Columbia Personal Injury Attorney
Nearly 30 Years in Columbia. Prosecutor’s Instincts. A Judge’s Perspective.
When you’ve been hurt in an accident, the attorney you hire shapes everything that follows. At Masella Law Firm, P.A., our lead attorney Robert Masella brings a background that sets our personal injury practice apart: he served as a criminal prosecutor at the Richland County Solicitor’s Office and as a Columbia Municipal Court Judge from 2000 to 2005. That means he has evaluated evidence from the bench and built cases for the prosecution. He applies both vantage points when assessing your injury claim. We’ve been representing accident victims in the Columbia community since 1998, and that depth of local experience informs every case we take.
Insurance adjusters are trained professionals whose job is to limit what your claim pays out. Negotiating directly with an insurer after an accident puts you at a structural disadvantage. We serve as the counterweight, positioning your claim with the same strategic clarity we’d apply to any contested legal matter and pushing back when adjusters undervalue what you’ve been through.
If you’ve been injured in an accident in the Columbia area, call us at (803) 938-4952 to discuss your options with an injury attorney in Columbia who understands how these cases are evaluated and contested.
Why Columbia Injury Victims Turn to Masella Law Firm, P.A.
Robert Masella’s time at the Richland County Solicitor’s Office shaped how he reads evidence: what holds up, what opposing counsel will attack, and where gaps in documentation can sink an otherwise valid claim. His years on the bench added a second layer, showing him how judges weigh competing arguments and where many litigants lose cases they might otherwise have resolved more favorably. We build personal injury claims with those perspectives in place from the start.
Most personal injury firms concentrate on a single practice area. Our background spans prosecution, judicial service, civil litigation, workers’ compensation, and criminal defense. That breadth matters more than it might seem. A claim that overlaps with a workers’ compensation dispute, a criminal charge against the at-fault party, or a family law matter doesn’t catch us off guard. We handle all of those areas regularly. We tailor strategy to each client’s specific circumstances rather than running a standardized process. Rooted in Columbia since 1998 and serving clients throughout South Carolina, nearly 30 years of practice here means we know Richland County civil courts, local procedures, and the insurance dynamics specific to this market.
Compensation You May Be Able to Recover
South Carolina personal injury law allows injured victims to pursue several categories of damages depending on the facts of the case. The severity of your injuries, the duration of treatment, and the impact on your ability to earn a living all affect what your claim may be worth.
Economic & Non-Economic Damages
Economic damages cover the financial losses you can document: past and future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and property damage. Non-economic damages address what doesn’t show up on a bill: pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In cases involving gross negligence, South Carolina courts may also award punitive damages designed to penalize particularly reckless conduct.
Wrongful Death Claims
If a loved one died as a result of someone else’s negligence, a wrongful death claim may allow surviving family members to recover compensation for funeral costs, lost financial support, and loss of companionship. Contact us to discuss which categories of damages may apply to your specific circumstances.
South Carolina Personal Injury Law: Filing Deadlines & Fault Rules
Two legal rules govern nearly every personal injury case filed in South Carolina, and both directly affect your ability to recover.
Statute of Limitations
Under S.C. Code § 15-3-530(5), you have three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. Miss that deadline, and the court may dismiss your claim entirely, regardless of how strong the underlying facts are. Wrongful death claims carry the same three-year deadline, but the clock starts on the date of death rather than the date of injury.
Modified Comparative Negligence
South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence standard: if you share some responsibility for the accident, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault. If you’re found to be 51% or more at fault, you can’t recover at all. This rule gives insurance adjusters a clear incentive to argue that you were partly to blame. That’s one more reason not to navigate that conversation without legal representation. Contacting a personal injury lawyer in Columbia as early as possible helps preserve evidence, keeps deadlines in focus, and helps prevent adjusters from using delay to erode your claim’s value.
Personal Injury Cases We Handle in Columbia
We represent accident victims across a broad range of personal injury matters throughout Columbia and South Carolina.
Bicycle Accidents– If you or your child has been injured in a bicycle accident in Columbia, whether while riding recreationally or commuting, you may be entitled to recover financial compensation for injuries such as broken bones, road rash, or a head injury, provided the driver is at fault.
Car Accidents– The South Carolina Department of Public Safety reports a traffic collision once every 4.9 minutes statewide. Car crashes are among the leading causes of accidental injury and death, and many are attributable to the negligence or reckless behavior of another driver.
Motorcycle Accidents– When cars and motorcycles collide, the rider faces a far greater risk of injury or death, and in many of these crashes, the vehicle driver is at fault. Whether you were run off the road or struck directly, we pursue compensation on behalf of injured riders.
Trucking Accidents– A careful investigation of a trucking accident frequently reveals fault on the driver’s part: fatigue, overloaded cargo, or errors that led to a jackknife or rollover. The injuries sustained in large-truck collisions can be catastrophic, and we work to hold responsible parties accountable.
Dog Bites– When a dog bites you or your child, South Carolina law allows you to hold the owner strictly liable for damages, provided the attack wasn’t provoked. You don’t need to prove the dog had a history of aggressive behavior.
Burn Injuries– Burn injuries can result from vehicle fires, workplace accidents, defective products, or hazardous property conditions, and they often require extensive medical treatment with long-term recovery. We pursue damages that may reflect the serious impact these injuries can produce.
With over two decades of experience working with family law, personal injury and criminal defense cases throughout South Carolina, we at Masella Law Firm, P.A. are prepared to guide you through the legal process. Click below to be taken to our secure payment page.
Our Personal Injury Practice Areas (Continued)
Intentional Torts & Injuries– Not every personal injury claim arises from an accident. When harm results from intentional misconduct, such as assault and battery, a tort claim may proceed independently of any criminal case against the wrongdoer. A criminal conviction isn’t required for you to pursue civil compensation.
Premises Liability– Property owners have a duty to maintain reasonably safe conditions for visitors. When that duty is breached and someone is injured, a premises liability claim may be available. Slip and fall accidents caused by wet floors or poorly maintained walkways are among the most common examples.
Spinal Cord Injuries– Spinal cord injuries frequently result in permanent disability and medical costs that can extend for decades. The financial and personal toll these injuries impose demands a legal strategy built around the full scope of your long-term losses.
Traumatic Brain Injury– Traumatic brain injuries can produce lasting cognitive, behavioral, and physical symptoms even when the external blow appears minor at first. If you or a loved one has suffered a serious head injury, the consequences often reach far beyond the initial diagnosis.
Wrongful Death– When a loved one dies because of someone else’s negligence or misconduct, surviving family members may pursue financial compensation for that loss.
Contact us now for a consultation to learn how much your case may be worth.
