Getting hurt in a reckless driving accident can be physically, emotionally, and financially devastating for victims and their families. However, if you got hurt in an accident involving a reckless driver, you could potentially receive compensation for your healthcare costs, income losses, and other damages.
Jebaily Law Firm can help you understand your legal rights and seek the compensation you deserve under the law from the at-fault party’s insurance company. Contact our experienced car accident attorneys now for a free consultation to determine whether you have a case and could receive compensation.
What Is Reckless Driving?
Reckless driving is a more serious offense than careless or negligent driving. It describes driving without reasonable care for others’ life and property. Reckless driving can include many irresponsible behaviors such as excessive speeding, driving aggressively, and operating a vehicle with numerous defects.
Other examples of reckless driving behaviors include:
- Driving intoxicated
- Ignoring traffic signs and signals such as running a red light
- Driving distracted
- Failing to stop for police or fleeing from law enforcement
- Drag racing
- Aggressive tailgating and weaving in and out of traffic
- Failing to yield right of way
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), accidents caused by reckless driving kill thousands of individuals on United States roads every year. Many more suffer serious injuries. Victims of reckless drivers generally have the right to legal recourse and could seek damages.
Reckless Driving Laws in South Carolina
Reckless driving in South Carolina is a serious traffic offense that can lead to prison time and steep fines. South Carolina Code Section 56-5-2920 states that an individual is driving recklessly when they operate their vehicle with “willful or wanton disregard” for other road users’ property and safety.
Victims of reckless drivers can generally seek damages through a settlement from the reckless driver’s insurance company or by filing a claim in civil court. However, since South Carolina’s reckless driving laws can be somewhat subjective and open to interpretation, victims of reckless drivers should get professional legal advice and guidance. Having a dedicated car accident lawyer by your side from Jebaily Law Firm can be vital if you have suffered significant injuries and other losses.
Can I Get Compensation If I Am in an Accident with a Reckless Driver?
If you suffered losses due to another driver’s reckless actions, you are generally entitled under the law to pursue adequate compensation.
Reckless driving accidents can occur at high speed with potentially disastrous consequences for all involved in such a crash. Victims can suffer permanent injuries and disabilities. Badly injured victims may not be able to return to their careers or participate in the hobbies and activities they enjoyed before the accident.
While compensation cannot make you healthy again or make up for the loss of a loved one, receiving a fair settlement can potentially prevent financial hardship and help you deal with medical bills and other expenses.
No two reckless driving accidents are the same. Compensation will depend on the specific injuries and other factors of an accident. Victims could potentially recover money for the following types of damages as well as others:
- Hospital stays
- Past, present, and future medical treatments
- Cost of medical devices and medications
- Lost wages and future lost wages
- Future loss of earning capacity
- Physical and emotional anguish
- Disfigurement
- Loss of a limb or limbs
- Loss of a sense such as eyesight or hearing
- Reduced life quality
In cases where the reckless driver’s conduct was particularly egregious, victims could also receive punitive damages in addition to compensatory awards.
What to Do If a Reckless Driver Injures You
If you were involved in an accident with a reckless driver, your priority should be protecting your health and legal rights. Your next best steps after suffering an injury and losses due to someone else’s reckless driving in South Carolina can be:
Seek Medical Advice
If you refused medical attention at the accident scene, visit a medical professional as soon as possible after the accident. That can be crucially important even if you feel only minor symptoms or no symptoms at all.
Some injuries have a delayed onset and may not present with any signs for weeks. One such accident injury can be traumatic brain injury (TBI), a potentially severe condition. According to the Mayo Clinic, TBI symptoms may not show up for days or weeks after the injury.
It is also important to note that you will be unable to prove your injuries and damages without evidence, such as a medical report. Without the necessary documentation linking your injuries to the accident, you will most likely face an uphill struggle with recovering your due.
Speak with a Car Accident Attorney
After an accident caused by reckless driving, you should seek legal advice from an experienced car accident attorney as soon as you can do so. Firstly, you will want to know your rights and how you can recover what you deserve. Secondly, an attorney can start right away with securing crucial evidence that may be time-sensitive, such as traffic camera footage that may be deleted.
Jebaily Law Firm offers free initial consultations where you can find out whether you have a case and could hold a reckless driver to account for your injuries and financial losses.
Jebaily Law Firm is ready to help you determine your legal rights and help you understand all your legal options.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Florence
Jebaily Law Firm has been fighting for car accident victims’ right to justice and compensation for more than 50 years. We have the resources, experience, and tenacity to fight for the compensation you deserve.
We are prepared to handle all aspects of your personal injury or wrongful death claim, including negotiating with insurance company adjusters, collecting evidence proving reckless driving, and building a comprehensive case against a reckless driver. If it comes to a trial, we will be ready to represent you aggressively and fight for full and fair compensation.
If you got hurt by someone else’s reckless actions, do not wait to get information about your legal options and the next best steps. The time for legal action is limited. Start with protecting your legal rights today. Contact Jebaily Law Firm for a free case review
