How We Help Families After a Wrongful Death
When you chose Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers to represent you, you benefit from a law firm that has represented cases like yours since 1968 and built a reputation for our ability to help victims maximize their recovery.
First, our trauma-informed staff get to know you and your family and work to understand how we can best support you and what is most important to you in this process. We determine what happened and who can act on behalf of the estate. We review the death certificate, incident reports, available medical records, estate documents, insurance information, and communications from the parties involved. If no estate has been opened, we can help someone who qualifies ask the court to appoint them as personal representative.
We’ll lead an exhaustive investigation that follows the evidence wherever it leads. This may mean interviewing witnesses, preserving video and electronic data, inspecting vehicles or products, requesting employment and maintenance records, and consult with qualified subject matter experts. We work to identify every responsible party and applicable insurance policy. We also document the beneficiaries’ losses separately from the deceased person’s pre-death injuries so the wrongful death and survival claims are not blurred together.
Once we understand what happened and the losses involved, we bring the claim to those responsible and their insurance companies. If a fair settlement is not available, the personal representative may authorize a lawsuit. During discovery, both sides exchange evidence and may use sworn testimony, expert opinions, or court orders to obtain disputed records. Any settlement must follow South Carolina’s court-approval process. Throughout the case, we explain the choices to the representative and keep the family informed about the next steps.
The Joye Law Firm difference means pairing compassionate support for families with the fierce advocacy and preparation your case deserve. In the 2026 edition of Best Law Firms®, our firm received Regional Tier 1 rankings in Charleston and Columbia for plaintiff-side personal injury litigation. Mark Joye, our partner and head of litigation, has extensive experience successfully handling major wrongful death cases, including having secured one of the largest wrongful jury verdicts in South Carolina history. He was selected to the 2026 South Carolina Super Lawyers list for personal injury work on behalf of injured people, where he was ranked listed in the state’s Top 10. He is also a Past President of the South Carolina Association for Justice and the Charleston Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates.
While these distinctions cannot guarantee a result, they do reflect the experience we bring to investigating a loved one’s death, documenting a family’s losses, negotiating with insurers, and exhaustively preparing for trial. Our focus throughout is on helping your family feel informed, supported, and confident that your case is receiving the care it deserves while tirelessly working to secure every penny of compensation available under the law.
Many car accident victims worry that they will not be able to afford a qualified lawyer. After all, lawyers are really expensive, right? This is a common, and damaging, misconception.
You can absolutely afford a lawyer for your car accident injury claim. In fact, you cannot afford not to hire one. At Joye Law Firm Injury Lawyers, our South Carolina car accident lawyers can take your case on a contingency fee basis.
What does it cost to hire a wrongful death lawyer? 
