What Is a Wrongful Death Case in North Charleston, SC?

Roden Law represents families who have lost a loved one to another’s negligence in North Charleston, South Carolina and throughout the Lowcountry — Hanahan, Goose Creek, Ladson, and Summerville. We handle every wrongful death claim on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win. Roden Law has recovered more than $300 million for […]

— Reviewed by Graeham C. Gillin, Partner, COO at Roden Law

Key Takeaways

If you were injured in a wrongful death in North Charleston, South Carolina, you generally have 3 years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit (S.C. Code § 15-3-530). South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule — you can still recover as long as you are Modified — recover if less than 51% at fault, with your award reduced by your percentage of fault. There is no cap on compensatory damages in an ordinary South Carolina injury case. Roden Law represents North Charleston injury victims on a contingency fee: the consultation is free and there is no fee unless we win.

Roden Law represents families who have lost a loved one to another’s negligence in North Charleston, South Carolina and throughout the Lowcountry — Hanahan, Goose Creek, Ladson, and Summerville. We handle every wrongful death claim on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win. Roden Law has recovered more than $300 million for injured clients and grieving families across Georgia and South Carolina and holds a 4.9-star average from hundreds of client reviews. Call (843) 612-6561 for a free, confidential and compassionate case review.

Why Choose Roden Law for a North Charleston Wrongful Death Claim

Losing a family member to a preventable death is devastating, and the last thing you should have to fight is an insurance company. What separates Roden Law is direct attorney involvement and the resources to fully investigate how and why your loved one died — from crash reconstruction to workplace and hospital records. We serve North Charleston, Boeing, and the surrounding Charleston County communities, and the estate’s claim is filed in the Charleston County Circuit Court and handled locally without delay.

  • No fee unless we win — free consultation and no out-of-pocket cost to pursue the claim.
  • We handle the estate paperwork — we help the personal representative bring the claim so the family can grieve.
  • Trial-ready — we prepare every claim for the Charleston County Circuit Court, which is what moves insurers to pay full value.

North Charleston Wrongful Death Cases We Handle

Fatal-injury claims in and around North Charleston most often arise from:

  • Fatal traffic and truck crashes on I-26, I-526, and the heavy port and industrial corridors.
  • Workplace and industrial fatalities, including manufacturing, distribution, and port incidents.
  • Pedestrian and bicycle fatalities on busy commercial corridors.
  • Medical negligence deaths at Trident Medical Center and area hospitals.
  • Premises-related deaths caused by unsafe property conditions.

South Carolina Wrongful Death Law: What North Charleston Families Need to Know

The Personal Representative Brings the Claim

In South Carolina, a wrongful death action is brought by the estate’s personal representative under S.C. Code § 15-51-20 for the benefit of the statutory beneficiaries, in order: the spouse and children first, then the parents, then the other heirs. Recovery includes lost financial support, the loss of the deceased’s companionship and society, the survivors’ mental anguish and grief, and funeral and burial expenses.

The Survival Action Is Separate

A distinct survival action under S.C. Code § 15-5-90 lets the estate recover for what your loved one personally endured before death — their conscious pain and suffering and their pre-death medical bills. The two claims are usually pursued together.

Deadline and Damages

The wrongful death statute of limitations is three years from the date of death under S.C. Code § 15-3-530. South Carolina places no cap on wrongful death damages in ordinary cases — with two exceptions: a government defendant is limited under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act ($300,000 per person / $600,000 per occurrence), and a death caused by medical malpractice is subject to the § 15-32-220 non-economic cap. Punitive damages are available where the conduct was reckless or willful.

Learn More About South Carolina Wrongful Death Claims

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What to Do After a Fatal Accident in North Charleston, SC

  1. Take care of your family first. Nothing below is more urgent than that. The steps that follow exist so that decisions made in the first weeks do not quietly cost you later.
  2. Do not let anything be repaired, scrapped, or thrown away. The vehicle, the equipment, the product, clothing, and personal effects are evidence. Insurers move quickly to total and dispose of vehicles — say no in writing until it has been examined.
  3. Request the official reports. The police or incident report, and the autopsy or medical examiner's report. Ask for the complete file, including photographs, rather than the summary page.
  4. Be careful with early insurance contact. An offer that arrives before anyone knows the full picture is not generosity. Do not give a recorded statement, sign a release, or cash a settlement check without advice.
  5. Find out who is legally entitled to bring the claim. It is not simply whoever was closest. Georgia gives the claim first to the surviving spouse, then children, then parents, then the estate (O.C.G.A. § 51-4-2). South Carolina requires the personal representative of the estate to bring it — which means opening an estate first. Getting this wrong wastes months.
  6. Keep the financial records. Pay records, benefits statements, and tax returns establish what the family lost. Funeral and medical bills belong in the file too.
  7. Speak with an attorney before the deadline runs. The clock generally runs from the date of death, and separate claims may belong to the estate and to the family. Roden Law offers free, no-obligation consultations.

South Carolina Wrongful Death Law

Statute of Limitations 3 years (S.C. Code § 15-3-530)
Comparative Fault Modified — recover if less than 51% at fault

Filing a Personal Injury Case in North Charleston

North Charleston personal injury cases are filed in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas at 100 Broad Street downtown and submitted through the South Carolina E-Filing System on Tyler’s Odyssey platform. Common Pleas civil cases are sent to mandatory mediation under SC ADR rules before reaching the trial roster, and a contested truck or industrial case typically takes 18–30 months — longer when FMCSA records, ELD logs, and port chassis-pool inspection histories are in play.

North Charleston’s hazard profile is dominated by port and industrial truck traffic funneling between the Hugh Leatherman Terminal and the I-26 / I-526 / Rivers Avenue corridor: SCDOT records 354 collisions over five years at the I-26/I-526 interchange alone, and Charleston County logged over 2,500 truck-related crashes in 2023. Spruill Avenue, North Rhett Avenue, Aviation Avenue, and the Ashley Phosphate Road / I-26 interchange are the city’s recurring crash corridors. Serious crash victims are routed to Trident Medical Center (Level II trauma) at 9330 Medical Plaza Drive, with the most critical patients flown to MUSC Health (Level I) downtown.

South Carolina’s 3-year statute of limitations (S.C. Code § 15-3-530) and 51%-bar comparative fault rule apply, and shorter Tort Claims Act notice deadlines apply when SCDOT or the SC Ports Authority is a defendant.

Do I Have a Wrongful Death Case in North Charleston?

Both Georgia and South Carolina permit a wrongful-death action plus a separate survival action for the decedent’s pre-death pain, suffering, and medical expenses. In South Carolina, the personal representative brings the action for the benefit of statutory beneficiaries (S.C. Code § 15-51-10 to -60), and it must be filed within 3 years of death (S.C. Code § 15-3-530). The underlying tort — auto crash, medical negligence, defective product — must be independently provable.

Types of Compensation in South Carolina Wrongful Death Cases

South Carolina’s measure is more conventional: pecuniary loss to beneficiaries plus mental anguish and loss of companionship, society, and consortium under S.C. Code § 15-51-40. Survival claims under S.C. Code § 15-5-90 recover pre-death pain, suffering, and funeral and medical expenses.

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Roden Law Wrongful Death Lawyers in North Charleston, SC Results at a Glance

$300M+ Recovered for injured clients across Georgia and South Carolina
4.9 / 5.0 Average client rating across hundreds of verified Google reviews from our six offices
5,000+ Cases successfully handled since 2013
62 years Combined attorney experience across 5 office locations

Source: Roden Law firm records and verified Google Business Profile reviews, updated August 2026.

Our North Charleston Attorneys

Recent Case Results

Settlement $27,000,000 $27,000,000 Settlement | Truck Accident
Verdict $10,860,000 $10,860,000 Verdict | Product Liability
Recovery $9,800,000 $9,800,000 Recovery | Premises Liability

Results shown are gross settlement/verdict amounts before fees and costs. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

About the Author

Graeham C. Gillin, Partner, COO at Roden Law

Graeham C. Gillin

Partner, COO

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Our North Charleston Office Today

If you were injured in North Charleston and believe another party is at fault, contact us for a free, no-obligation review. Call (843) 612-6561 — no upfront cost.