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St. Andrews Personal Injury Lawyer

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    There is no shortage of ways that you can be injured in an accident caused by a negligent person. When this happens, our attorneys can help you cover your losses by filing a legal claim against them.

    Many people are victims of careless drivers who might have been speeding or texting when the accident occurred. If multiple drivers were involved in your crash, we can name each one as a defendant in your lawsuit and determine their share of fault. We can also file your claim against a negligent truck or bus driver if they injured you, as well as their employer if the driver caused the crash during the normal course of their work. If you were injured on another’s property or by a dangerous product, we can help prove who was responsible for the hazardous condition and accountable for your damages.

    For a private review of your case free of charge from our Columbia, SC personal injury attorneys, call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (803) 219-4906.

    Types of Accidents Our Team Can Help You File a Personal Injury Lawsuit for in St. Andrews, SC

    No matter how safe a person is when they go about their day, sometimes it is impossible to avoid careless people. Negligent drivers cause accidents every day, including truckers and bus drivers who violate professional standards. Others are injured by property owners and businesses that fail to make their premises safe. Some accidents have a high potential of causing life-altering injuries and even death, like those caused by dangerous products and medical malpractice. No matter how another person injured you, our personal injury lawyers can help you file a lawsuit to recover the damages stemming from the accident. Our firm has a wealth of experience that we can use to identify evidence of the defendant’s liability and what damages you should be compensated for.

    Car Accidents

    Unfortunately, car collisions are common in St. Andrews, especially with the nearby traffic of Columbia. If you are hit by another driver or involved in a multi-vehicle accident, it is important to report it as soon as possible to begin documenting who and what damage was involved. Reporting a vehicle accident is also mandatory under S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-1270 if it involves injury, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more. While the law gives you 15 days to report the crash, you should do so immediately while still on the scene so the police can investigate it. Our team can help get the report and other evidence after you get medical care for your injuries.

    Our lawyers can also help pedestrians hit by careless drivers recover compensation. Car accidents are a leading cause of devastating spinal cord injuries, and pedestrians are at a higher risk of sustaining them when hit by a car. Damages from these accidents can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars if not the millions. We can assess your financial losses and non-economic damages while working with your doctors and other experts to explain how your injuries have and will alter your life.

    Truck Accidents

    Countless trucks travel through St. Andrews. Truckers can cause serious accidents when they drive too long in violation of federal hours of service regulations. Driver fatigue might cause them to be drowsy behind the wheel, limiting their awareness and slowing their reaction time.

    When a trucker causes an accident, our team will determine if they were on the clock when it occurred. If so, we can likely hold the trucking company responsible for their driver’s negligent behavior under the “vicarious liability” rule. During the lawsuit, we can gain access to employment records, driver logs, ELD devices, or “black boxes” to help prove whether the trucker was violating the above regulations. If the truck driver knowingly violated the driving time limits or was pushed by a trucking company that has a history of violations, our team can request that the court grant punitive damages to punish them.

    Bus Accidents

    Many of the driving rules mentioned above also apply to bus drivers. However, the challenge in most bus accident claims is determining who should be held liable.

    For instance, people injured on a public bus during their daily commute will likely not be able to sue the driver directly for their negligence because they are government employees who are generally protected from lawsuits because of “sovereign immunity.” However, the public transit company that operates the bus services can be held liable for their drivers in a claim.

    Private bus drivers, on the other hand, like those driving for Greyhound or Megabus, can be held responsible for their negligent misconduct. The rules of vicarious liability would also most likely apply in these situations, giving you a better chance of getting the compensation you need.

    Slip and Fall Accidents

    Many other accident claims are filed because of injuries caused by negligent property owners and businesses. Slips, falls, and trips are the most common ways these accidents occur. Perhaps you were shopping for groceries and slipped because employees did not do their routine inspections or mark a spot they just cleaned with a sign warning customers. In other cases, you might have fallen down the stairs because they were poorly lit or lacked handrails that should have been in place. We can determine who was responsible for the dangerous conditions on the property.

    Accidents Caused by Dangerous Products

    When a dangerous product injures you, our team can help you file a product liability lawsuit. These cases can be notoriously challenging since it must be determined where the flaw in the product occurred in the manufacturing process.

    In some instances, the designer negligently devised a product, making each one dangerous. In other cases, the manufacturer fabricated the product against the designer’s specifications, causing your particular product to be hazardous. If both were negligent, we can add each party to your lawsuit.

    Contact Our St. Andrews, SC Personal Injury Attorneys Today for Help Filing Your Lawsuit to Cover Your Damages

    Get a free case review with our personal injury attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras today by calling us at (803) 219-4906.