The physical, emotional, and financial toll can feel unbearable when life changes instantly due to someone else's careless actions. At Pracht Injury Lawyers, we understand your challenges. Whether you're dealing with serious injuries or mourning the loss of a loved one, you should not have to navigate the legal system alone.
You have the right to work with an Aiken personal injury lawyer or an Aiken wrongful death lawyer. Our legal team works tirelessly to help families rebuild their lives after devastating accidents and losses. We handle the complex legal details while you focus on what matters most—healing and spending time with your loved ones.
Types of Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Cases
Our Aiken personal injury and wrongful death lawyers handle claims involving:
Car Accidents
Car accidents are a common cause of severe injuries in Aiken. These crashes occur for many reasons, including distracted driving, speeding, fatigue, and driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Insurance companies frequently try to minimize payouts, which is why having experienced legal representation is crucial for protecting your rights and securing fair compensation.
Truck Accidents
Commercial truck accidents typically cause catastrophic injuries due to the massive size difference between passenger vehicles and tractor-trailers. These cases involve complicated federal regulations and multiple potentially liable parties, such as the truck driver, trucking company, and maintenance providers. Proper investigation must begin quickly to preserve critical evidence such as driver logs and vehicle maintenance records.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcyclists face unique dangers. Other drivers often fail to notice them or respect their right to share the road. These accidents may result in traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and severe road rash, requiring extensive medical treatment. We understand the specific challenges motorcycle accident victims face when dealing with insurance companies that may be biased against riders.
Drunk Driving Accidents and Dram Shop Cases
Impaired drivers cause devastating crashes that often result in life-changing injuries or death. South Carolina law allows victims to pursue claims against not only the drunk driver but also establishments that over-served alcohol in certain circumstances. We aggressively pursue maximum compensation from all responsible parties in drunk driving accident cases.
Defective Highway and Construction
Poor road design, inadequate maintenance, and hazardous construction zones create dangerous conditions for drivers. These cases may involve claims against government entities, construction companies, or contractors responsible for road safety. We document unsafe road conditions and work with engineering experts to prove how infrastructure defects contribute to accidents.
Premises Liability Accidents
Property owners have a legal duty to maintain safe premises for visitors and warn about potential hazards. Slip and fall accidents and other premises liability accidents can cause serious injuries, including broken bones, head trauma, and spinal injuries.
Medical Malpractice
Healthcare providers who fail to meet the accepted standard of care can cause devastating medical malpractice injuries. For example, a failure to diagnose, a misdiagnosis, or a negligent mistake made during a medical procedure can result in pain, permanent injury, or death.
Nursing Home Abuse and Neglect
Our elderly loved ones deserve dignified, professional care in nursing facilities. Signs of nursing home abuse or neglect include unexplained injuries, malnutrition, bedsores, or sudden behavioral changes. We help families hold negligent facilities accountable while protecting vulnerable residents from further harm.
Workplace Accidents
Job-related injuries may qualify for workers' compensation or third-party liability claims when someone other than your employer contributed to the accident. We help injured workers navigate workplace injury claims while ensuring they receive appropriate medical care and disability benefits.
Drowning Accidents
Drowning can occur at public or private swimming pools, water parks, beaches, and natural bodies of water. Property owners and operators must maintain proper safety features and supervision to prevent drowning and other accidents. Drowning cases may involve inadequate fencing, defective pool equipment, or lack of proper safety equipment.
Daycare Neglect and Abuse
Daycare facilities have a fundamental duty to protect the children in their care. Cases involving daycare abuse and negligence often reveal inadequate supervision, unsafe facilities, or failure to follow basic safety protocols. We help families hold negligent caregivers accountable while seeking compensation for medical expenses and other damages resulting from daycare injuries.
Police Chase and Police Misconduct
Law enforcement pursuits and police misconduct can result in serious injuries. These cases require careful investigation of police protocols, dashcam footage, and witness statements to establish liability. We work to protect victims' civil rights while pursuing claims against government entities and individual officers who abuse their authority.
Each case requires thorough investigation and evidence gathering to build a strong claim.
Understanding Personal Injury Claims in South Carolina
South Carolina law allows injury victims to seek compensation when another party's negligent actions cause harm. To have a valid personal injury claim, you must prove that:
- The other party had a duty to act with reasonable care toward you
- The other party breached this duty through careless or reckless actions
- The other party’s negligence directly caused your injuries.
- You sustained actual damages as a result of the other party’s negligence
Common injuries that may result from Aiken accidents include, but are not limited to:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken bones
- Burns
- Nerve damage
- Severe cuts and lacerations
Generally, the time limit for filing a personal injury lawsuit in South Carolina is three years from the date of injury. However, gathering evidence may become more challenging as time passes. If you miss the deadline to file a claim, you will likely lose out on the opportunity to recover compensation for your losses. Accordingly, you should speak with an Aiken personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident.
How to Protect Yourself Following an Injury-Causing Accident in Aiken, South Carolina
The moments immediately following an accident are crucial to how your personal injury lawsuit may play out in court. The days, weeks, and months after the date of the accident are also critical. There are some important steps you can take to protect yourself after an injury-causing accident in Aiken, including the following:
- Remain at the accident scene
- Call 911
- Report the accident to a supervisor if it occurred at work
- Ask witnesses to speak to the police
- Let first responders evaluate you for injuries
- Accept transport to the hospital
- Follow all instructions for care from the hospital staff
- Attend follow-up appointments with doctors and other health care providers
- Avoid posting on social media about the accident
- Obtain a police report, if appropriate
- Speak with an Aiken personal injury lawyer about your case
Pursuing a Wrongful Death Case After Losing a Loved One
Losing a family member unexpectedly is devastating. While no amount of money can compensate for your loss, a wrongful death claim may help provide financial stability and hold negligent parties accountable.
In South Carolina, the executor or administrator of the deceased person's estate must file a wrongful death lawsuit. However, any wrongful death compensation may be awarded to:.
- The surviving spouse and children
- The parents, if there is no surviving spouse or children
- The deceased person's heirs at law, if there is no surviving spouse, child, or parent
Damages in wrongful death cases often include:
- Medical expenses related to the fatal injury or illness
- Funeral and burial costs
- Lost income and benefits the deceased would have earned
- Loss of companionship, guidance, and support
- Compensation for mental anguish and emotional distress
- Punitive damages in cases of gross negligence
The statute of limitations for wrongful death claims in South Carolina is three years from the date of death. An Aiken wrongful death lawyer can help you protect your rights and fight for fair compensation.