Personal Injury Attorney Hollywood, SC

Quick Answer: If someone else’s negligence injured you in Hollywood, South Carolina, you can generally recover medical bills, lost income and pain and suffering from that person’s or company’s insurer. Hollywood is in Charleston County, so most lawsuits are filed in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas at 100 Broad Street. Most claims must be filed within three years, and claims against government entities generally within two years.

On this page:

• Where is a Hollywood injury case handled?
• What crashes happen on Hollywood’s rural roads?
• What about golf cart accidents?
• What about ATV and UTV injuries?
• What about boating and landing injuries?
• What if a dog attacked you?
• Who is responsible for injuries on rural property?
• What about injuries at community events?
• What can you recover?
• What should you do after an injury?

Where Is a Hollywood Personal Injury Case Handled?

What Crashes Happen on Hollywood’s Rural Roads?

Highway 162 and Highway 165 are two-lane roads with curves, limited shoulders, driveways and side roads, and they carry commuters, trucks, farm equipment and visitors heading toward the islands. Head-on and sideswipe crashes from crossing the center line, rear-end crashes with turning vehicles, and run-off-the-road crashes into trees and ditches are common. Our Hollywood car accident lawyers page covers these claims in detail.

What About Golf Cart Accidents?

In small towns, golf carts are a common way to get around. South Carolina allows permitted golf carts on certain secondary roads near the owner’s address under S.C. Code Section 56-2-105, with restrictions on age, time of day and road speed. Golf carts offer little protection, so collisions with cars and rollovers can cause serious injuries. Claims may involve the cart driver, another motorist or the cart’s owner, and insurance coverage can be complicated, since some auto and homeowner’s policies treat golf carts differently. Review every policy that may apply.

What About ATV and UTV Injuries?

All-terrain and utility vehicles are popular on rural land, and rollovers and collisions can cause crushing and head injuries. Responsibility may rest with a negligent operator, an owner who allowed an inexperienced rider to operate the vehicle, or a manufacturer if a defect, such as instability or a faulty roll cage, contributed. Children are especially at risk, and riding on public roads is restricted.

What About Boating and Landing Injuries?

The creeks and rivers around Hollywood draw boaters and anglers. Boat operators must use reasonable care, and operating a boat while impaired is a crime under S.C. Code Section 50-21-112. Injuries at public boat landings and docks caused by unsafe conditions may involve a public entity and the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, which has a two-year deadline and damage limits. Federal maritime law may also apply on navigable waters.

What If a Dog Attacked You?

Under S.C. Code Section 47-3-110, a dog’s owner or caretaker is generally liable when the dog bites or attacks someone in a public place or lawfully on private property, unless provoked. In rural areas, attacks by loose dogs on roads and neighboring land are common. Report the attack to animal control and get medical care promptly.

Who Is Responsible for Injuries on Rural Property?

Property owners must keep their premises reasonably safe for invited guests and customers and warn of hidden dangers. Common rural hazards include rotten docks and stairs, unmarked holes, unsafe barns and outbuildings, and unfenced ponds. The duty owed depends on why you were there.

What About Injuries at Community Events?

Festivals, church events and gatherings bring temporary stages, tents, parking in fields and food vendors. When an injury results from unsafe setup, uneven ground, inadequate lighting or a vendor’s negligence, the organizer, the property owner or a vendor may share responsibility.

What Can You Recover in a Hollywood Injury Claim?

Generally, medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, pain and suffering, and compensation for permanent impairment or scarring. Under 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.

What Should You Do After an Injury in Hollywood?

• Get medical care promptly;
• Report the incident to law enforcement, DNR or the property owner;
• Photograph the scene, vehicles, equipment or hazards;
• Collect witness names and phone numbers;
• Keep insurance information for every vehicle, cart or boat involved; and
• Avoid recorded statements to the other side’s insurer before talking with a lawyer.

What About Horseback Riding Injuries?

Horses are part of life in the Hollywood area. South Carolina’s Equine Activity Liability Act, S.C. Code Section 47-9-710 et seq., generally limits claims against equine activity sponsors and professionals for injuries caused by the inherent risks of riding, and it requires warning signs and contract language. However, the law has exceptions, including when the sponsor provided faulty tack, failed to make reasonable efforts to match the rider with a suitable horse, or acted with willful or wanton disregard for safety. The facts, the signage and any releases you signed all matter, so keep that paperwork and photograph any equipment involved.

How Are Medical Bills Paid While Your Claim Is Pending?

Because the at-fault party’s insurer usually pays only when the claim is resolved, your health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid or medical payments coverage typically pays first. Rural injuries often involve ambulance transport and trauma care in Charleston, which can be expensive. Those payers may need to be reimbursed from the recovery, and we confirm and negotiate those amounts so that more of the settlement stays with you. Keep every bill, explanation of benefits and receipt for prescriptions and mileage.

When Should You Settle?

Generally, not until your doctors can describe your long-term condition, because a signed release ends the claim even if you later need more treatment. If recovery takes longer than the filing deadline allows, we can file suit to protect your rights while you continue treatment. We will explain any offer, what it means and how it compares with the value of your claim before you decide.

What If a Child Was Hurt?

Children are often the ones injured in golf cart, ATV, dog bite and water accidents. A child’s claim generally belongs to the child, and the parents may have a separate claim for medical expenses they paid. Settlements for minors generally require court approval, and the court will want the child’s funds protected until adulthood. Keep photos, medical records and the names of anyone who saw what happened, and avoid discussing the injury with the other side’s insurer before speaking with a lawyer.

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

If you were injured in Hollywood, SC, our Hollywood personal injury lawyers at Clekis Law Firm can explain your options. Call 843-900-0000 or contact us to schedule a consultation. We meet clients by appointment at our Charleston office at 171 Church Street, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at our North Charleston office on Ashley Phosphate Road, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We can also meet by phone or video call.

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