A spinal cord injury (SCI) can make you feel like your world is ending. If your injury is the result of someone else’s negligence, you can seek compensation from the liable party by speaking with a spinal cord injury lawyer in Myrtle Beach.
From here, you can review your legal options and what it takes to get money from anyone who caused your SCI. The team at Shelly Leeke Law Firm has over 10 years of experience. We offer comprehensive legal services and support to those dealing with spinal cord injuries and their families.
If you want to pursue compensation through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit, we can assist. Request a free case consultation with a Myrtle Beach personal injury lawyer.
Why You Should Take Legal Action Against Anyone Liable for Your Spinal Cord Injury
If you do nothing after you suffer a spinal cord injury due to no fault of your own, you take responsibility for all associated losses. This means you have to pay your medical bills and cover your lost wages and other injury-related costs by yourself.
Alternatively, a lawyer gives you access to a legal advocate and representative. Your lawyer can provide a legal overview of spinal cord injuries from a South Carolina accident. They work hard to secure compensation for your quantifiable and subjective losses.
Shelly Leeke Law Firm has an outstanding track record in personal injury cases. To date, we have recovered over $6 million for our clients. Trust us to get you the SCI case results you want. Schedule a free case consultation with us to learn more.
How Much Time You Have to File a Spinal Cord Injury Claim in Myrtle Beach
The South Carolina Code of Laws Section 15-3-540 limits the time you have to ask for compensation from anyone responsible for your spinal cord injury to three years. Talk with a Myrtle Beach spinal cord injury lawyer if you are weighing the pros and cons of submitting a claim. If warranted, your attorney can file your claim promptly.
Your lawyer explains compensatory damages to you and lets you know how much your claim is worth. They want you to be compensated for your physical therapy, medications, and ongoing medical care. Along with these, your attorney fights to get you money for your pain and suffering, loss of income, and other losses.
Typically, an insurance company will commit substantial time and resources to dispute your claim, even if their client is responsible for your spinal cord trauma. Your lawyer knows the tactics that insurers use to contest claims. They keep you updated about settlement negotiations. If your lawyer does not get a fair settlement, they can bring your case to trial.
How a Spinal Cord Injury Trial Works
Your Myrtle Beach spinal cord injury attorney describes what can happen if your case is presented to a judge or jury. They want you to enter the courtroom feeling confident in your case. Thus, they share FAQs and ensure you establish realistic expectations for your trial.
Leading up to your trial, your lawyer collects evidence from myriad sources. They may use medical records, photos from the scene of the accident in which you suffered an SCI, witness statements, and other proof to strengthen their argument.
If your lawyer has an abundance of evidence, the defendant may have concerns that a judge or jury will order them to pay damages. These concerns may convince the defendant to re-engage in settlement negotiations. Regardless, you maintain the right to go to trial if you choose. If you want to proceed to trial, your attorney supports your decision to do so.
The Role of Negligence in a Spinal Cord Injury Case
Saying someone is at fault for your spinal cord injury is not enough to compel a judge or jury to award damages. It is your responsibility to prove to a judge or jury that a liable party was negligent.
As your lawyer prepares their argument, they focus on the following elements of negligence relative to your case:
- Duty of Care: This is a legal obligation that requires someone to avoid careless or reckless acts, as these could cause harm to others.
- Breach of Duty of Care: If someone violates their duty of care, they commit an act that most people would classify as dangerous.
- Causation: Someone breaches their duty of care, which leads to your spinal cord injury.
- Damages: You face losses because someone engaged in an act of carelessness or recklessness and caused your SCI.
The South Carolina Contribution Among Tortfeasors Act defines comparative negligence, which can affect your SCI case outcome. If you are found to be 1-50% liable for your injury, a judge or jury may reduce your damages by your percentage of fault. In a situation where you are more than 50% at fault, you may not recover damages.
Who Can Be Held Accountable for a Spinal Cord Injury?
Someone could blame you for your spinal cord injury in the hopes that you will not file a personal injury lawsuit against them. Ultimately, one or more parties may be at fault for your SCI. Examples of parties named as defendants in SCI cases include:
- Motorist
- Truck driver
- Trucking company
- Property owner
- Landlord
- Store owner
- Doctor
An at-fault party may do everything they can to poke holes in your lawyer’s argument. No matter what happens during the legal process, your personal injury attorney remains on your side.
They help you make informed legal decisions. In addition, they can make it clear to a judge or jury that you are in no way liable for your injury, resulting in a favorable outcome to your case.
Choose Skilled Spinal Cord Injury Attorneys in Myrtle Beach
Shelly Leeke Law Firm goes above and beyond the call of duty to help our clients. We will not charge you anything if your spinal cord injury case is unsuccessful. That’s our no–win, no–fee guarantee. Allow our Myrtle Beach spinal cord injury attorney to assist you with your SCI case. Contact us today to get started.
