James Law Firm Blog

Supplemental Security Income (SSI) provides funding to those who are children or those ages 65 and older who are blind or have a disability. To qualify for these funds, you must also be a United States citizen and have a valid Social Security number.

Parents or guardians may apply for blind or disabled children under the age of 18. In certain cases, another third party can apply on behalf of the child. If you need assistance in applying for SSI benefits, contact an SSI benefits attorney today.

When you apply for SSI
When you are applying for SSI benefits, you should bring certain items with you. If you do not have all these things on the list below, do not let that deter you from applying. The staff at the Social Security office can help you obtain the necessary documents.

Bring with you:

• • Your Social Security card or record of your Social Security number
• Pay slips, bank books, insurance policies, burial records and other information about your income and the things you own
• Your birth certificate or other proof of your age
• Proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen status
• Information about the home where you live (mortgage or your lease and landlord’s information)
• The names, addresses and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals and clinics that you have visited
• Your checkbook or bank statements so that your SSI funds can be directly deposited into your account.

If you are applying for SSI benefits or of your SSI benefit claim has been denied, please contact South Carolina SSI benefits attorneys at the Dick James Law Firm in Greenville, South Carolina today to schedule a complimentary consultation.

On roads and interstates across America, someone is injured in a traffic accident every 12 seconds. Driving is a privilege, not a right. But unfortunately, many people take the luxury of driving for granted. The outcome is thousands of devastating motor vehicle collisions and lives of unsuspecting drivers that are forever changed in mere seconds. If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident, contact a qualified automobile accident attorney as soon as possible.

Negligence on the road

Failure to execute reasonable care while driving is considered negligence. If you are a driver, passenger or pedestrian involved in an accident in which another person’s reckless or careless behavior caused your injury, you can hold that party legally responsible.

In South Carolina, even if you were partially to blame for the accident, as long as your contribution was less than 50 percent, you can still collect money for your injuries. This is system of fault is called “contributory negligence.”

Injuries and compensation

In general, the victim of an automobile accident can bring a claim to recover any costs associated with the accident. This can include:

• Property damage costs
• Medical bills and future medical treatment
• Lost wages and the inability to earn future income
• Other economic damages
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional anguish
• Loss of companionship
• Lost inheritance

If you or a family member has suffered a traumatic brain injury in the Greenville, South Carolina area, please contact South Carolina traumatic brain injury attorneys at the Dick James Law Firm today to schedule your free case review.

Though seemingly minor, slip and fall accidents can result in serious injuries that can leave you permanently disabled. A nearly-invisible crack or thin coating of water on the ground may leave you immobile for days or confine you to a wheelchair indefinitely. If you have suffered a slip and fall injury, contact a qualified personal injury lawyer to discuss your claim.

Not uncommon

Thousands of slip and fall injuries occur each year in the United States. In fact, in 2004 there were more than 8 million injury-related emergency room visits from slip and fall accidents. These particular claims can become complicated when determining fault, and deciding whether the conditions were indeed hazardous.

A majority of slip and fall accidents are actually preventable. If you were hurt because of another person's negligence, you have the right to be compensated for your injuries. Some examples of dangerous conditions that can warrant a slip and fall accident claim include:

• Torn or frayed carpeting
• Poor lighting (indoor or outdoor)
• Narrow or broken stairs
• Wet or slippery floors
• Uneven or cracked pavement
• Potholes
• Lack of handrails

Filing a report

If you have suffered a slip and fall accident because of another person's negligence, compile a report about the incident as soon as possible after it occurred. Be sure to note:

• What caused the fall
• The condition of the area where the accident happened
• Who witnessed the accident
• Witnesses reactions during your fall and afterward

If you were involved in a slip and fall injury in the Greenville, South Carolina area, please contact South Carolina slip and fall accident attorneys at the Dick James Law Firm today. We offer free consultations and can help you collect the money you deserve.

An amputation, or loss of a body part, is most often the result of illness or injury. While trauma is the leading cause of amputation worldwide, in the United States only about 22 percent of amputations result from trauma; the majority are caused by disease.

Nevertheless, an amputation injury is a devastating ordeal. About 1.2 million Americans are living with living with an amputation, a majority of them having lost a portion of their leg. Many people who have lost their whole limb or part of a limb experience a sensation called "phantom limb pain." Various factors may contribute to this sensation; however, experts believe that damaged nerve endings are most likely the cause.

If you have been the victim of an amputation injury, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer today.

Today's improvements

Long-term outcomes for amputees have drastically improved in recent years. Some of the reasons for this include:
A better understanding on how to manage a traumatic amputation
Innovative prosthetic designs
Early emergency and critical care management
New surgical techniques that allow more of the limb to remain
Early and aggressive rehabilitation
If you have suffered an amputation injury, sometimes the severed limb can be reattached. If the severed body part is carefully taken care of, new limb re-plantation tactics may allow you limb to be reattached and the nerves to regenerate. However, you may have better mobility with a well-fitted, highly-functional prosthesis.

If you live in the Greenville, South Carolina area and you have suffered an amputation injury, please contact South Carolina personal injury lawyers at the Dick James Law Firm to arrange for a free consultation.

While many people are quick to assume a large truck accident is caused by a truck driver’s reckless behavior such as driver fatigue or overloading the rig, sometimes it is the fault of the passenger vehicle driver. Regardless of who is at fault of an accident, if you are injured, you should contact a personal injury lawyer to discuss the details of your case.

Unsafe maneuvers by passenger drivers

There are many unsafe actions that the driver of a passenger vehicle can make, which lead to a truck accident. Some include the drivers' ignorance of a large truck's performance capabilities, such as the time it takes to brake, accelerate and how much room to leave between vehicles.

Other dangerous acts drivers of passenger vehicles can commit around large trucks include:

• Failing to slow down or speed up when a truck begins to merge or change lanes
• Pulling in front of a truck from the shoulder without accelerating fast enough
• Abruptly changing lanes in front of a truck
• Misjudging a truck's speed at an intersection, and turning in front of it
• Driving between large trucks
• Unsafely passing, especially with insufficient space in front of the truck Passing a truck, then being blown out of position by the wind
• Abandoning a vehicle in a travel lane, or failing to move a broken-down vehicle completely off the highway
• Merging improperly into traffic, causing a semi truck to maneuver or brake quickly

Have you have been involved in a large truck accident in the Greenville, South Carolina area? Then please contact South Carolina truck accident attorneys at the Dick James Law Firm for a free case evaluation.