Personal Injury Attorney Hanahan, SC

Quick Answer: If someone else’s negligence injured you in Hanahan, you can generally recover medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering from the responsible party’s insurer. Hanahan is in Berkeley County, so most lawsuits are filed in the Berkeley County Court of Common Pleas in Moncks Corner. Claims generally must be filed within three years, or two years if a government entity such as the city is responsible, and you can recover as long as you were not more at fault than the other side.

On this page:

• Where is a Hanahan injury case handled?
• What crashes do we see in Hanahan?
• What about boating and water injuries?
• What if you were hurt at a city park or ballfield?
• What if a dog bit you?
• Who is responsible for a fall at a business?
• Can a property owner be liable for a crime?
• What can you recover?
• How are bills paid while the claim is pending?
• What should you do after an injury?

Where Is a Hanahan Personal Injury Case Handled?

The following table summarizes the agencies and courts most often involved in Hanahan injury cases:

A lawsuit may also be filed where a defendant lives or does business, so some Hanahan cases are filed in Charleston County. We review the options before filing.

What Crashes Do We See in Hanahan?

Many Hanahan injury cases start with a crash on Tanner Ford Boulevard, Remount Road, Yeamans Hall Road, Foster Creek Road or Mabeline Road, or on nearby Rivers Avenue and I-26. Traffic between Hanahan’s neighborhoods and the busy corridors of North Charleston and Goose Creek leads to rear-end and turning crashes at intersections. Our Hanahan car accident lawyers page covers those claims.

What About Boating and Water Injuries Near Hanahan?

The Goose Creek Reservoir and nearby waterways draw boaters, kayakers and anglers. Boat operators must operate with reasonable care, and operating a boat under the influence is a crime under S.C. Code Section 50-21-112. Injuries can also involve unsafe docks, rental equipment or property owners who fail to address known hazards. Drowning and near-drowning injuries are especially serious, and liability depends on who controlled the area and what safety measures were required.

What If You Were Hurt at a City Park or Ballfield?

Hanahan’s parks, playgrounds and recreation fields are a hub for families and youth sports. If an injury was caused by a poorly maintained facility, such as broken playground equipment, damaged bleachers or unsafe walkways, the responsible party may be a public entity. Claims against a city or county are governed by the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, which generally requires suit within two years, limits damages and includes certain immunities. Report the injury, photograph the hazard and act promptly.

What If a Dog Bit You in Hanahan?

Under S.C. Code Section 47-3-110, a dog’s owner or caretaker is generally liable when the dog bites or attacks a person in a public place or lawfully on private property, unless the person provoked the dog. Homeowner’s or renter’s insurance often covers the claim. Get medical care, report the bite and collect the owner’s information.

Who Is Responsible for a Fall at a Hanahan Business?

Businesses generally must keep their premises reasonably safe and warn of hidden dangers. In a fall case, the injured person usually must show the business created the hazard or knew or should have known about it in time to fix it. Report the fall, ask that video be preserved, and photograph the spot where you fell.

Can a Property Owner Be Liable for a Crime?

In some circumstances. Under Bass v. Gopal, Inc., 395 S.C. 129, 716 S.E.2d 910 (2011), a business may owe a duty to take reasonable security measures when a crime on its property was foreseeable. Prior incidents, broken lighting or locks and ignored complaints can all be relevant.

What Can You Recover in a Hanahan Injury Claim?

Generally, medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, and compensation for permanent impairment or scarring. Under South Carolina’s modified comparative negligence rule from Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 303 S.C. 243, 399 S.E.2d 783 (1991), your recovery is reduced by your share of fault, and you cannot recover if you were more at fault than the other side. Most claims must be filed within three years under S.C. Code Section 15-3-530.

How Are Medical Bills Paid While the Claim Is Pending?

Usually through your health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or medical payments coverage, since the at-fault party’s insurer typically pays only at settlement. Those payers may need to be reimbursed from the recovery, and we confirm and negotiate those amounts before the case closes.

What Should You Do After an Injury in Hanahan?

• Get medical care promptly and follow your treatment plan;
• Report the incident to police, the property owner or the business;
• Photograph the scene, the hazard and your injuries;
• Collect witness names and phone numbers;
• Ask that any video be preserved; and
• Avoid recorded statements to the other side’s insurer before talking with a lawyer.

When Should You Settle?

Generally not until your doctors can describe your long-term condition, since a signed release ends the claim. If treatment takes a long time, we can file suit to protect the deadline while you recover. Throughout, we keep you informed and handle communications with the insurers, so you can focus on getting better.

What If a Child Was Injured in Hanahan?

Injuries to children, whether at a playground, a neighbor’s home, a daycare, a pool or in a crash, raise special issues. A child’s claim generally belongs to the child, while the parents may have a separate claim for the medical expenses they paid. Settlements for minors generally require court approval, and the court looks closely at how the child’s funds will be protected until adulthood, often through a restricted account or structured settlement.

South Carolina also has special rules that can extend the time for a minor’s claim, but waiting is rarely wise, because evidence and witnesses fade. Keep photos, medical records and the names of anyone who saw what happened, and avoid discussing the injury with the other side’s insurer until you have spoken with a lawyer.

What Mistakes Can Hurt a Hanahan Injury Claim?

The most common are waiting to see a doctor, missing follow-up appointments, posting about the injury or your activities on social media, and giving a recorded statement or signing a release before understanding the claim. Each gives an insurer a reason to pay less. Keep your appointments, save every bill and record, and talk with a lawyer before you sign anything.

Related pages: Our main North Charleston personal injury lawyer and Charleston personal injury lawyer pages explain this practice area in more depth. Clients in Hanahan also turn to our Hanahan car accident lawyer, Hanahan workplace injury lawyer, Hanahan medical malpractice lawyer, Hanahan wrongful death lawyer and Hanahan criminal defense lawyer pages, and we handle the same kinds of cases for clients who need a personal injury lawyer in Goose Creek or a personal injury lawyer in Ladson.

If you were injured in Hanahan, SC, our Hanahan personal injury lawyers at Clekis Law Firm can explain your options. Call 843-900-0000 or contact us to schedule a consultation. Our North Charleston office at 2850 Ashley Phosphate Road is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and we also meet clients by appointment at our Charleston office on Church Street.

Attorney responsible for this page: Nicholas J. Clekis, Clekis Law Firm, 2850 Ashley Phosphate Road, North Charleston, SC 29418.