This is a very complicated area of the law arising out of the breach of a physician’s duty to adhere to a local, and often times the national standard of care. Such actions require the hiring of multiple experts, the cost for which can be staggering. While there certainly are many lawyers within the State of South Carolina who are very talented in this area, it is also not uncommon to seek the services of a nationally recognized malpractice attorney. Over the years we have associated ourselves with a number of nationally known attorneys who specialize in this area, and who have been able to assist our clients in obtaining outstanding results on their cases. If you are seeking a Personal Injury Attorney Hilton Head, consider us based on our experience and success.
If you believe you have been a victim of malpractice on the part of a doctor, it is important to document exactly what happened in your case as soon as you are physically able. While the medical records provide the initial basis for evaluating such a case, detailed accounts from you as the patient, as well as anyone in your immediate circle of family or friends who witnessed firsthand the treatment, or lack thereof, which forms the basis of your complaint, is essential to aid an expert in evaluating all aspects of the case to determine whether or not it is viable to pursue. We are a 5-Star rated Personal Injury Attorney Hilton Head.
Under South Carolina law, there are numerous requirements which must be met before a malpractice action can ever even be initiated. Failure to understand these requirements could have disastrous consequences as concerns your case. While in obvious cases of malpractice an insurance company may reach out to you with an immediate offer of settlement, you should not entertain any such offer without first consulting competent counsel, because if you do, they may have you sign a document which precludes you from seeking further relief to which you would otherwise have been entitled. Also, once signed, you could be precluded from obtaining further medical treatment which might be absolutely necessary to a complete recovery, or you might have to pay for such treatment on your own, which could be extremely costly.
Tips to Find the Best Personal Injury Lawyer
After you have had a terrible accident, one of the most difficult decisions you need to make is hiring the correct personal injury attorney. Sometimes you might have a personal injury lawyer in mind, but they might not be right for your specific case.
Hiring the correct personal injury attorney takes way more than just a quick Google search. Understanding of the case is important. When you search, you realize there are thousands of personal injury lawyers, and you are spoilt for choice.
There are a lot of search engine recommendations for good personal injury lawyers. That could make things difficult. But it’s a great way to start your search.
Berl Law in Hilton Head handles all similar cases, including personal injury, car accidents, litigation, and more.
Our firm also takes care of real estate transactions, businesses, estate planning, and probate matters. Now that you are aware of what to look for let’s break it down for you. Here are the seven most important tips for finding the best personal injury lawyer in Hilton Head or elsewhere.
1. Identify What You Are Looking For, Make a List of Things You Need
What did you suffer from?
A negligent medical procedure or a severe accident?
You need to know your legal needs and requirements first, how qualified the personal injury lawyer should be, and more. This will make your search easier and more streamlined.
Look at things that help you narrow down your search.
Like are you looking for a personal injury attorney nearby?
If you live in Hilton Head, then you need a lawyer in that area. When thinking of a lawyer, you need to decide whether you wish to go to an established firm or a smaller one. But it’s best to choose quality over quantity, always.
Our firm has many nationally known attorneys. They all specialize in the personal injury area. They also have been able to get outstanding results for their clients for their cases.
If you are looking for a Personal Injury Attorney in Hilton Head, we are your best bet. You can consider Berl Law based on our experience and success in prior cases.
Berl’s Law comprises a team of skilled and experienced attorneys. We have a proven track record of representing clients involved in automotive accidents. We handle all the legal requirements professionally. We ensure to tow your vehicle for repairs and address any personal injury medically and legally.
2. Word of Mouth Is Important. Ask People You Trust
Since accidents are quite a common thing that can lead to injuries, likely, someone in you knows well has already had a personal injury attorney.
Asking people who know you will get you trustworthy recommendations. They would have first-hand experience with such lawyers. This gives you a guarantee of how the lawyers can be.
Also, word-of-mouth-marketing (WOMM) is still one of the most well-known marketing firms in this area.
At least 90 percent of consumers trust the word of their family and friends over advertising messages at any time.
3. Always Search for ‘Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me’
Whether you are on a desktop or your mobile phone, the internet and Google, of course, is a valuable tool that allows you to narrow down your search to find the best and topmost personal injury lawyers. The internet can show you what you need in detail.
Websites with information about personal injury lawyers also provide information about their education, ratings, case history, and client feedback. It is always beneficial to have someone nearby to devote more time to your case than traveling excessively.
4. Focus on the Expertise of the Lawyer You Choose
If a personal injury attorney has a significant amount of experience in the field, they will know what to expect from a case. They also know how to overcome an obstacle or fight a case for their client and the expected settlement apt for the specific case. So, you might as well forget your friend who is a personal injury attorney as it’s always better to get all the experience you can get.
For instance, at Berl Law, James F Berl has very good experience dealing with personal injury cases. He practices in all civil litigation areas, including personal injury, family law, and contract disputes. Thus, if you live in Hilton Head, he could be a great fit for your personal injury attorney.
5. Speak to Different Lawyers
Once you’ve narrowed down your search to just a few lawyers nearby, maybe set up a meeting to decide. You might even not like some when you speak to them. You will also have to convince a lot of them to pay heed to your case first.
Make a list of what you want to know and what you want them to do for you before heading out. You should also keep in mind asking about the fees and how long the case can resolve. This will help you to decide easily.
6. Narrow Your Search to at Least Two or Three Attorneys
Once you have gotten enough information on the personal injury lawyer’s experience and professional history, you now need to narrow down your search even more.
Keep it to two or three options at most. See if they match your needs and requirements. This will allow you to contact them for a free consultation initially to take the conversation forward.
7. Ask a Lot of Questions and Write down Salient Points
When you finally reach the personal injury lawyers of your choice’s office, you should be completely ready. You should be prepared with questions that you need to be answered by them.
For you to understand their legal procedure, here are a few questions you could ask:
1. Will the personal injury attorney represent you personally, or will you work with his/her associate?
2. Do they have a lot of similar cases previously like yours? How many did they win approximately?
3. More on their credentials (if the internet hasn’t satisfied you)
4. What is their fee schedule, how should you pay — hourly, weekly or fixed?
7 Benefits of Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer to Represent You
An accident can happen in a fraction of a second. But it has the potential to change your life forever. We cannot erase the physical and mental sufferings of the victim. How much ever we would like to, we cannot go back in time to alter the past. This is why we should instead focus on fighting for justice to hold the guilty ones responsible. And for this, hiring the right personal injury attorney is imperative.
Irrespective of the severity of the issue, injured parties do need some strong legal counsel. And when it comes to injury caused to the mind or body, it is always advised to make sure we have a friend in court. Someone who will make sure that we are fairly compensated for our losses. Someone who will break down the legal jargon and jump through loopholes that we may not be aware of.
For those who are unfamiliar with this term, here are the basic workings of an injury lawyer. They are a type of civil litigators who represent people who have sustained physical or psychological injuries due to another person’s negligence, entity, or organization. They help the victims in receiving fair compensation for their losses. This may include loss of earnings, inability to work, medical expenses, and emotional distress. Even after the case is closed, they ensure that insurance companies or the legal system do not harass their clients.
Personal injuries can result from accidents, product liability, workplace injury/harassment, defamation, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and more. And one such law firm with 20 long years of experience in this field is Berl Law, based in Hilton Head. Check out our website to hire an attorney in a hassle-free manner.
Now let’s look at the following advantages of hiring an injury attorney:
To correctly evaluate the damage caused
Firstly, experienced personal injury attorneys will be able to tell you if your case is worth pursuing or not. Once that is cleared, they can objectively tell you how much compensation you can claim. They will help in keeping you grounded and your expectations realistic.
They will evaluate all types of damages you have suffered and will be able to put a number on that. This way, the erring organizations or insurance companies will not be able to trick you.
Help through the litigation process
Most victims avoid seeking legal help altogether due to the fear of the litigation process. It is long, cumbersome, tiring, and downright depressing even. This is where an injury lawyer will help you the most.
They will focus on collecting evidence, finding eyewitnesses, and jumping over legal red tape while allowing yourself to heal. They will take care of drafting statements, tracking court dates, finding a registry, and all other procedures up till trial.
Bring peace of mind to you and your family
Filing a court case makes you relive and re-experience the entire incident. This will be an extremely painful process. This is when one should not be alone. A personal injury lawyer becomes your representative and your friend who will make this a lot easier.
The lawyer and his/her team of experts will take charge of your case, leaving you to recuperate. Also, hiring an injury lawyer right after the incident can help you get proper medical attention. This will also be useful in court as doctors are helpful witnesses.
Brings a fresh perspective
You would have faced enormous hardship because of this incident. And this will make your judgment biased and clouded by emotions. And of course, this is a natural human reaction to cope with stress. This is where injury lawyers come in particularly handy.
A personal injury attorney will be objective, devoid of all the emotions you will be feeling. This makes them make rational, clear-cut decisions. They will stop you before making rash decisions. They will bring a fresh, unbiased perspective to your case that will be focused only on fighting for justice.
One such organization is Berl Law, a legal firm based out of Hilton Head. Having helped out the Hilton Head community for 20 years, they offer a series of legal services, including divorce, child custody, spousal support, and more.
Negotiate with all other parties
Negotiating is a skill, and personal injury attorneys are experts at it. Leave it to them to make a good argument. You can put this skill of theirs to good use to your advantage. They can strike a good deal with insurance companies, opposition party’s lawyers, and even with judges in court.
As they have worked with many insurance companies in the past, they won’t be pressured or misled to settle for less. Their negotiating skills will be useful while opting for out of court settlements too.
Take it to trial if needed
Not many such cases go to trial, at least in the USA. But if the situation warrants, personal injury attorneys will guide you at every step through the trial. A case goes to trial if neither party settles. And trials are much more cumbersome than regular hearings and can go on for months.
Your injury lawyer will make sure that your case doesn’t go to trial. But if it does, fear not; they will continue to guide you. At this stage, witnesses, testimonies, and your narration of the event take center stage. At this juncture, attorneys will prep you well and advise you on several do’s and don’ts. Also, they have a solid investigation team that will skillfully examine the technical aspects of the case.
No need to pay if you don’t win
Most hesitate to seek legal counsel due to the expenses. They fear that the cost of hiring a lawyer will be more than the compensation. For this precise reason, we have introduced the concept of contingency fees. Most personal injury lawyers do not collect fees from their clients if they don’t win the case.
This way, even people from the poorer section of society can seek legal counsel. This is the section that is exploited the most by large conglomerates. Though daily wage workers face such hardships at work, they do not think of taking the legal route due to the lack of resources. With the contingency clause in place, the lawyer takes the risk and not the victim.
Are you looking for a personal injury lawyer in Hilton Head Island?
Then, get in touch with us now! Call +1.843-689-5771