Have you been injured on someone else’s property in Edgefield, SC? If the property owner or manager was negligent, you may be entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and your pain and suffering. A skilled Edgefield premises liability lawyer at Hawk Law Group can help you fight for the full amount you deserve.
We’ve been working hard to protect the rights of injured clients for over three decades. We’ve recovered tens of millions of dollars to help those clients get back on their feet.
If you’re struggling and looking for help, call our law offices in Edgefield, South Carolina, to schedule a free consultation today.
How Hawk Law Group Can Help After With a Premises Liability Claim in Edgefield
Most property owners know that they can be held liable if someone is hurt on their property. That doesn’t mean it’ll be easy to get money in your pocket. Instead, expect the property owner to call their insurance company.
The insurance company might try to downplay your injuries. They might even look for ways to blame you for getting hurt. After all, they have unlimited resources to help them put up a strong fight.
They’re counting on you to back down and accept anything they offer. Our Edgefield personal injury lawyers can help you fight for what’s fair.
At Hawk Law Group, we have over 71 years of experience between us. Our lawyers know how to:
- Conduct a full and thorough investigation into your accident
- Gather strong evidence to support your claim
- Defend you when you’re blamed for getting hurt
- Negotiate with the insurance companies to maximize your settlement
We’ve recovered some of the largest verdicts in the area–and we’re well known among insurance companies. The insurance company won’t want to face off against us in court. That works to your advantage.
Interested in hearing more? Call our Edgefield personal injury attorneys to schedule a free case review today.
What Is Premises Liability?
What is My Edgefield Premises Liability Case Worth?
The value of a personal injury claim depends on many different factors. The severity of the accident victim’s injuries is often most important.
Other relevant and ancillary factors include:
- The cost and duration of medical treatment
- How the injury impacts your career, education, and quality of life
- Your out-of-pocket costs
- Whether your injuries are permanent
Practical factors, including caps on insurance coverage and the property owner’s personal assets, can also limit the value of your case.
Each and every case is different. Without an experienced lawyer, you may not know whether a settlement offer is fair.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Victims in Premises Liability Cases?
Like any car accident claim, victims in premises liability cases are entitled to compensation for economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages provide money for your economic costs, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Reduced future earning potential
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
Non-economic damages compensate for pain and suffering, including:
- Physical pain
- Emotional distress
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Scarring
- PTSD
- Loss of consortium
In rare cases where the property owner’s acts were malicious or intentional, courts may award punitive damages. These damages serve as punishment for especially shocking acts.
If you were hurt on the job, you may also be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
Can I Recover Damages If I’m Being Blamed for an Accident Under South Carolina Premises Liability Laws?
Property owners in Edgefield aren’t strictly liable for any injury that occurs on their property. They’re only liable for negligence. Sometimes, the injured party’s own negligence also contributes to their injuries.
A modified comparative negligence law applies in Edgefield County, South Carolina. Victims can recover compensation if they’re less than 51% responsible for their injuries.
In other words, if you’re found to be mostly responsible for your injuries, you’ll be barred from seeking compensation.
We’ll Fight to Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
Premises liability claims can involve almost any type of injury–from the relatively minor to the life-changing and severe.
At Hawk Law Group, our lawyers in Edgefield will fight for the full amount you deserve. We often represent clients who have sustained:
- Concussions and other traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Sprain, strains, and soft tissue damage
- Nerve injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Burns
- Amputation injuries
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Even if your injuries heal with time, you could be facing shockingly high medical costs. Get the legal advice you deserve today by calling our law firm to schedule a free consultation.
We Handle All Types of Premises Liability Claims in Edgefield, South Carolina
Negligent property owners can cause significant harm. Failure to warn about potholes and slippery floors can lead to slip and falls. Crimes can occur in a poorly lit parking lot–you could even be hit by a motor vehicle.
At Hawk Law Group, we handle all types of premises liability claims, including those involving:
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Negligent security
- Dog bites
- Assault
- Sexual assault
- Exposure to toxic chemicals or hazardous materials
- Bed bug injuries
- Hotel accidents
- Swimming pool accidents
- Parking lot accidents
- School and daycare accidents
- Apartment complex accidents
- Sidewalk slip and fall accidents
- Accidents caused by building code violations
- Negligent construction and shoddy construction materials
Were you injured because of dangerous conditions on someone else’s property? Give us a call to schedule a free case evaluation today.
How Do I Establish My Right to Compensation in a South Carolina Premises Liability Case?
South Carolina premises liability laws allow victims to hold property owners liable when they’re hurt because of dangerous property conditions. However, it’s up to the victim to prove why someone else was responsible for the injuries they’ve sustained.
Under South Carolina law, property owners may be held liable for negligent property maintenance or repair if the victim can prove:
- A legal duty of care existed
- The owner breached the duty of care
- The breach caused an accident or injuries
- The victim suffered damages
Often, premises liability cases turn on the property owner’s legal duty of care. The owner’s duty varies depending upon how the injured party is classified. South Carolina laws recognize four classes of visitors: invitees, licensees, adult trespassers, and children.
Business Invitees
Invitees enter the property with the owner’s permission to conduct some type of business. Business owners have a heightened duty of care when it comes to keeping invitees and customers safe.
Business owners are required to:
- Fix any unsafe conditions on the property
- Provide adequate warning about hazards that can’t be fixed in a reasonable amount of time
- Regularly inspect the property to identify any hidden dangers
Business owners can be liable if you’re hurt because they failed to warn you about a known hazard. They can also be responsible if they reasonably should have known about the dangerous condition.
You’re classified as a business invitee anytime you:
- Dine in a restaurant
- Visit a grocery store or South Carolina department store
- Check into a hotel
- Attend a sporting event
- Have a business meeting in an office complex
Importantly, you don’t actually have to spend any money to obtain invitee status. The important thing is the property owner has a financial incentive for inviting members of the public onto the property.
Licensees
Private property owners also owe a duty of care to licensees. Licensees are invited onto the property for non-commercial reasons, such as social guests.
The duty of care is limited, however. Owners are not required to conduct inspections to prevent injuries caused by hidden dangers. They are required to provide adequate warnings about known hazards on the property.
Adult Trespassers
Trespassers enter the property without the owner’s permission. Typically, owners don’t owe a duty of care to trespassers. South Carolina property owners aren’t even required to warn trespassers about dangerous conditions. However, they cannot intentionally harm trespassers.
Children and the Attractive Nuisance Doctrine
A limited duty of care exists when the trespasser is a child. Under the attractive nuisance doctrine, property owners must take precautions to keep kids safe from things that can be dangerous for children.
Swimming pools are a classic example of an “attractive nuisance”. Generally, homeowners must install fences or gates to keep wandering children from falling into a swimming pool. In other words, they may be liable even if the child was technically trespassing.
How Long Do I Have to File a Premises Liability Lawsuit in South Carolina?
You only have a limited amount of time to file a personal injury lawsuit. The statute of limitations in most South Carolina personal injury cases is three years.
Failing to act within the three-year time period has serious consequences. If you were injured, call an Edgefield premises liability attorney at Hawk Law Group for a free consultation.
Contact an Edgefield Premises Liability Lawyer for a Free Consultation
You deserve fair compensation if you sustained an injury because someone else was negligent. Call an Edgefield premises liability lawyer at Hawk Law Group today to learn more about how we can help maximize your settlement or verdict. As always, your initial consultation is 100% free of charge.
