Greenville Car Accident Lawyer
Legal Representation For Greenville Car Accident Victims
A serious car accident can leave you dealing with injuries, medical expenses, missed work, and questions about insurance coverage. At the same time, the insurance company may request statements or records while you are still receiving treatment.
At Mooneyham Berry, our Greenville car accident lawyers represent drivers, passengers, and families injured in crashes throughout the Upstate. We investigate the collision, identify available insurance coverage, and handle communication with the insurers involved.
If another driver's negligence causes your injuries, our attorneys can help you understand your options under South Carolina law. Contact our Greenville office to discuss your accident and the next steps in your claim.
Injured in a Greenville Car Accident?
Our car accident lawyers can review what happened, explain your options, and help you deal with the insurance company.
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When A Car Accident Requires A Lawyer
Not every car accident requires an attorney. Legal guidance becomes more important when injuries, disputed fault, or significant financial losses complicate a claim.
When Injuries or Liability Complicate the Claim
We recommend speaking with a car accident lawyer when injuries require ongoing treatment or prevent you from working. An attorney can also help when an insurer disputes fault, minimizes injuries, or questions necessary medical care.
Serious accidents may also involve multiple drivers, conflicting accounts, or questions about who caused the crash. We investigate these issues before evidence disappears or witnesses become difficult to locate.
When Insurance Coverage Falls Short
Available insurance coverage becomes especially important after a serious crash. South Carolina requires at least $25,000 in bodily injury liability coverage per person. Medical treatment and lost income can quickly exceed that amount.
When the at-fault driver's policy limits fall short of the actual damages, we look for other available coverage. A client's policy may include underinsured motorist coverage or medical payments coverage.
Multiple policies or insured vehicles can also raise questions about whether coverage can be stacked. Our car accident attorneys review the applicable policies before evaluating a settlement.
Identifying available coverage early helps us understand what compensation may actually be available for a client's losses.
Common Causes Of Greenville Car Crashes
Car accidents happen for many reasons, but most preventable crashes involve some form of driver negligence. Our Greenville car accident lawyers handle collisions caused by:
- Distracted driving, including texting and other phone use
- Following too closely and rear-end collisions
- Failure to yield at intersections
- Speeding and driving too fast for traffic conditions
- Impaired driving
- Unsafe lane changes and merging
- Failure to obey traffic signals or signs
Greenville County records thousands of collisions each year. Recent data from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety shows more than 16,000 crashes, including 77 fatal collisions.
Busy routes such as I-85, I-385, Woodruff Road, and Wade Hampton Boulevard carry substantial local and through traffic. Our Greenville auto accident attorneys investigate how a crash occurs rather than relying solely on the initial account given to an insurer.
Crashes Involving Commercial Vehicles
I-85 also carries significant commercial traffic through the Upstate. Accidents involving delivery vehicles or tractor-trailers can present different liability and evidence issues than passenger vehicle crashes.
A trucking company or commercial carrier may begin investigating a collision soon after it occurs. Important evidence can include driver records, vehicle data, maintenance records, and company documents.
Our lawyers work to identify and preserve relevant evidence when a commercial vehicle contributes to a Greenville collision.
Common Injuries After a Serious Auto Accident
Car accident injuries range from temporary pain to conditions requiring surgery, rehabilitation, or long-term medical care.
Our car accident lawyers represent clients throughout Greenville with injuries including:
- Traumatic brain injuries and concussions
- Neck and back injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Broken and fractured bones
- Internal organ injuries
- Muscle, ligament, and other soft-tissue injuries
- Severe cuts, burns, and scarring
- Permanent impairment or disability
Some injuries are apparent at the crash scene. Others become clearer as symptoms develop or medical testing identifies damage that was not initially obvious.
We review medical records and treatment with the long-term effects of an injury in mind. Our auto accident attorneys also consider how those injuries affect a client's ability to work and complete daily activities.
Types of Car Accidents Our Greenville Lawyers Handle
The type of collision can affect the evidence available, the injuries involved, and how we investigate fault.
Our car accident attorneys handle claims involving:
- Rear-end collisions
- Head-on crashes
- T-bone and intersection accidents
- Sideswipe collisions
- Multi-vehicle accidents
- Rollover crashes
- Hit-and-run accidents
- Collisions involving commercial vehicles
Each accident presents different questions about how the car crash occurs and who bears responsibility. We review vehicle damage, witness accounts, collision reports, photographs, and available video when investigating fault.
What To Do After A Car Wreck In Greenville
The steps you take after a collision can protect your health and preserve important evidence. We recommend that injured drivers:
- Seek medical attention, especially if you have pain or other symptoms after the crash.
- Report the accident to law enforcement and obtain the collision report.
- Photograph the vehicles, crash scene, road conditions, and visible injuries when possible.
- Collect contact information from witnesses who saw the collision.
- Keep records of medical treatment, expenses, missed work, and communications with insurers.
- Speak with a car accident attorney before giving the other driver's insurer a recorded statement.
Insurance adjusters may ask about your injuries, treatment, and actions before the crash. We handle these communications so our clients do not have to navigate questions about fault or damages alone.
What If the Other Driver Leaves the Scene?
Hit-and-run accidents create additional insurance and evidence issues. South Carolina generally requires independent evidence that an unknown driver caused the crash for certain uninsured motorist claims.
Witness information, photographs, surveillance footage, and other evidence can become especially important in these cases. Our lawyers investigate available evidence and determine which insurance coverage may apply.
South Carolina's Car Accident Laws To Know
South Carolina law affects both who can recover compensation after a crash and how long an injured person has to act.
Our car accident attorneys evaluate these issues early when reviewing a claim.
How Comparative Negligence Affects Your Claim
South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule. You can generally recover damages when you are less than 51 percent responsible for the collision.
Your compensation decreases according to your percentage of fault. For example, a 20 percent share of fault generally reduces your recoverable damages by 20 percent.
Disagreements about fault are common after left-turn crashes, multi-vehicle collisions, and accidents with conflicting accounts. Insurers may also argue that an injured driver contributed to the collision.
We gather evidence that helps establish how the crash occurred and who is responsible. That evidence may include witness statements, photographs, surveillance footage, vehicle data, and the collision report.
How Long Do You Have To File A Car Accident Claim?
South Carolina generally gives injured people three years to file a personal injury lawsuit after a car accident. However, some circumstances can change the deadline that applies.
Waiting can also make a case more difficult even when the filing deadline remains years away. Video can be overwritten, witnesses can become harder to locate, and physical evidence can disappear.
Our Greenville car accident attorneys review applicable deadlines and preserve available evidence as early as possible.
Who Can Be Liable for a Greenville Car Accident?
The driver who causes a crash is often responsible, but some accidents involve additional parties. We investigate everyone whose actions may contribute to the collision.
Depending on the circumstances, liability may involve:
- A negligent driver
- An employer whose employee causes a crash while working
- A freight company or other commercial vehicle operator
- A vehicle or automotive parts manufacturer
- A government entity responsible for certain vehicles or roadway conditions
Cases involving multiple parties can also involve several insurance policies and different legal requirements. Our car accident attorneys identify potential defendants and investigate the role each party plays in causing the car crash.
Why Choose Mooneyham Berry After a Car Accident?
Mooneyham Berry brings more than 40 years of combined litigation experience to car accident and serious injury claims. We investigate collisions, deal with insurers, and prepare cases with litigation in mind.
Experienced Greenville Car Accident Trial Attorneys
Our attorneys have extensive experience handling injury cases in South Carolina state and federal courts. Joe Mooneyham has tried more than 100 cases to verdict during his career.
He is also a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates. Membership reflects substantial documented jury trial experience.
That courtroom experience matters when an insurer disputes liability, challenges an injury, or refuses to offer appropriate compensation.
Lawyers for Serious Greenville Auto Accident Claims
Our firm handles motor vehicle cases involving significant injuries, disputed fault, and complicated insurance issues. Kim Berry brings serious personal injury litigation experience from both South Carolina and Georgia.
Mitch Appleby has recovered millions for injured clients in motor vehicle cases, including tractor-trailer collisions. That experience helps our team evaluate both passenger vehicle and more complex commercial claims.
How Our Car Accident Attorneys Build Your Case
We begin gathering evidence while it is still available. Our car accident lawyers obtain collision reports and identify witnesses, surveillance footage, and other records relevant to the crash.
We also document the medical evidence connecting a client's injuries to the collision. When necessary, our attorneys work with treating physicians and other experts to understand long-term effects.
Early investigation gives us a stronger factual record for negotiations and, when necessary, trial.
Compensation Available After a Greenville Car Accident
The compensation available after a car accident depends on the injuries, financial losses, liability, and available insurance coverage. Our attorneys evaluate each of these factors when assessing a claim.
Damages in a South Carolina car accident case may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages and reduced future earning capacity
- Vehicle repair or replacement costs
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent impairment or disability
- Wrongful death damages when a collision results in death
Serious injuries can create expenses that continue long after the initial medical treatment ends. Our car accident lawyers consider future care and long-term effects when documenting a client's losses.
Available insurance coverage can also affect how compensation is pursued. We review the at-fault driver's policy and any coverage available through our client's own insurance.
When liability coverage is insufficient, underinsured motorist coverage may provide another source of compensation. Our attorneys identify applicable coverage before evaluating a settlement offer.
Get Experienced Legal Help After a Greenville Car Accident
Insurance companies begin evaluating a car accident claim soon after the crash. We work to preserve evidence, document injuries, and identify available coverage before important information disappears.
Mooneyham Berry brings decades of litigation experience to claims involving injured drivers, passengers, and others harmed in Greenville collisions. Our car accident attorneys handle insurer communications while our clients focus on their medical treatment and recovery.
We also explain how South Carolina's insurance and comparative negligence laws affect the claim. Our lawyers give clients the information they need to make informed decisions as the case progresses.
If another driver's negligence causes your injuries, contact Mooneyham Berry to discuss your accident. Our Greenville car accident lawyers can review what happened and explain your legal options.
You Have Enough To Deal With
Let our Greenville car accident attorneys review the collision, your injuries, and the insurance coverage involved.