Bill Connor

Orangeburg Attorney Bill Connor received his Bachelor of Arts from The Citadel in 1990, and after serving for over a decade as an Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, including three deployments to the Middle East, he received his Juris Doctorate from The University of South Carolina in 2005. In 2012, Bill was honored to receive an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, the top peer rating for American lawyers. Receiving this rating at such an early point in his career is unheard of among lawyers.

Healthcare Power Of Attorney

Planning for end of life decision-making is something most want to avoid, and yet critical for the well-being of family. Intellectually, all know they will face the end of life and associated decisions, yet planning can make it too much of a reality. I hope to explain the importance of some end of life decisions and the way to ensure the courts will recognize and respect the decisions. I will also argue why these decisions should be put in place now, as well as the care of family involved with the decisions and associated document.

In South Carolina, a Healthcare Power of Attorney (HPOA) is one of the best ways to make enforceable end of life decisions now which can protect families from potential financial ruin (and emotional turmoil). With the HPOA, a person can give a loved one powers over decision-making in the event the person is in a medical state in which they cannot communicate and (to a reasonable degree of medical certainty) the person will not recover. This medical situation can be the result of an accident, or some kind of terminal illness in advanced stages. The key is that the person is being kept alive by artificial life sustainment (respirator, etc.) of forced hydration/nutrition (forced feeding).

The HPOA allows the person giving authority different decisions relevant to the end of life. First, the decision of whether or not they wish to donate organs after death. Next, the HPOA offers three choices with artificial life sustaining efforts (generally, this deals with pulling the plug on a respirator): 1. They can give the choice to the person they have given power of attorney. 2. They can demand that life sustaining efforts will end. 3. They can demand that life sustainment will continue indefinitely. Next, the HPOA offers the same three choices in the event of forced hydration/nutrition (forced feeding).

If clients ask for my thoughts, I generally recommend clients consider option of giving the decisions for life sustainment and forced feeding to their power of attorney. The person with power of attorney will know all the surrounding factors to make that decision, including discussions with the person who gave power of attorney before losing the ability to communicate. That aside, this is a personal decision the person must make about the end of their life. The good of the HPOA is it prevents the person from being kept on life support against what would be their will, and potentially destroying the family's financial security in the process.

The HPOA is something people should consider when in the process of estate planning with documents like wills and Durable Power of Attorney (look to my previous articles about this Power of Attorney). These documents will display love toward family if and when they must be used. Not spending the time and effort to create the documents, and putting family in a much worse position in the event they are needed but not available, can be telling. Catastrophic personal injury accidents can occur any time, so waiting for old age is not wise. Most general practice lawyers or Estate lawyers can draft and execute a HPOA at a relatively low cost. The time is now to get it done.

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power of attorney

Published in Probate

FINDING ALL POSSIBLE INSURANCE COVERAGE AFTER PERSONAL INJURY

After an accident involving personal injury and resulting damages, it's critical to determine all possible insurance coverage. A personal injury lawyer is usually able to look beyond what most non-lawyers know about coverage, but anyone who has been hurt should know the basics of finding coverage. It's relatively easy in the situation a liable party causes injury and has a policy with high enough limits to pay damages like medical bills, lost wages, and pain/suffering. The tougher situation is when parties either don't have enough coverage, or in some cases neither the liable party has coverage and the hurt party doesn't have uninsured motorist coverage. These unique situations are the focus of this article.

When a liable party causes a great deal of damage, but only maintains minimum limits (in South Carolina that is $25,000.00), the harmed party must look beyond the liable party's coverage. The first place to look is the underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage available by the party with high damages. These limits will usually be at the level of the liability limits if available. Therefore, if a party has $25,000.00 in liability coverage the UIM coverage will be $25K. If the damages are beyond the UIM coverage, the other potential coverage is in "stacking" UIM policies for other vehicles under the harmed parties' policy. That allows for that additional coverage as needed. Yes, the liable party can be sued for an amount beyond their coverage, but attempting to satisfy damages beyond coverage becomes very difficult and time-consuming. The old saying "you can't squeeze blood from a turnip" applies in many cases, and remember there is no debtor's prison.

The same principle of coverage applies when the other driver is uninsured. Instead of UIM coverage, it is uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, with the same ability to stack policies to satisfy damages. Again, must better to go after insurance policies available then attempting to "squeeze blood from a turnip".

The other situation that can create the need for alternative insurance coverage is in the event of an accident involving an uninsured driver and the harmed party does not have personal policy coverage (or declined UM/UIM coverage). Another potential coverage may exist as the only alternative to having no coverage available. If the person is a "resident relative", living in the same house with a direct family relative (like father/mother or spouse or children), and the relative has UM/UIM policy coverage, that harmed party could be covered. The insurance company for the policy allowing coverage for a resident relative will likely conduct an investigation to ensure the relatives did live together at the time of the accident, and proof will be required. Assuming the insurance company accepts the resident relative status, then the coverage is available to the limits of the UM/UIM policy.

Again, a personal injury lawyer will be looking for these alternative types of coverage, but it's still important for everyone to understand what is available to cover damages. It could make all the difference in the world for yourself, or more importantly for those you love.

Bill

FINDING ALL POSSIBLE INSURANCE COVERAGE AFTER PERSONAL INJURY

Bill

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Published in Personal Injury

Power Of Attorney In South Carolina

The legal ability to give power of attorney to another can be extremely helpful in many cases, but also dangerous if the wrong person is given that power. There are nuances to different types and levels of power of attorney, and those nuances help prevent a catastrophic mistake. Power of attorney can be limited to a specific act or scope of acts, or it can deliver all financial powers. A health care power of attorney can provide health care powers for the situation in which one is not able to communicate health care decisions. Let's go over the considerations for each.

First, A general power of attorney allows another person complete power to make all financial and administrative decisions and actions. For example, someone with general power of attorney can go to a bank and withdraw all money from one's account. The law allows for powers of attorney to be "durable", and therefore a durable general power of attorney will continue being mental incapacity to death. This means that whoever has general powers can sign over real estate and clean out bank accounts among other powers. This is a power that should only be granted to the most trusted individual, and that person should be provided detailed guidance for using that power. It can be revoked any time, and should be revoked in the event of any question of trust that might arise.

Next, the power of attorney can be limited in scope to a specific action, for example signing a real estate contract and/or deed. This is a limited power of attorney, and only allows for what was specified by the person giving power of attorney. This is a wise option to choose in preventing abuse. The downside is that once the limited action is over, the person can do nothing more without another power attorney. The power can be limited in scope, allowing for continuing powers within the same area, like handling a certain bank account. In that event, it can also be durable within that scope.

A Healthcare power of attorney allows powers related to "pulling the plug" on life support or ending forced feeding when, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, the person will not survive without the extraordinary life sustainment and will not regain consciousness to make their own decision. This is different from other powers of attorney, limited or general, and one that also requires a great deal of trust. The power of attorney give three options: 1. Allowing the person being given the powers to make the decision about life sustainment. 2. Ending life sustainment. 3. Continuing life sustainment. Most will choose to give power for the other person to make the decision. I recommend considering that option, as the person will have all the facts to make an informed decision based on the specific circumstances.

When I was deploying to Afghanistan, we advised newly married soldiers to think long and hard before giving general power of attorney. There were horror stories of those who were "cleaned out" while deployed away, facing bankruptcy with their divorce upon return. Those kinds of stories abound, and give pause to giving general power to all but the most proven trustworthy individuals. In the event of a personal injury situation and claim against another party for causing the injury, lawyers may request limited power of attorney for certain actions related to the claims or lawsuits. I believe it is wise to consider providing that limited power of attorney, particularly if the lawyer is separated by long distance and signing documents may require lengthy mail delays. Speak to your lawyer about this question. Always remain wise and cautious about powers of attorney.

Bill Connor,

The Bill Connor Law Firm

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Published in Probate

Workers Compensation or Personal Injury?

When someone is hurt on the job it's important that person understand the issues involved with being compensated for damages. In most cases, the worker is covered by Workers Compensation insurance provide through his employer. In the event the employer did not have Worker's Compensation Insurance when required due to having 4 or more employees, the state has a fund to help such injured employees. Workers Compensation is meant to help both the employee and employer. It helps the employee by providing medical coverage and wage compensation without having to prove liability of the employer. It helps the employer by preventing litigation costs as Worker's Compensation is the sole remedy for the employee against the employer.

Despite the positive ends of Workers Compensation to the employee, it also brings certain drawbacks. Despite the liability of the employer in causing the injury through negligence, the employee cannot receive more than the medical costs and certain lost wage compensation. It does not provide for damages like pain and suffering, and therefore can drastically limit what the employee would have obtained through a personal injury claim which could be filed in court. The employee must accept Workers Compensation as the remedy against the employer, even if the employee would rather file a personal injury claim to obtain redress for damages like pain and suffering.

It's important to know that Workers Compensation law in South Carolina does not restrict an injured employee from filing a personal injury claim against a third party (non-employer) with liability or some liability for the injury. The employee must first finish the Workers Compensation coverage and settle the Workers Compensation claim before pursuing any further claims (and the Workers Compensation Insurance may hold a lien on any settlement or award from the liable third party). However, when the Workers Compensation claim is settled, the employee can then file a claim against the third party. That claim can involve all damages, including potentially punitive based on the nature of the case (more on punitive damages in another article).

It's important to have an attorney handle work-related accidents. Not only because Workers Compensation law is relatively complicated and involves many rules in dealing with the Workers Compensation Commission. The other reason is that an attorney will be able to properly assess the potential for the third party claim and what damages to seek.

Call The Bill Connor Law Firm Today!

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Published in Personal Injury

Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer

Personal Injury Lawyer In South Carolina
A personal injury is an injury that is the fault of another person or business. There are many different classifications of a personal injury, for example, slip and falls when on another person's property or business, automobile accidents, and medical malpractices can all be listed as a personal injury.
These laws exist to compensate the injured person and help make sure that future wrongdoings are avoided.

What is a personal injury attorney?
A personal injury lawyer a person who legally represents plaintiffs that are claiming physical or emotional injury as the result of negligence or disregard of another person or party.
The lawyer assists the plaintiff and helps them acquire compensation for their suffering or loss as a result of an injury. If your suffering has resulted in your inability to work, perform normal activities, left you in pain, with medical expenses, or caused you psychological distress, and left you with legal costs, your attorney can assist you in getting the fair compensation you need to cover your losses.

Obligations of a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Your Lawyer will investigate your injury claim, collect evidence and research case laws. The primary purpose of your lawyer is to get you the reasonable compensation required for your loss and suffering. In some instances your attorney may be able to get the other party to settle, in this case, you would not have to take the other party or business to trial.
Having an attorney can help protect you from being taken advantage of and ensure you are treated fairly.

Benefits of Having a Lawyer
Most people wonder if having a personal injury attorney is needed, and the answer to that is that it can be impossible to handle a case on your own if you do not have the proper legal knowledge. When the stakes are high, a personal injury lawyer is crucial for the following purposes:

Claim’s Value
What is your claim worth?
You can't accurately determine the value of your claims. But you can get a reasonable estimate from an attorney.

Legal Process
An experienced lawyer South Carolina knows the legal procedures and proper time for filing a personal injury lawsuit. If you decide to handle the case on your own, you may make a mistake that can have your case thrown out.

Case Success
The odds are that the defendant, particularly businesses and insurance companies will hire a qualified, experienced attorney to defend them against your allegations. If you choose to fight this legal team on your own, you may find yourself outmatched and lose. Letting a knowledgeable lawyer handle the opposing party is the best approach to ensure your best outcome.

It's important to find a reliable, experienced, knowledgeable attorney that will look out for your best interests.
If you or a loved one have endured a personal injury due to an accident and need to make a legal claim, obtaining a personal lawyer in South Carolina is crucial.
At The Bill Connor Law Firm, we will do our best to make sure you receive the compensation you deserve. Call us today to see how we can assist you.

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Published in General

GENERAL PRACTICE ATTORNEY IN ORANGEBURG SC

General practice usually contains a broad variety of practice fields by a lawyer. It signifies that the lawyer does not restrict their law firm or practice to just one particular area of law. Usually, the lawyer will practice law in numerous areas including criminal law, collision and personal injury, medical malpractice, estate planning, business law, family law, and more.

Many lawyers will start a “general practice” and sometimes settle into a specific area of law in which they aim to specialize. One may also see general practitioners in smaller communities such as Orangeburg SC. In these communities clients look to "their" hometown lawyer, so an attorney must practice in various areas. Attorneys-at-law are not obliged to specialize.

When a person is looking for an attorney in Orangeburg SC, they may want to find a lawyer that that has expertise in a variety of areas so that they can help them in many different types of law. At The Bill Connor Law Firm in Orangeburg SC, we can help you in several areas of law.

If, a person, has regular legal issues including those that sometimes trouble small businesses, he may find that a general practitioner can better help in all areas. The lawyer will generally get to know the business better and know how it fits together. Also, keep in mind that a general practice lawyer can seek cooperation from attorneys of a particular specialty when specialization is required. A general practitioner will also be in a position to assist, manage and call in expert assistance whenever and whatever as needed.

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Published in General

What you need to know when filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit

If you or a loved one is considering filing a personal injury lawsuit due to a car crash, slip and fall, or any personal injury in Columbia SC, you may be wondering "What is my lawsuit worth and should I even file a case at all?" The answer comes down to "damages" and calculating what your injuries have cost you and your family monetarily, physically, and psychologically

In a personal injury lawsuit, financial damages are paid to an injured person (the plaintiff) by the people or company legally liable for the incident (the defendant, usually covered by an insurer). A settlement can occur after a negotiated agreement between the parties, their insurance companies, and their lawyers. Alternatively, a judge or jury can award damages following a court trial in which a party is found liable.

In this article, we are going to look at the different kinds of damages typical in most personal injury cases and how a personal injury damages award can be influenced by the plaintiff's action (or inaction).

Compensatory Damages in Personal Injury Lawsuits

Many personal injury damages are classified as "compensatory," this means that they are intended to compensate the injured plaintiff for what was suffered due to the accident or injury. This involves putting a dollar amount on all the consequences of an incident. Some compensatory damages are relatively simple to quantify such as reimbursement for property damage and the injured plaintiff's medical bills. But it's a lot more challenging to put a monetary value on pain and suffering or the inability to enjoy regular life events because of physical limitations caused by accident-related injuries.

Here's a list of the various kinds of compensatory damages that are standard in many personal injury cases.

Income

You may be awarded compensation for the accident's impact on your salary and wages. This includes income you've already lost and also the money you that you would have been able to make in the future, if not for the incident. In personal injury legalese, a damage award based on later income is described as compensation for your "loss of earning capacity."

Emotional suffering

Typically linked with more severe accidents, emotional distress damages are intended to compensate for a personal injury plaintiff for the psychological impact of an injury. For example, fear, anxiety, and even sleep loss due to the accident. In some states, emotional distress is part of any "pain and suffering" damage that is given to a personal injury plaintiff.

Medical treatment

A personal injury damages award usually covers the cost of medical care associated with the accident, reimbursement for medical treatment you or a loved one have received any compensation for the estimated cost of medical care you'll require in the future due to the accident.

Pain and suffering

You may be entitled to receive compensation for pain and severe discomfort that you have suffered caused by the accident and its immediate aftermath and also for any ongoing pain that can be associated with the incident.

Property loss

If any cars or other items were damaged because of the accident, you'd probably be entitled to compensation for repairs or reimbursement for the fair market value of the property that was lost.

Loss of consortium

In personal injury lawsuits, "loss of consortium" damages usually refer to the impact the injuries have on the plaintiff's relationship with their spouse. For instance, the lack of companionship or the inability to keep a sexual relationship also some states consider the separate impact on the relationship between a parent and their children when a person is injured. In some instances, loss of consortium damages is given directly to the affected family member rather than the injured plaintiff.

Loss of enjoyment

When injuries produced by accident keep you or a loved one from enjoying day-to-day activities including exercise, hobbies and other recreational activities, you may be entitled to get "loss of enjoyment" damages.

Punitory Damages in Personal Injury Lawsuits

In cases where the defendant's behavior is considered particularly outrageous or extremely careless, a personal injury plaintiff may be awarded punitive damages along with any compensatory damages award.

Punitive damages are given to the injured plaintiff. The goal of these types of costs is to punish the defendant for their conduct.

Contributory negligence

In the handful of states that follow the concept of "contributory negligence" for personal injury cases, you may not be capable of recovering any compensation at all if you're considered partially to blame for the incident.

Related negligence

If you or a loved one is at fault (even partially) for the accident that caused your injuries, the odds are that any damage award will reflect that. This is because most states adhere to a "comparative negligence" standard that combines damages to a degree of fault in a personal injury lawsuit.

After the accident: failure to decrease damages.

The law in most states expects the plaintiffs in personal injury lawsuits to take sensible measures to reduce or "mitigate" the financial impact of the harm due to the accident. This is the case in South Carolina, including Columbia SC. If an injured plaintiff unreasonably allows damages to continue (by failing to get necessary medical treatment after an incident and causing their injuries to become much worse), a damages award might be diminished.

Bill Connor is a Personal Injury Attorney in Orangeburg South Carolina.

If you or a loved one have been involved in an accident, call The Bill Connor Law Firm today!

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Published in Personal Injury

CONSIDERATIONS FOR MEDICAL CARE AFTER PERSONAL INJURY

When you have been hurt in an accident in Orangeburg SC that was the fault of another, it's important to receive proper medical care. Whether the accident is a slip and fall, car wreck, bicycle accident, or whatever, getting a medical check after the incident is critical for many reasons. First, immediate medical attention is just the best thing for your future health. The longer the wait before treatment, the higher the chance of further and potentially permanent injury. Particularly after a vehicle accident, the adrenaline involved can block the true level of pain associated with the injury and only a medical evaluation will discover the extent of the problem. The adrenaline rush can last for a day or even days, before wearing off to reveal the extent of pain due to the injury. By that point, further activity may have caused more problems to even a permanent nature.

The second reason for immediate medical evaluation and treatment is important for a future personal injury claim. The longer the time between the incident and medical evaluation, the more argument you will face of either an intervening event having caused injury. You may also face more of an argument that the injury is minor. This is particularly the case when injuries do not involve the clear and unquestionable like broken bones. A strained neck can be just as harmful as a broken arm, and yet it becomes harder to objectively quantify the level of injury. The quicker medical attention is sought and the injury noted on evaluation, the better for the future claim. Additionally, X-rays and CAT scans help quickly find a serious injury that would not be apparent otherwise.

Beyond initial treatment and evaluation, it's important to continue necessary follow-up treatment for the injury. Like initial treatment and evaluation, it's important to seek and obtain the follow-on treatment to prevent further physical problems, including permanent injury. Next in importance is the legal claim effect. When the injury is being evaluated, the total medical bills become the most important factor in insurance companies assessing cases. That same dynamic occurs with juries as well. The more medical bills, the higher the value for the claim (in most circumstances). Normally, more value is placed on medical bills verses either chiropractic or physical therapy bills. However, those bills still hold weight. The consideration for possibly deferring some treatment might be the cost involved if a person has no medical insurance. Even in that event, however, many times chiropractic clinics will offer treatment with a lien on their bill from the proceeds of a settlement or jury verdict. It is always best for yourself and the claim to get all treatment necessary.

Hopefully, this will help if you ever have the unfortunate experience of personal injury. Always seek good legal counsel to help guide you through the process.

Call The Bill Connor Law Firm Today!

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Published in Personal Injury

Bibles For India

The Story.

James Stephen previously served with Bill Connor as interpreter to American forces during combat operations in Helmand, Afghanistan. After Bill and James served together, James left Afghanistan to become a missionary in New Delhi, India.

AT THE AGE OF 18 I HAD THIS EXPERIENCE.

I was sitting in Church one day as I was listening to a sister who came to the pulpit. She started to say that GANG MEMBERS wanted to join her two sons into their gangs. I had just joined the service and I looked around and noticed everyone wearing suits and ties but as for me I had a bald head and big pants and tattoos across my neck. I stood up and left the congregation because I felt out of place.

I was five blocks away and a sister came running towards me saying, “Omar, Omar, Jesus loves you. Don’t leave the path of God. “I turned around, looked at her and said, “What are you doing here? Are you crazy or what? Come on, I’m going to take you back.” As I was taking her back she started to tell me, “I know what it’s like because of what you look like and where you come from… but don’t leave the path of God. Jesus loves you.” She told me that she too also had been on the streets taking DRUGS and in GANGS and in and out of JAIL.. “But don’t leave the path of God. Jesus loves you..” As I was walking her back to the Church she had her baby held in her arms and she said, “I am going to pray for you.” As she started to pray I was walking on the side of the street and she on the sidewalk. I was looking down and listening to her prayer and a few seconds later she suddenly grabbed me as a bus whizzed by. The bus almost ran me over.

I tried thanking her but she responded, “It wasn’t me. It was Jesus.” I tried to hug her and thank her again, but she said “It wasn’t me. It was Jesus.” I sat down on the floor and had tears in my eyes and thought to myself, “I should of have been SMASHED or thrown fifty feet in the air. I SHOULD BE IN HELL RIGHT NOW.”

My mind was running fast over what just happened. Later I was reading a passage from the Bible which says, “My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins… (James 5:19-20). And that’s me. The verse applies to me.

James Stephens.

Bibles In India.

The Bill Connor Law Firm supports James in his efforts to bring Bibles to people in India.

THE

MISSION.

With an open Heart, to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ

~ Attorney Bill Connor, The Bill Connor Law Firm ~

"Beyond resources, the law firm team regularly prays for James and all his fellow missionaries. They are making a huge difference for God's Kingdom in bringing the light of the Gospel."

A message of hope.

"Greetings to you all in the Precious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ and may the grace of God be with you all Amen.

Hi,
I'm James Stephen living in India for the last 10 year's sharing the love of Jesus to the people of Hindustan it is an amazing culture people place and a historic place from ancient people's of the past to a first world country. I'm here doing full-time ministry and I am without family or job. Serving people, providing Bibles and tracks to new families who have usually never been to church or have any Christian background. The support money helps me to travel and distribute the Bible's and track's as well as things for Church like supplies for our children's Sunday school and instruments for worship. We also buy books to teach and a few meals too. By faith and grace of God, we are doing it!"

-James Stephens-

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Published in Missions

What to do when involved in an accident in Columbia SC

Accidents can happen at any time. No matter how good the driver, a person can still be involved in a crash and sometimes left with a totaled vehicle and serious personal injuries. This is particularly the case in Columbia, South Carolina which was ranked the second worst in the nation for drivers. While your insurance is intended to protect you against financial consequences that could break the bank, you could still end up on the hook for medical bills and car repairs. Being informed about what do if in an accident before it happens is the smart way to protect yourself. Here's a list of things you need to know if you or a loved one is involved in an accident in Columbia SC.

The first thing you want to do when a collision occurs is to check for injuries among those involved. That includes all passengers who were riding in your vehicle and everyone in the other automobile. If there has been any apparent physical injuries, immediately call 911. It's also important to remember that an internal injury can potentially be life-threatening and waiting to get help could make the situation worse. You should get checked by EMS after a car accident have record of your physical condition and ensure you don't have injuries you are unaware.

Then, of course, you should always report the accident to the authorities. This is the case even when an accident seems relatively minor. An officer will come to the scene to fill out a report, or you may be able to file one at your local precinct. This is important to have the record for your insurance claim or if anyone were to bring a claim against you.

When completing the report, it’s crucial to be as detailed as possible and include everything you can remember. It’s also a good idea to get a copy of the report for your records, in case you end up in court later on.

Always take pictures of all the cars involved in the incident as soon as possible, noting any damage and how they’re positioned including photos of the area, including traffic signs or signals, lane markings, trees and anything you believe may have aided to the crash. Make a note of where in Columbia the accident occurred, the time of day, which direction you were heading and how fast you were going if possible.

Sometimes the other driver will tell you they don’t want to get their insurance company involved, but it's essential that you exchange the relevant information make sure to get their full name, address, and phone number as well as the name of their insurance company. Write down the car’s make, model and tag number and make sure they have all of your information as well. You should also get the names and phone numbers of anyone who witnessed the accident which may be needed later on as proof.

If it’s possible, you should call your insurance company while you’re still at the scene of the accident. The agent you talk to should be able to tell you what you need to do next to file a claim. They should advise you in what kind of things you don’t want to do, which would include admitting guilt or signing anything that hasn’t first been reviewed by your insurer.

Once you’ve alerted the insurance company and begin the claims process, continue to document everything that happens. If you were injured, for instance, it’s a wise idea to keep copies of your doctor’s reports and medical bills.

It’s also vital to hold on to any receipts for all car repairs you pay for out-of-pocket. If the other motorist or their insurance company tries to contact you, remember to make a note of the call and politely refer them to the adjuster who is managing your claim or your lawyer.

When a car accident happens, it’s up to the insurance companies to try and determine who ’s liable and what each party is responsible for financially. While it’s generally in the best interest of both sides to settle, there are situations where one person may decide to take the dispute to court. You should always speak with an experienced attorney following a car accident.

Never make an admission of fault at the scene of the accident, as they admission can and will be related in court to your detriment. Insurance companies will normally not settle claims in favor of a party who made an admission. Even if you think you may have done something wrong, the other driver may be more at fault.

The more you know, the more prepared you will be if you are involved in an accident.

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Published in Columbia South Carolina Personal Injury Lawyer

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Ideas, tips & inspiration obtained from this website are for informational purposes only.

They should never be used as legal advice. Please consult a licensed attorney before pursuing any legal matters.

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