Personal Injury Lawyers in North Charleston, SC

What To Do After a Personal Injury in North Charleston

With more than 250 years of combined legal experience, our attorneys have the knowledge and skill to handle any personal injury case. We know that, in many cases, the steps a person takes in the aftermath of an incident can have long-term consequences. If you were hurt in a North Charleston accident, you should try to take as many of the following steps as possible to protect your legal rights:

• Report the accident — Regardless of the type of accident, report it to the proper authorities. If you are involved in a car accident, call 911 to summon the police and emergency medical services. For slip-and-fall accidents on commercial properties, make a written report to the property owner or manager as soon as possible. A written record of the accident can serve as crucial evidence.
• Gather evidence — If you are able, use your phone to take pictures of your injuries, where the accident happened, and any noticeable hazards in the area. Speak to any witnesses who saw the accident and get their contact information. Take note of any surveillance cameras that may have recorded the accident. You should try to do this before you leave the scene. Critical evidence may disappear or deteriorate over time. If you cannot safely gather evidence, ask a family member or friend to do so for you.
• Seek medical attention — See a doctor immediately after an accident. You should get medical attention even if you do not have visible injuries. For example, some people suffer serious brain injuries without showing any immediate symptoms. For the sake of your health, you should allow a medical professional to examine, diagnose, and treat you as soon as possible after an accident.
• Keep copies of receipts and other records — Make copies of any bills, receipts, or invoices related to your injuries or other losses from the accident. This information could provide valuable evidence of the compensation you are owed.
• Keep a pain journal — In addition to writing down your recollection of the accident, keep a pain journal. You can track how your injuries affect your daily activities and prevent you from doing things such as handling chores around the home or enjoying hobbies.
• Stay off social media — Today, insurance companies routinely search an injury victim’s social media accounts to find evidence that could potentially undermine their claim. Anything you post online could be used against you. Be cautious. Do not say anything about your accident or injuries until your case is resolved.
• Do not speak to any insurance companies — After an accident, you may receive a phone call from an insurance company. The person on the phone may seem friendly. However, insurance companies are for-profit businesses. They will try to save money by undervaluing your claim. If an insurance company contacts you, be polite, but tell them to talk to your lawyer.
• Hire a personal injury attorney — If you have suffered injuries in an accident, too much will be at stake to handle the case yourself. An attorney at Joye Law Firm can help you to pursue the money you need for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses. We can communicate with the insurance companies and other parties on your behalf while you focus on recovering from your injuries.

How Our North Charleston Attorneys Can Help

Our attorneys at Joye Law Firm are committed to assisting you in every aspect of your injury case. If you have been seriously injured, your focus should be on your recovery. We can review the details of your accident and explain your legal options free of charge. We will give you our honest assessment of whether you have a valid personal injury claim. If we believe your case has merit, our North Charleston personal injury lawyer will offer to represent you on a contingency fee basis. You will not owe a legal fee unless we are successful in obtaining money for you through a settlement or jury verdict. We understand that you and your family are going through a stressful time financially if you have been seriously injured and do not have money to pay a lawyer.

We will help see that you get the medical care you need. We can help you get referrals to medical specialists and physical therapists.

We investigate each case thoroughly and prepare it as if it is going to trial. That preparation gives us command of the facts and lets us advocate on your behalf from a position of strength.

We will gather your medical bills and other expenses and estimate any future medical care or living assistance you will need as a result of your injuries. We will estimate the income you have lost as a result of the accident. All of these losses and expenses should be reflected in the accident claim.

Our accident attorneys at Joye Law Firm will work to identify all the parties that are potentially responsible for your injuries and the insurance policies available to provide compensation. This is an important step in the claims process. In some cases, more than one party contributed to a car accident or other personal injury accident. Identifying multiple potentially liable parties can increase the amount of insurance compensation available to cover your losses. We will prepare and submit a claim reflecting the full cost on your injuries.

If you have unpaid medical debt, we will contact your doctor and hospital and let them know that a legal claim is pending. Many health care providers will hold off on the collection process if they understand that litigation is in process that may cover the medical bills.

We will negotiate aggressively with the insurance companies. Insurers often make initial low ball offers to limit their liability. But you do not have to accept a low offer. If we receive a settlement offer in your case, we will discuss it with you and provide guidance about whether it is a reasonable amount. We will keep you updated on our progress on your case and remain accessible to you if you have questions.

We settle most car accident cases without going to trial. But our willingness to go to court when necessary and our success in presenting our cases to juries mean that insurance companies are more likely to offer a full settlement to avoid a trial. That allows us to obtain maximum value for our clients.