Looking For a Medical Malpractice Lawyer?
A medical mistake does not feel like an “accident” when you are the one living with the consequences. Missed diagnoses, surgical errors, anesthesia complications, emergency room delays, and preventable infections can turn a routine visit into a life-changing injury.
In Myrtle Beach, the mix of year-round residents, retirees, seasonal workers, and millions of visitors means our hospitals, surgery centers, urgent cares, and telehealth providers stay busy. In the most recent national statistics, preventable medical errors were linked to substantial numbers of serious injuries and deaths and billions of dollars in added costs.
At David W. Martin Law Group, our Horry County medical malpractice attorneys help South Carolina patients and families convert confusion into a step-by-step plan that protects health, privacy, and full compensation.
What Counts as Medical Malpractice in South Carolina?
Medical malpractice is not every bad outcome. It is care that falls below the accepted medical standard and causes harm. Under South Carolina law, you must prove four things: a provider–patient relationship, a recognized standard of care for the situation, a breach of that standard, and injuries caused by the breach.
That can mean a delayed stroke diagnosis in the ER, a surgical sponge left inside a patient, a dangerous medication mix-up, or a birth injury after signs of fetal distress were ignored.
In the most recent patient-safety reporting, diagnostic and medication errors remained among the most frequently cited drivers of serious harm. Our job is to translate complex medical facts into clear proof that meets the legal standard.
Common Medical Malpractice Cases We Handle in Myrtle Beach
Not all malpractice looks the same. Healthcare in a tourist corridor creates unique patterns of risk.
We see them every day and build cases around the details, including those involving:
- Emergency Room Errors. Overcrowded ERs can miss heart attacks, strokes, and internal bleeding. When triage, imaging, or lab follow-through breaks down, minutes matter.
- Misdiagnosis And Delayed Diagnosis. Cancer, sepsis, and infections are often at the center of these claims. The question is whether a reasonably careful provider would have ordered the proper test or referral sooner.
- Surgical And Post-Operative Negligence. Wrong-site procedures, nerve injuries, unrecognized bleeds, and failures to respond to early signs of complications can all support liability.
- Anesthesia Mistakes. Airway injuries, awareness under anesthesia, improper monitoring, and medication interactions require expert analysis and careful damage modeling.
- Medication And Pharmacy Errors. Look-alike, sound-alike drugs, wrong doses, and contraindicated combinations remain persistent hazards in the most recent pharmacy-safety data.
- Birth Injuries. Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, brachial plexus injuries, and shoulder dystocia each raise distinct issues about fetal monitoring, timing of interventions, and neonatal care.
- Hospital-Acquired Infections And Falls. Pressure injuries, central-line infections, and preventable falls often trace back to staffing, protocols, and documentation lapses.
How We Investigate and Prove Complex Medical Negligence Claims in Myrtle Beach
Strong results come from strong records. Medical cases demand precision and speed because key evidence can be revised or lost if not requested promptly.
We begin with a complete chart audit, not just a patient portal printout. That includes orders, nursing notes, medication administration records, device logs, anesthesia records, lab timestamps, radiology images, and telemetry. We build a minute-by-minute timeline to reveal gaps in monitoring, delayed responses, and contradictory entries.
Next, we may retain independent medical experts in the right specialties to define the standard of care and identify breaches. We then prove causation by tying the breach to specific injuries using physiology, differential diagnosis, and literature support.
Finally, we quantify damages, projecting future medical needs, attendant care, adaptive equipment, and vocational loss. This systematic approach turns a complex story into persuasive proof.
Hospitals, Clinics, and Care Settings in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Myrtle Beach care happens everywhere: emergency departments, inpatient units, outpatient surgery centers, urgent cares along major corridors, primary-care offices, pharmacies, and telehealth visits for travelers. Seasonal surges increase wait times and strain resources, while retirees and visitors may present with unfamiliar medical histories.
In the most recent statewide health-utilization data, emergency visits climbed during peak tourism months, and medication-related adverse events remained a consistent source of harm. Knowing how local facilities route patients, staff units, and document care helps us spot where the system broke down and who is responsible.
Deadlines and Pre-Suit Requirements You Need to Know
Medical malpractice claims in South Carolina have strict deadlines and require specific steps before filing a lawsuit. In most cases, the statute of limitations is measured in years from the date of injury or from when you reasonably discovered it. Still, a separate statute of repose can bar claims after a fixed period regardless of discovery. Shorter timelines may apply when a government-owned facility or provider is involved.
South Carolina also requires a Notice of Intent to file suit, pre-suit mediation, and an expert affidavit identifying at least one negligent act or omission and how it caused harm. These rules are designed to filter cases early, which is why fast evidence preservation and early expert review are essential. We handle each step so your case stays on track.
Damages and What Full Compensation Should Include
A fair outcome must account for all the costs and changes this injury will cause in your life, not just the first hospital bill. In the most recent national estimates, the lifetime cost of serious medical-error injuries regularly reaches six and seven figures when you add ongoing care and lost income.
That may include:
- Medical and Rehabilitation Costs. Hospitalizations, follow-up visits, medications, therapy, home health, equipment, and future surgeries.
- Lost Wages and Earning Capacity. For working adults and caregivers whose roles change because of disability or treatment demands.
- Home and Vehicle Modifications. Ramps, lifts, bathroom conversions, and transportation accommodations when mobility is limited.
- Non-Economic Losses. Pain, suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and disfigurement. South Carolina law places limits on certain non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases, with exceptions and adjustments that we analyze for each client.
- Wrongful Death and Survival Claims. When negligence takes a life, the estate and surviving family may recover for funeral costs, lost support, and the decedent’s final damages.
Why Choose David W. Martin Law Group For A Myrtle Beach Medical Malpractice Case
Medical malpractice litigation is a contest of details. You need a team that can read a chart like clinicians, explain it like teachers, and try it like trial lawyers. From the first call, we listen to your goals, secure complete records and imaging, line up the right experts, and map a strategy that fits your injuries and your life.
We communicate with insurers and defense counsel so you do not have to, and we time negotiations to your medical reality, not the other side’s calendar. If a fair resolution is not offered, we file suit and prepare to present your case to a jury.
Speak With a Myrtle Beach Medical Malpractice Lawyer Today
If a medical mistake in Myrtle Beach changed your life, you do not have to navigate the system alone. Call (803) 548-2468 to schedule a consultation with David W. Martin Law Group. We will explain your rights, preserve the evidence, and pursue the full compensation the law allows so you can focus on recovery with confidence.
