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Every year, hundreds of Greenville drivers and passengers are killed in car accidents. Beyond this, thousands suffer severe and debilitating injuries. While various factors can contribute to these collisions, negligence is often to blame.
Compensation is possible when irresponsible behavior plays a role, but it is important to work with a Greenville car accident lawyer. Strong legal representation can dramatically improve your odds of securing damages, and Smith Jordan Attorneys at Law can help. Contact us today at (864) 343-2222 for a free consultation.
If you were involved in a car accident in Greenville, South Carolina, here are the five most important rights you have:
Right to seek compensation: You have the right to file a claim for damages resulting from the car wreck, including medical expenses, lost wages, vehicle repairs, and pain and suffering.
Right to legal representation: You are entitled to hire an attorney to represent your interests, handle negotiations with insurance companies, and pursue litigation if necessary to obtain fair compensation.
Right to medical treatment: You have the right to receive immediate and ongoing medical care for any injuries sustained in the accident. The costs of this treatment can be part of your compensation claim.
Right to a fair insurance settlement: You have the right to negotiate with the insurance companies for a fair settlement. If the offer is too low, you can challenge it or take legal action to secure appropriate compensation.
Right to gather evidence: You can collect evidence such as police reports, accident scene photos, and witness testimony to establish fault and support your claim for damages.
At Smith Jordan, we don’t back down from the insurance companies. These companies will attempt to settle your claim for the lowest amount possible, but we know their tactics and how to fight them.
Our goal is to secure maximum compensation on your behalf. This means aggressively pursuing all the damages you’re entitled to under South Carolina law so that you can begin to rebuild your life.
After a car accident, you’re dealing with enough, so worrying about the cost of hiring an attorney is natural. A Greenville car accident lawyer at Smith Jordan understands this concern, so we represent injured clients on a contingency fee basis.
You won’t owe us a penny until we win your case. When we do, our fees will be deducted from the settlement, so you won’t have to worry about out-of-pocket costs.
Learn More: Should I Hire an Attorney for My Personal Injury Claim?
The main objective of any car accident injury claim is to seek compensation for the losses you’ve sustained due to the negligent party’s actions. Formally referred to as damages, these losses may be economic or non-economic.
Any out-of-pocket expenses incurred due to the crash are known as economic damages. Common examples include past and future medical expenses, lost wages and lost earning capacity.
These intangible losses are not easily quantifiable in dollar amounts, but they’re just as worthy of compensation. Non-economic damages may include pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life.
Once we’ve determined which parties may be liable for your injuries, we’ll need to show that they owed you a duty of care and breached this obligation, causing your injuries. Our attorneys will collect evidence to establish negligence, which can include:
Together, this evidence can build a convincing case and bolster your chances of securing an optimal award.
Personal injury claims have special deadlines known as a “statute of limitations.” In Greenville, you have three years from the car crash date to file a claim (two years if the crash involved a vehicle owned by the state or local government).
Don’t wait – if you put off filing a claim, you may lose your right to pursue compensation.
The steps you take in the immediate aftermath of a car accident can make all the difference in the outcome of your potential car accident claim. If you’ve been in a crash, do the following.
Move your vehicle to the side of the road or a nearby parking lot. This will help protect you and other drivers on the road from further harm.
Take a moment to assess yourself and any passengers for signs of injury. Be prepared to share your findings with emergency medical personnel when they arrive.
It’s wise to call 911, even if no one appears hurt. This will ensure that a police report is created, which can help with any liability disputes. Emergency medical personnel can also check everyone involved for injuries.
Contact your insurance company immediately and provide them with the crash details. This will let them know that you are filing a claim, and they can start assessing the damage.
Evidence can fade quickly after a crash. To protect yourself, take photos of the vehicle damage, skid marks on the road, contributing hazards, and any visible injuries. You should also write down the contact information of any bystanders who may have witnessed the accident.
Even if you don’t feel injured, getting checked out immediately is a good idea. Some injuries may not present immediately, and a medical professional can help you identify unseen injuries. This establishes a clear link between the crash and your injuries, which is essential for any legal action you take.
If you don’t have a primary care physician in Greenville, consider using a site like Healthgrades to find one.
Suppose you believe another driver is responsible for your injuries and damages. In that case, a car accident lawyer in Greenville, SC can help you determine if you have a viable claim and guide you through your next steps.
South Carolina takes a fault-based approach to car accidents. Injured parties have the right to seek compensation from the party liable for their injuries.
The state’s doctrine of modified comparative negligence is also worth considering. Under this approach, it’s possible to secure damages even if you are partially at fault — but this amount can be reduced based on your share of the negligence.
We’ll need to identify the parties liable for your damages before we can file a claim on your behalf. Depending on the circumstances, this could include:
In some cases, more than one party could be held responsible for the same accident. Our Greenville car accident lawyer will strive to identify all possible defendants to maximize your chances of receiving total compensation.
No two car accidents in Greenville look alike, but most crashes fall into one of the following categories.
Sleep deprivation can profoundly affect a driver’s reaction time and ability to stay focused, increasing the likelihood of an accident.
Drivers must remain focused on the road while at the wheel. Distractions such as electronic devices, passengers, or eating can distract them and increase the risk of a crash.
Speed limits are carefully calculated to ensure drivers respond appropriately to hazards and changing conditions. When motorists exceed these limits, they may lose control or fail to react to obstacles in time.
Alcohol and drugs can impair a driver’s judgment, reflexes, and coordination, leading to avoidable collisions. While driving under the influence is most typically associated with recreational substances, some prescription medications can also cause impairment.
Tailgating, cutting in front of other vehicles, and weaving through traffic can put everyone on the road at risk. Some aggressive drivers may even intend to cause a collision.
Drivers who follow other vehicles too closely risk rear-end collisions, which can cause various devastating injuries.
Often, accidents are caused by a driver pulling out in front of you and causing a crash. These are some of the most common accidents at Smith Jordan Attorneys at Law.
While these accidents might, at first glance, seem significantly different, they are often caused by similar problems.
Often caused by fatigue or distraction, rollover crashes occur when drivers lose control. Excessive speed may come into play, although accidents can also be sparked by the vehicle hitting a curb or some other obstruction.
If two vehicles drive close to one another, a sideswipe accident may occur as soon as one crosses into the other’s lane. Like any accident, distraction is often to blame. Sometimes, sideswipes result from the driver’s failure to check blind spots properly before switching lanes.
If the front ends of two vehicles collide as they travel in opposite directions, the results can be tragic. Head-on collisions are responsible for many of the most traumatizing accidents.
Car accidents vary in severity, but specific injuries are more common than others. These common injuries include:
Even the most “minor” injuries can still result in significant medical bills and long-term suffering. No matter your injury, it would help if you considered speaking to an experienced Greenville car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
In this situation, you need to go sit down with an attorney that handles automobile, motorcycle and truck accidents. An auto accident attorney can go over the insurance coverage with you, and help you to determine whether or not you do have under insurance .
In some cases, their carrier may not be properly explaining it to you. In others, maybe you wanted under insurance but the carrier didn’t provide with the proper forms so you could actually get it. In each of these cases, it would benefit you to sit down with a lawyer and discuss the specifics.
If you’ve been in an automobile accident and the insurance company of the at-fault driver has assured you that you don’t need to contact an auto accident lawyer, you need to realize that the insurance company is representing the person that hit you. That’s their job.
So, should you go talk to a lawyer? Absolutely. You should always talk to an attorney if you’ve had an accident. At Smith Jordan, it won’t cost anything either. We don’t charge for an initial consultation and we only earn a fee if we’re hired and there’s some recovery of fees from the accident.
The key here is to remember that the insurance company is not representing you and a lawyer can help explain whether the insurance company actually has your best interest in mind. It’s always better to understand the situation than to assume everything will be taken care of.
If you wait too long and get too far down the path with the insurance company, it makes it more difficult for the attorney to come in later and help. It’s far better to speak to an attorney early in the process.
Individuals who were in an automobile, motorcycle or truck accident often find themselves being told that the person that hit them has minimal limits and the insurance coverage is not going to be able to cover all of the bills.
In this case, the insurance company may just want to give you a settlement. You may think you don’t need a lawyer in this instance; however, this may actually be the exact case where you need an attorney.
In these cases, an attorney can help you find types of insurance that you never would’ve known about. These are cases where it may be best to sit down and discuss the specifics with an attorney.
Motorcycle accidents are very different from automobile accidents. The injuries are often far more severe. Even when motorcycle riders take the best precautions, they’re still not as protected as they would be in an automobile.
Motorcycle accident cases have to be handled very carefully and you’ll want to sit down with an attorney who is familiar with motorcycle accident cases. We handle motorcycle accidents at Smith Jordan and would be happy to sit down with you and discuss your case.
Filing a claim after a car accident can be incredibly stressful — and seemingly minor missteps can make it difficult to secure compensation. A skilled car accident attorney can streamline this process. The right car injury lawyer will provide much-needed empathy and a clear path to justice.
At Smith Jordan Attorneys at Law, we take pride in our strong track record and our excellent relationships with our valued clients. We consistently demonstrate the value of working with a proactive Greenville car accident lawyer. Contact us today to learn more about our services or to move forward with a free consultation.
★★★★★ “The best attorney for your car accident!! They were there for me and answered all of my questions and they got me the largest settlement that I deserved from the car insurance company.”
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★★★★★ “I was fortunate to have the assistance of Smith Jordan Law after an accident in which I was injured. From the very beginning, their team was extremely professional and attentive, guiding me through both the medical process and the handling of my insurance claim. They were always on top of my case, from the start to the final resolution, which gave me a lot of peace of mind throughout the process. I highly recommend their services 100%. I am very grateful for their support and dedication.”
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Our Greenville car accident attorneys have worked against insurance companies for years. We know the ins and outs of the different types of insurance, and the pitfalls and traps that insurance companies try to use to their advantage.
We would love to help! Contact us at (864) 343-2222 for a free consultation.
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