Were you injured in a construction accident in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina? An experienced North Myrtle Beach construction accident lawyer at Stanley Personal Injury Lawyers can help you fight for the money you deserve. Call us today at (843) 390-9111 to schedule a free consultation with a lawyer who can help.
After a construction site injury, you deserve all of the legal protection the law has to offer. You may have rights under state personal injury and workers’ compensation laws. Reach out today to learn more about your legal options.
Why Choose Stanley Personal Injury Lawyers for Help After a Construction Accident in North Myrtle Beach?
Recovering compensation after a workplace accident is by no means automatic. Hiring Stanley Personal Injury Lawyers is the best way to ensure you’re getting the money you deserve. We’re known in North Myrtle Beach, SC, for client satisfaction and our dedication to pursuing the compensation accident victims deserve.
Our lawyers have over 58 years of experience in personal injury law. We’ve helped our injured clients recover tens of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts. Based on over 550 client reviews, our team has earned a five-star Google rating for our top-quality legal services.
We’ve also been recognized within the legal community by:
- Martindale-Hubbell with their “Notable” lawyer rating
- The National Trial Lawyers, with their “Top 100” designation
- The National Association of Distinguished Counsel
When you hire us, the insurance company will know you won’t back down without a fight. Our North Myrtle Beach personal injury lawyers will handle any legal issues and challenges that you’re facing. Just contact us today to get started.
What Is My North Myrtle Beach Construction Accident Case Worth?
As a general matter, the value of your injury claim will depend on:
- The extent of your disability
- How long it takes for you to recover
- Whether your injuries are temporary or permanent
- Whether you can work in any limited capacity during recovery
- The difference in your wages before and after the disability
- Who was responsible for your accident
Workers’ compensation benefits are limited by state law. For total disability, you can receive 66 ⅔ of your average wages, calculated based on the four quarters prior to the injury. If you receive partial disability, you’ll receive 66 ⅔ of the difference between your wages before and after the disability.
However, you can never receive more than the annual cap on benefits. The maximum amount changes each year.
What Are My Options for Recovering Compensation Following a Construction Site Accident in South Carolina?
After most accidents, an injured person can file a lawsuit against the individual or company that caused the harm. Construction site accidents work differently because many injuries happen on the job and are governed by specific employment laws. Your options depend largely on who caused the accident and how it occurred.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Construction Workers
If you were injured while working on a construction site, workers’ compensation is usually the primary source of benefits. In South Carolina, employers are generally protected from lawsuits when an employee is injured on the job. This means you typically cannot sue your employer, even if their carelessness contributed to the accident.
Workers’ compensation benefits are available regardless of fault. They can help cover medical treatment, a portion of lost wages, and other related expenses. Because these benefits apply automatically to most on-the-job injuries, they are often the first form of compensation available to injured construction workers.
Third-Party Lawsuits for Construction Site Accidents
In some cases, you may also have the right to pursue compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. This option is available when someone other than your employer caused or contributed to the accident. These are known as third-party claims and are separate from workers’ compensation.
Examples of third-party liability may include:
- A property owner who failed to maintain safe premises
- A negligent driver who caused a work-zone collision
- A contractor or subcontractor who failed to keep equipment in safe working condition
These claims can allow injured workers to seek damages that are not available through workers’ compensation, such as full lost wages and pain and suffering. Understanding whether a third-party claim applies is key to identifying all possible sources of compensation.
If you were injured in a construction site accident, understanding your options is critical. Our North Myrtle Beach construction accident attorneys can review your case at no cost, explain how workers’ compensation and third-party claims may apply, and help identify every available path to recovery.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Construction Accident Victims in North Myrtle Beach?
The types of damages available after a construction site accident depend on how your claim is handled. Injuries that happen on the job are often covered by workers’ compensation, which provides limited, defined benefits.
In some situations, however, an injured worker may also pursue a personal injury lawsuit against a third party, which can allow recovery of additional damages. Understanding this difference is important when evaluating your potential compensation.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits in South Carolina
Workers’ compensation benefits are designed to provide basic financial support after a work-related injury, regardless of who was at fault. While these benefits do not cover every type of loss, they can help injured workers manage immediate medical and income-related needs.
Workers’ compensation benefits in South Carolina can include:
- Medical expense reimbursement
- Disability benefits
- Vocational rehabilitation benefits if you cannot return to your prior work
- Death benefits in fatal accident cases
The nature of your disability benefits will depend on the extent of your disability–and whether your injuries are temporary or permanent.
Damages in Personal Injury Cases
Damages in personal injury cases are awarded to account for any loss you’ve experienced because of the accident.
Both economic damages and non-economic damages may be available, including:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning potential
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- PTSD
- Diminished quality of life
- Physical disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
Some damages are easier to prove than others. Medical expenses and direct financial costs are relatively easy to establish. Things like pain, trauma and estimated future costs are often contested.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Construction Accident Lawyer in South Carolina?
Stanley Personal Injury Lawyers represents injured clients on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not pay any upfront fees to hire an attorney. Instead, the firm’s fee is a percentage of the compensation recovered in your case through a settlement or verdict.
Because payment is tied to recovery, you can pursue legal help without worrying about hourly bills or out-of-pocket legal costs. If no compensation is recovered, you typically do not owe attorney’s fees. This arrangement allows injured individuals to seek legal guidance regardless of their financial situation and helps ensure that your legal team is motivated to pursue the best possible outcome.
Can I Recover Damages if I’m Being Blamed for a Construction Accident in South Carolina?
Workers’ compensation benefits are available even if you are partially or fully responsible for the accident. South Carolina workers’ compensation laws do not require you to prove fault, which means you can still receive medical benefits and wage replacement even if the injury was caused by a mistake or unsafe action on your part.
Personal injury claims work differently. South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule. This means your compensation may be reduced based on your share of fault, but you can still recover damages as long as you are not more than 50 percent responsible for the accident. Understanding how fault is evaluated is important, especially when determining whether a third-party claim may still provide meaningful compensation.
What Causes Most Construction Accidents in North Myrtle Beach?
Construction accidents occur for many different reasons. Human error or negligence is the most common cause of construction accidents.
More specifically, some common causes of construction accidents include:
- Ignoring state or federal safety regulations
- Failure to provide proper safety equipment
- Failure to maintain work equipment in safe condition
- Negligent hiring practices, or failing to train or supervise workers
- Defective work tools or equipment
- Exposure to toxic substances and materials
- Failure to keep a proper lookout
- Improper scaffolding installation
- Dangerous property conditions
Understanding the cause of your accident is important. Injured construction accident victims who are eligible to file personal injury lawsuits tend to walk away with more money. Workers’ compensation doesn’t cover everything.
Our lawyers will conduct our own investigation into the circumstances of your accident. Once we determine the root cause of the accident, we can help you understand all of your options for recovering compensation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Claim for Compensation After a Construction Accident in South Carolina?
Acting quickly is always important if you were injured in an accident.
It’s important to notify your employer as quickly as possible after an accident. If you wait longer than 90 days, you jeopardize your right to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
For personal injury claims, you have a maximum of three years to take legal action. Once the three-year statute of limitations expires, you cannot seek compensation.
Contact Our North Myrtle Beach Construction Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Do you have questions about your legal right to compensation after a construction accident? Our team at Stanley Personal Injury Lawyers will fight to pursue compensation for you. Call our North Myrtle Beach construction accident lawyers today to schedule a free consultation.