Columbia Personal Injury Lawyers
When your legal needs require you to go up against a bigger party – an insurance company, the state or federal government – then you need a law firm on your side that can level the playing field and give you the chance not just to hold your own but to succeed. That’s what you’ll get at Simmons Law Firm. Our hard-working attorneys and caring staff work together with focus and dedication to provide you with the personal attention you deserve and get you the results you need. We are big enough to take on the most challenging and complex cases, yet small enough to deliver personal service to every client. We truly care about your well-being and the results we get for you, and you’ll experience that level of caring firsthand when you call or come by our offices in Columbia here in the heart of South Carolina.
Below is a summary of our firm’s main areas of practice. If you have legal needs in any of these areas in South Carolina, give our Columbia personal injury lawyers a call for a free consultation so we can learn more about your situation and let you know how we can help.
Personal Injury
We help people recover significant compensation when they have been injured by the negligence of another. We have helped accident victims suffering from the most severe and catastrophic injuries, including brain and spine injuries. We additionally bring wrongful death claims on behalf of family members who lost a loved one because of another’s negligence or wrongful conduct.
Medical Malpractice
If you went to a doctor or hospital for medical treatment only to leave worse off than when you came in, we can help you determine whether an avoidable medical mistake was to blame. We hold Columbia doctors and hospitals accountable for medical negligence and actions that fall below the acceptable standard of care for physicians. We represent victims and families harmed by a wide variety of medical malpractice, including misdiagnosis, failure to diagnose cancer and other serious diseases and illnesses, surgical errors, birth trauma, prescription drug errors, and more.
Car Accidents
Our comprehensive car accident practice covers car, trucking, motorcycle, bus, bicycle and pedestrian accidents. We represent people hit by drunk drivers, drowsy drivers, distracted drivers, uninsured drivers, hit-and-run drivers, and other negligent or reckless drivers. We know how to prepare a case that proves the other driver’s fault and liability for the full extent of your legal damages.
Nursing Home Abuse & Neglect
When nursing facilities fail to take adequate care of our most vulnerable seniors and family members, Simmons Law Firm stands up to be their voice and a fierce advocate for their needs. We hold nursing homes accountable for their failures, stop abuse or neglect in its tracks, and make sure residents get the care and compensation they need and deserve.
Products Liability
Our firm takes on the biggest corporations, including the Big 3 automakers and pharmaceutical giants, and holds them strictly accountable when they release dangerously defective products onto the market. Our products liability practice covers design defects, manufacturing defects, and marketing defects of consumer products, automobiles, dangerous drugs, defective medical devices and more. When greedy corporations put profits ahead of safety, personal injury lawsuits may be the only way to get their attention, force them to change their practices, and ensure injury victims get the care and compensation they need.
Premises Liability
Our South Carolina premises liability practice focuses on retail stores, shopping malls, restaurants, apartment complexes and other establishments whose inadequate security practices allow assaults and robberies to take place on their premises. A company’s duty to its customers and guests includes taking reasonable measures to protect their safety. Our lawyers help victims of assault and also take on other premises liability claims as well, including slip and fall injuries or other accidents caused by dangerous conditions on the property.
Workplace Accidents
We help injured workers and independent contractors bring negligence claims against third parties who cause an accident or injury at the workplace or on the job. We represent construction workers, factory workers, agricultural workers and others injured on the job in motor vehicle accidents, dangerous premises accidents, product defect injuries, and other instances where workers’ compensation fails to fully account for the damage done by a negligent third party.
Securities & Investor Disputes
Stockbrokers and investment advisors have a duty to know their customers, know their products, and only recommend or sell suitable investments. Older investors who spent a lifetime accumulating wealth for their retirement or to pass on a legacy to their loved ones can see their life savings wiped out by unsuitable investments. We help investors recover their financial losses and other damages caused by negligent or unscrupulous behavior of brokers and brokerage firms.
White-Collar Criminal Defense
Federal agencies like the Department of Justice, the US Attorney’s Office, the IRS and others have virtually unlimited resources and hordes of attorneys and agents they can commit to the investigation and enforcement of white-collar crimes like tax fraud, securities, fraud, bank fraud or healthcare fraud. These broad investigations often sweep up employees who had no part in a financial scheme or who unwittingly violated some technical law without any intent to do wrong. We put our litigations skills and experience behind people accused of white-collar criminal offenses and provide them with the strong, capable defense they are entitled to under the law.
Whistleblower Claims
If you are aware of false or fraudulent claims being submitted to the federal government or other illegal activity going on in your workplace, we can help you blow the whistle on illegal conduct while protecting your job and making sure you are rewarded for your courage in rooting out fraud, waste and corruption. We have been representing whistleblowers for more than 20 years and aggressively investigate every case from the very start to protect our clients’ rights.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in South Carolina?
The standard statute of limitations for most personal injury claims in South Carolina is three years from the date of the injury. If the claim involves a government entity, notice requirements may be much shorter, potentially less than a year. Cases involving minors have different tolling rules that can extend the filing period. Consulting with an attorney soon after an injury ensures you do not lose the right to file by missing a deadline.
What if I was partly at fault for my accident?
South Carolina follows a modified comparative fault rule. If you were less than fifty-one percent at fault, you can still recover damages, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are found to bear fifty-one percent or more of the responsibility, you cannot recover at all. Because insurers routinely try to inflate a victim’s share of fault to reduce payouts, how fault is framed and documented matters considerably.
How much is my personal injury case worth?
There is no formula that produces a reliable number without reviewing the specific facts of a case. The value depends on the nature and severity of the injury, the quality of the medical documentation, the clarity of the liability picture, the available insurance coverage, and the long-term impact of the injury on the victim’s life and work. Cases with clear liability, documented serious injuries, and significant economic losses typically settle for more than cases where any of those elements is weak or contested.
Do I have to go to court?
Most personal injury claims in Columbia resolve through settlement before trial. However, going into a claim without being prepared to litigate it fully changes the leverage available at the negotiating table. Insurers know which law firms take cases to trial and which do not. That reputation affects settlement offers. The goal is always an outcome that fairly compensates the client, and sometimes that requires filing suit in the Richland County Court of Common Pleas and letting the process move toward trial.
What does it cost to hire a personal injury lawyer in Columbia?
Personal injury attorneys typically work on a contingency fee basis, meaning there is no upfront cost and no fee unless the case results in a recovery. The attorney’s fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict. The specific percentage should be discussed clearly at the outset of the representation, along with how case expenses such as expert witness fees and court filing costs are handled.
My injury seemed minor at first but got worse. Can I still file a claim?
Yes, and this situation is more common than people realize. Whiplash, herniated discs, and certain traumatic brain injuries often do not reveal their full severity until days or weeks after the incident. The critical factor is that you sought medical attention reasonably promptly after the incident and that your treating physicians have documented the connection between the accident and your condition. A delay in treatment or diagnosis does not automatically defeat a claim, but it does create a factual issue that the defense will use, and building the medical record properly is essential.
What happens to my personal injury claim if the at-fault driver had no insurance?
South Carolina requires drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage, and that coverage exists precisely for this situation. If the at-fault driver was uninsured, your own insurance policy’s uninsured motorist provision may provide a source of recovery. If the driver was insured but their policy limits were too low to cover the full extent of your damages, underinsured motorist coverage becomes relevant. Navigating these claims involves the same legal analysis as any other personal injury case, and your own insurer, while not technically adverse to you, still has financial incentives to minimize the payout.
Can I file a personal injury claim if I was injured at a Columbia rental property?
Potentially yes. Landlords and property managers have duties under South Carolina law to maintain rental properties in reasonably safe condition. If a dangerous condition on the property, such as a broken stair, inadequate exterior lighting, or a known hazard that was not repaired, caused your injury, a premises liability claim may be viable. The analysis depends on what the landlord knew or should have known about the condition and whether reasonable steps were taken to address it.
What if my injury happened at work but a third party was also involved?
This situation creates the possibility of both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate personal injury lawsuit against the third party. Workers’ comp covers medical expenses and a portion of lost wages but does not compensate for pain and suffering. A third-party claim against a negligent subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or another driver who caused a work-related accident can recover those additional categories of damages. These claims can run simultaneously, though the interplay between them involves subrogation rights that need to be managed carefully. Simmons Law Firm’s practice in workplace accident cases addresses exactly this overlap.
How are nursing home injury cases handled differently from other personal injury claims?
Nursing home and assisted living facility cases involve a combination of personal injury law, elder abuse statutes, and federal and state regulations governing long-term care facilities. The evidence is often held by the facility itself, which makes early legal action to preserve records critical. Expert testimony from medical professionals and long-term care specialists is typically necessary. South Carolina’s laws protecting vulnerable adults provide additional tools beyond standard negligence that can be relevant in these cases. The firm handles these claims through its dedicated focus on nursing home abuse representation.
Simmons Law Firm Is Here for You When You Need Us in Columbia and South Carolina
When you find a legal matter staring you in the face, calling the attorneys at Simmons Law Firm for a free consultation can put your mind at ease right away. After discussing the facts of your case with one of our compassionate attorneys, you will better understand what needs to happen to resolve your case.
The thought of obtaining legal help can seem expensive, but Simmons Law Firm endeavors to provide affordable services for our clients. Besides offering a free consultation, we take most matters on contingency whenever applicable (contingency fees are not allowed in criminal defense matters). We use our resources to obtain justice for you and only receive a fee after your case is resolved with a financial reward in your favor. Call Simmons Law Firm today for your free consultation in Columbia at 803-779-4600. You can also reach us toll-free throughout South Carolina by calling 888-715-8818, or contact us online to schedule your consultation. Our Columbia personal injury lawyers look forward to hearing from you and getting the opportunity to resolve your legal matter with personal attention and great results.
