Anyone can be in a car crash, regardless of how careful they are on the road or their adherence to safe roadway driving practices, which is why you need a North Charleston car accident lawyer on your side. This is because most car accidents are the result of another road user’s carelessness or negligence. Unfortunately, these mistakes have disrupted lives and caused innocent victims financial ruin, so speak to a North Charleston personal injury lawyer from Shelly Leeke Law Firm today.
Arm Yourself with Legal Guidance
But it does not have to be that way for you. When you hire an attorney to guide you, you gain the hands-on support and resources you need to overcome the financial losses you are facing due to their mistakes. You are empowered to move your life forward because you have legal guidance to support you.
We know the law. We also know how devastating an injury from a car accident like this can be to you. Our dedication to our clients enables us to provide exceptional legal guidance to you at every stage of this process.
With the help of an experienced North Charleston car accident lawyer at the Shelly Leeke Law Firm, you can recover your losses and get compensated for your injuries and property damages. Your North Charleston personal injury attorney is ready to maximize the compensation you deserve and hold those who caused the accident responsible. Contact our office to schedule a free consultation today and discuss your legal options further.
You Have the Right to Full Compensation in Your North Charleston Car Accident Claim
Several factors often determine the value of an auto accident claim in North Charleston. A car accident attorney in North Charleston can ensure that the case is reviewed thoroughly to examine them. These factors often include the following:
- The severity of your injuries
- Whether your vehicle can be repaired or replaced
- Whether you can go to work or not
- If you are likely to lose income because you are recovering in the hospital
- Your need for physical and mental rehabilitation
- Modifications to the house and vehicle to aid your movement in and out of the house (e.g., the addition of a ramp to the house)
When working with our clients, we learn as much as we can about how this incident impacted them. We gather all the details about what occurred and why so we can pursue the best possible outcome. Every situation is unique, but we aim to alleviate as much frustration as possible for you.
Economic Damages
These are compensation for losses that can be easily calculated and quantified because there are usually receipts and invoices. Economic damages are often the higher end of the compensation value of the claim. Some examples include the following:
- Wage losses
- Medical treatment expenses
- Property repair or replacement
- Diminished income-earning capacity
- Possible loss of future income
Economic damages are often high in serious accidents, but they are not always easy to spot. You may not think about the losses you will have from future medical appointments. This is a core component of what we do to help our clients.
Non-Economic Damages
These are damages that you cannot easily quantify because they are usually subjective. It is much more difficult to put a number value on these damages. Non-economic damage examples include the following:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental distress
- Emotional anguish
- Psychological issues arising from the injuries
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
Non-economic damages can be hard to value, but we use data from multiple resources to calculate them. This information then allows us to help make better claims to your insurance company. Our experience enables us to know what you could be facing.
Punitive Damages
Although it is not as common as economic and non-economic damages, punitive damages are awarded when there is solid evidence that the other driver acted with malicious intent that meant you harm. An example of this is if another driver intentionally rams your vehicle from the back with the intention of causing you harm. Talk to Shelly Leeke Law Firm today about these types of damages.
Your North Charleston Car Accident Attorney Investigates Liability
A key part of the claims process is identifying what caused the car accident in the first place. This will serve as the basis for identifying the liable parties and, ultimately, the settlement amount that you can claim. Most car accidents are typically caused by the following:
- Distracted driving
- Driving under the influence
- Reckless driving
- Driving while fatigued or drowsy
- Not yielding to the driver who has the right-of-way
- Dangerous driving practices like sudden brake checks
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Failed vehicle parts
- Tire blowouts
- Bad roads
- Poor weather conditions
Before you can recover compensation and get a fair settlement that will cover your losses, injuries, and other expenses, you have to show that the other road user was responsible for your accident and the ensuing injuries or losses. However, it’s not enough to just level the accusation against another person. That is where a North Charleston car accident lawyer can help.
Possible Liable Parties in a Car Accident Claim
Once the cause of your auto crash is identified, you will have a better idea of who can be liable for your accident. You can hold one or more of these parties accountable in a claim. Liability can come from:
- The other vehicle’s driver
- A third-party vehicle (this is more likely in the event of a multi-car wreck)
- Government agencies
- Car parts manufacturers
These are some of the parties that can be held liable for your auto wreck. Your car accident lawyer will be in the best position to identify who to go after for the recovery of your losses. Talk to an experienced car accident attorney today.
Proving Negligence in a North Charleston Car Accident Case Is Crucial
According to the 2021 South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book, there were more than 147,000 vehicle wrecks across the state, with over 36,000 resulting in injuries and another 1,112 leading to fatal injuries. The sad thing about these accidents is that they could have been avoided if drivers had been more careful or paid attention while driving. No wonder South Carolina drivers are ranked third-worst in the country.
When an accident happens to you, those figures are less important than what is going to occur. You need to know who is going to pay for your losses and what they will pay. A core component of the work we do for our clients is to uncover this information. Fault allows us to better understand who to seek compensation from.
Often, it is not just one party. There are many times when more than one person may be responsible. We want to know all of the details.
Establishing Fault
Once the liable party is identified, it is time to establish the concept of negligence. Negligence is the basis on which all traffic collision cases are built in South Carolina. So, before your auto crash attorney can file any catastrophic injury claim, they will have to first determine that the defendant was liable, and to do this, they will prove that the following elements were present in the car accident:
- Duty of care: This is the obligation of reasonable safety that a road user owes others. For example, all drivers are obligated to employ safe driving practices and act in a way that ensures that other road users are safe.
- Breach of duty: This applies when the driver acts in a way that threatens the safety of other road users. For example, if a driver tailgates another driver or runs a red light, that’s a breach of duty.
- Causation: This is when the breach of duty results in accidents and injuries to other road users. For example, if said driver runs a red light and T-bones a vehicle that has a right of way, it means that the driver’s actions directly cause the victim’s injuries, property damage, or suffering.
- Damages: These are the losses that the victim suffers because the other party crashed into their vehicle and caused them injury. For example, an injured victim has to pay hospital bills, or a car owner has to repair or replace their car because of the collision.
Once your car accident attorney in North Charleston can establish the elements of negligence, you can be sure that you will likely get a fair settlement that will cover your losses. The compensation can also pay for your treatment, repair, and replacement of your vehicle and compensate you for your pain and discomfort. Call us in North Charleston today.
The Benefits of a Dedicated Car Accident Lawyer in North Charleston Are Undeniable
Car accidents can happen on any of the roadways in North Charleston, including I-26, I-526, and I-95. Yet, they can also occur on smaller streets and parking lots. When you suffer an injury due to any type of accident with another car, motorcycle, truck, or bus, it is critical that you have the right legal support to navigate the process of receiving compensation.
Under our state’s laws, you do have the right to compensation for any losses you have experienced, but proving that those losses exist and what you are owed is not always straightforward. That is where our team can get to work for you. Here is what to expect when you hire a car accident lawyer in North Charleston from Shelly Leeke Law Firm to help you navigate your rights.
Our legal advocates will meet with you during a free consultation and learn more about your injuries and the accident you were involved in. We will collect all pertinent evidence to support your claim. We will determine who is responsible and communicate with the insurance company on your behalf.
We Schedule a Consultation to Discuss the Specifics of Your Case
Our clients often find themselves facing questions about whether or not they have a case or can pursue additional compensation. We make it our priority to help them determine that during an initial consultation. We are straightforward and transparent with you, and we will not tell you to pursue your case if we do not believe you are owed funds.
- Consultations give you insight into your rights.
- They help establish what could happen in the future.
- You can get to know us, too.
A consultation is just that – a simple conversation to discuss your case. You do not have to make decisions. There is no pressure involved.
We Gather the Evidence to Prove Your Case
The evidence in your case may go beyond what is on the police report. We will collect every piece of evidence that can support your case. Our car accident lawyer will determine what evidence is available to prove:
- What occurred to you
- Why it happened
- The long-term implications of the incident
This often means gathering expert information, using accident recreation tools, and pursuing the information provided by your doctor. We will work closely with you to understand fully what happened, including pursuing information about the health of the other driver or even the car’s maintenance record. If there is information out there to prove your losses, we will work to ensure that it is determined.
We Determine Who Was Responsible
The cause of your car accident provides some information here, but we also want to gather more information in some cases. For example, if you were hurt by a bus driver, was that person properly trained by their employer? If you were injured by a truck, did that driver feel pressured to work longer hours beyond what they are allowed under the law?
Did the vehicle that hit you suffer a tire failure due to the poor workmanship of the mechanic who just repaired it? By gathering the evidence in your case, we get a better idea of who is responsible for your losses so we can consistently work to gain maximum compensation for you. Talk to us today about your injuries and legal options.
With information about who is responsible, we can then navigate the legal expectations you can have. This allows us to know who to pursue compensation from and why. We can then go to work.
We Handle the Insurance Company
Insurance companies have a lot of questions and often try to delay the payout of compensation owed. They may even try to shift the blame to you. We eliminate this risk by providing all of the necessary information we can to the insurance company and speaking to them on your behalf.
In short, we create an obstacle between you and the insurance company so that you feel protected from their claims and actions. Even before we file a claim for you, we can provide information to the insurance company and answer their questions for you in many cases. The benefit here is also that it allows you to focus on your recovery instead of having to worry about the insurance company.
Insurance companies are not the “bad guys,” but they are for-profit organizations. The adjuster needs to reduce what they pay. We want to ensure you are not the victim of too many cuts.
We Study Your Case and Determine the Next Steps
With information like this, we can then work hard to determine what the next step is, which often includes filing a claim with the insurance company of the responsible party. We will submit the settlement offer and then work with the insurance company to come to an agreement. If this cannot happen for any reason, we may advise you to go to court due to the following:
- The insurance company denies coverage to you
- The insurance company believes you are at fault
- They are unwilling to pay for your expected costs
Most of the time, we do not have to go to this extreme since insurance companies typically do not want to have to worry about the added cost of a trial. Yet, if that is necessary, we will not back down. Talk to our team today to learn more.
We Work Diligently
Your car accident lawyer in North Charleston will work diligently to help determine what your legal rights to compensation are. We use your evidence of payments, such as medical bills, as a starting point and then use estimated losses for earnings over your lifetime, as well as past cases like yours that can provide insight into what you may be owed. When we go to court, we are armed with the information necessary to protect your rights.
Our team is also compassionate. Car accidents change lives. We know how much this can impact your quality of life.
By working diligently and with careful attention to your needs, we can help you achieve the best possible outcome. This matters to us, too. We want you to be able to get back to your life.
We Prepare You for the Liable Party’s Defense
Car accident victims are often taken aback when the liable party attempts to escape culpability by claiming them for the accident. South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence laws. When an injury victim shares responsibility for the collision, their portion of blame is deducted from their settlement.
If you are a car accident survivor or victim, you can only share up to 50% of the blame before losing your right to pursue a civil lawsuit. For this reason, manipulating these shared fault laws is one of the most common defenses used by defendants across North Charleston. We want to ensure you are being treated fairly.
With Shelly Leeke Law Firm advocating for your rights, you will be ready. You can rely on our team to extensively investigate and gather valuable evidence throughout the course of our investigation. The defendant’s shared blame allegations may have no verifiable merit.
We File Your Lawsuit Before Time Runs Out
There is only a limited amount of time to file a car accident lawsuit under South Carolina law. While you recuperate and start to pick up the pieces of your life, your personal injury attorney will ensure your lawsuit is filed before the three-year statute of limitations deadline expires. If you wait to get started and this deadline expires, the court system will bar you from having your case heard at trial.
Do Not Put Your Car Accident Settlement at Risk
Many times, clients are rightfully worried about the cost of hiring a car accident attorney. They worry because they are already facing substantial financial loss from the responsible driver. The thought of having added bills is worrisome.
There is no risk to you when you hire our team to help you. At Shelly Leeke Law Firm, we are fully committed to providing our clients with comprehensive, aggressive legal representation at no risk to them. If we do not help you to receive compensation for your losses, you owe us nothing.
With no risk, that means you have the financial support you need now. You get one-on-one guidance. We can aggressively work to maximize your claim.
We Offer Free Consultations and Manage Expectations
There is no cost to our initial consultation either. This means you can meet with our North Charleston car accident law firm, discuss your case, get answers about your legal options, and then move forward with legal action. There is no charge to you for all of that information.
Then, we go to work for you with transparency. When you visit us, we will provide you with a clear fee schedule so you know exactly what to expect. Remember, if you do not win your case, you do not pay us anything for the work we do.
We are that confident in the services we offer. That means we will work tirelessly to provide you with the comprehensive legal services you need. Reach out to us now to get started.
Get Help from North Charleston’s Trial-Proven Car Accident Law Firm Today
The amount of compensation you will get largely depends on your North Charleston car accident attorney’s skills and experience. A top-rated car accident lawyer with Shelly Leeke Law Firm, very dedicated and experienced at dealing with car accident cases in North Charleston and greater South Carolina. If you are looking for a seasoned and highly skilled car accident lawyer who can fight for you and work hard to ensure that you get a befitting compensation, contact us today for a free consultation.
