, such as past and future medical bills, lost wages and reduced earning capacity.
- Non-economic damages for intangible losses, like pain and suffering, scarring or disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and emotional trauma.
- Punitive damages to penalize a wrongdoer for intentional or reckless conduct, which may be capped in some cases to a maximum of $500,000 or 3 times the actual damages.
Most personal injury cases only involve economic and non-economic damages. However, there are certain situations where punitive damages may be appropriate. For example, a personal injury lawsuit involving a driver who was drunk or high on drugs may allow for punitive damages because the conduct involved was reckless.
DUI accidents can be particularly dangerous, often causing serious injuries and death. Because a drunk or high driver isn’t just negligent, there is no cap on punitive damages in these cases. As such, if you or a loved one are injured in a drunk driving crash, you may be able to recover punitive damages from the at-fault driver.
To recover damages, you will need to prove that the other party was at fault. In South Carolina, this requires proving that the other party was negligent. Negligence is a legal term that means that a person failed to act with the care that a reasonable person would exercise in a similar situation.
Your Maudlin personal injury attorney will put together evidence to demonstrate that the other party was negligent. This may include medical records, videos, and photographs of the scene, a police report, witness testimony, or even a report from an accident reconstruction expert.
Personal injury cases typically start with a demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurance company. This letter will set forth the facts of the case, why their insured was responsible for the accident, and a demand for damages. The insurance company often responds to this demand letter by denying responsibility or by making a counter-offer.
Your lawyer will then work to negotiate a settlement that fully compensates you for your losses. In most cases, working with an attorney can help you obtain a much higher settlement than if you represented yourself. In fact, according to a study by the Insurance Research Council, injury victims recover 3.5 times more in compensation than people who represent themselves.
While the majority (97%) of personal injury cases settle before trial, an insurance company may refuse to offer you a fair settlement. In this situation, your Mauldin personal injury lawyer may advise you that your best course of action is to take the case to trial. In court, your attorney will present evidence and make arguments to a jury to convince them to find in your favor.
Hurt in an Accident? We Can Help.
Being hurt in an accident can be incredibly traumatic. Dealing with the aftermath – from mounting medical bills to lost wages – only adds to the stress. At the Derrick Law Office, we understand how difficult this time can be for our clients. We are here to help.
Our team works collaboratively with each of our clients to help them obtain maximum compensation for their injuries. We offer free initial consultations, and won’t charge you a fee unless we get money for you. To learn more or to schedule an appointment with a Mauldin personal injury attorney, contact us today at 864-428-1923, or fill out our online contact form.
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