Motor vehicle crashes are one of the leading causes of accidental deaths nationwide. These tragic occurrences bring tremendous loss, leaving surviving family and friends stunned and grief-stricken and often facing severe financial distress. With help from a North Charleston car accident lawyer, families can find their way back to stable financial ground and fight for justice for their loved one’s untimely death.
Shelly Leeke has been recognized by Avvo, an independent attorney rating service, with a 9.7 “superb” wrongful death attorney score. If your loved one was killed in a fatal car accident, reach out to us for exceptional legal representation. A North Charleston fatal car accident lawyer from our team will work to get you compensated for the emotional and financial damage you have sustained.
Wrongful Death Beneficiaries in North Charleston
As per South Carolina Code 15-51-20, the executor of the victim’s estate can file a wrongful death claim. The beneficiaries are those who can collect the actual damages. Eligible beneficiaries include:
- The decedent’s surviving spouse and kids
- The deceased’s parents, if the deceased did not leave behind a spouse or children
- Another heir if there is no surviving spouse, children, or parents
Do not risk losing the compensation you deserve by assuming you are too late to file or not an eligible beneficiary. Shelly Leeke will review your case for free. If there are grounds to argue for an extension of the statute of limitations or your right to collect damages, a North Charleston personal injury lawyer will get to work for you right away.
Car Accident Fatalities
Though car accidents are a problem in every state, South Carolina leads the list for the highest car-accident fatality rate per 100 million miles traveled. This statistic comes from a recent National Safety Council (NSC) report identifying that rate as 1.9, representing 1,194 lives lost. For comparison, the Massachusetts rate is 0.7, and for nearby North Carolina, it is 1.4.
For the same year, the annual South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book reports a fatal collision every 8.6 hours. A closer look at traffic fatalities shows:
- A victim of DUI every 18.5 hours
- A motorcyclist every 2.5 days
- A pedestrian every 2.1 days
- A bicyclist every 14.6 days
- An unrestrained motor-vehicle occupant every 22.6 hours
Every victim of a fatal car accident deserves justice. And suffering families have the right to hold those who caused their loved one’s death accountable. Make the first move toward justice by connecting with a fatal car accident lawyer in North Charleston.
Factors Contributing to Fatal Car Accidents
Fatal car accidents occur for a variety of reasons, but overwhelmingly, those reasons are driver-related.
Contributing Factors in Fatal Car Accidents
The SC Traffic Collision Fact Book offers the following breakdown of factors contributing to accidents:
- Drivers: 83.32 % representing 838 deaths
- Non Motorists: 15.42%, representing 157 deaths
- Vehicle Defect: .98% representing 10 deaths
- Environment: .79% representing 8 deaths
- Roadway: .49% representing 5 deaths
Top Driver-Related Fatal Car Accident Factors
The top three driver-related factors are:
- Driving Under the Influence, 247
- Driving Too Fast for Conditions, 218
- Failing to Yield Right-of-Way, 97
Determining the cause of an accident is critical for identifying the at-fault party and requires sharp investigative skills. Your North Charleston fatal car accident attorney from Shelly Leeke has those skills as well as connections with experts who know how car accident reconstruction works. Count on us to find the cause of your accident and the evidence to support your claim.
How a North Charleston Fatal Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
Three years is the statute of limitations for filing a wrongful death lawsuit in South Carolina. However, you should connect with an attorney as soon as possible following your loved one’s death. Evidence collection is often more productive and efficient when your lawyer has fast access to your case, as witnesses’ memories can fade or physical evidence can go missing as more time passes.
Though nothing can return your loved one to you, a skilled fatal car accident attorney in North Charleston can fight to recover your financial losses and your sense of justice. Your lawyer will evaluate your losses carefully and send a settlement demand to those representing the negligent party. Typically, those representatives respond with a lower counteroffer, and the sides continue negotiating until an agreed-upon amount is reached.
Count on your attorney to demand a substantial settlement and advocate fiercely to secure it. And if the other side refuses to come to a fair agreement, you can trust your attorney for trustworthy guidance regarding the next steps. If the best approach is to take your case to court, Shelly Leeke will provide strategic, effective representation at all trial dates.
Damages Available to Wrongful Death Beneficiaries
Losing a loved one leaves family members emotionally bereft and financially adrift. Compensation can make a significant and positive difference in the family’s healing, removing the worries of financial instability. The kinds of damages you can demand in a wrongful death case include economic and non-economic damages and, in some cases, punitive damages as well.
Economic damages recover the financial costs incurred by your loved one’s death. These include related medical costs, funeral expenses, lost income, benefits, or other financial support your loved one contributed to the household. Non-economic damages acknowledge the emotional anguish, loss of affection, and loss of relationship your family experienced because of the wrongful death.
Cases warranting punitive damages involve especially heinous behavior by the at-fault party. For example, if a driver’s drunkenness or reckless speeding caused your loved one’s death, you may have grounds to demand punitive damages. These damages punish the offender by requiring them to pay an additional monetary penalty for their wrongdoing.
Shelly Leeke: Empathetic, Experienced, Effective Representation
The team at Shelly Leeke will manage your case with empathy–we understand how difficult it is to lose a loved one, especially to a preventable death caused by someone else’s carelessness. We also know how important it is for you to secure compensation for your many losses. We will use our years of experience, legal knowledge, and skills to provide you with effective,
results-driven representation.
