Steinberg Law Firm leads this list, with published malpractice results that include $1,000,000 for failure to diagnose cancer. Before calling, find out whether the firm takes cases involving injuries like yours and who would handle your claim. Also ask how you'd cover fees and case costs. For filing rules to discuss with a lawyer, see the South Carolina law guide.
4.9520 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 520 reviews
Best for: Missed diagnoses and nursing home injuries
For failure to diagnose cancer, Steinberg Law Firm publishes a $1,000,000 result; it also reports a separate $400,000 medical malpractice result. Those results help explain why it's on this list, along with its $2,500,000 nursing home negligence settlement. Within its broader injury practice, the site's pages discuss misdiagnosis and medication errors.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and the results it publishes.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
5.0221 Google reviewsRated 5.0 out of 5 on Google from 221 reviews
Best for: Families seeking multilingual communication
If you need Dutch, Spanish or Russian, The Hartman Law Firm, LLC lists those languages. That gives your family a place to start if you need to talk through a claim in one of them. Founded in 2011, the firm identifies Frank Hartman as its personal injury attorney.
Stood out in our review for the recognition it has earned and what its clients say.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.81,251 Google reviewsRated 4.8 out of 5 on Google from 1251 reviews
Best for: Birth injury and surgical error claims
For a birth injury involving a delayed C-section, Morgan & Morgan publishes a specific result. After baby Brendan Dixon suffered severe brain injury, a Hillsborough County jury awarded $37.8 million in 2007. That verdict wasn't from Charleston.
Stood out in our review for what its clients say and the results it publishes.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
Not sure who to call first?
Tell us what happened. A malpractice lawyer who serves Charleston can look at it with you, and it costs nothing.
4.9205 Google reviewsRated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 205 reviews
Best for: Families facing hospital-related wrongful death
For the family of a mentally ill patient discharged by a private hospital to the Charleston County Detention Center, Christmas Injury Lawyers describes a civil rights settlement. While in county jail care, the patient was killed. Although a hospital was involved, the firm calls the result a civil rights case; it wasn't a medical malpractice verdict.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
4.7347 Google reviewsRated 4.7 out of 5 on Google from 347 reviews
Best for: Nursing home injury claims
For a client injured in a nursing home, Anastopoulo Law Firm publishes a $985,000 settlement, which gives families a specific case to ask about during the first call. Within its wider personal injury practice, the site lists medical malpractice and also addresses birth injuries and wrongful death. When reviewers describe the firm, they praise careful listening and understandable explanations.
We order firms by how much of their work is medical malpractice, the results they publish, what their clients say, their experience, their standing with the regulator and the recognition they have earned, all from public records and the firms' own sites. How lists are made
Where they are in Charleston
What clients say about these Charleston lawyers
Google reviews of the firms on our lists, quoted as their clients wrote them and linked to where they were posted. We don't write, edit or pick reviews for pay.
KY
Kierston Y.
October 2026 · Charleston, South Carolina
“I was referred by a good friend to Hartman Law after I was rear-ended at a red light on Miles Jamieson Rd. in Summerville, SC. When I first contacted Frank, he put me at ease and immediately took action on my case, ensuring I had the medical care I needed to get back on the road to recovery. Frank worked diligently...”
“I was referred to Fuller Law by a friend of mine who they represented in a car accident, and were beyond happy with! Since day 1 they have been there for me, answering all my questions and making me feel more secure in a not fun situation. Their group of lawyers and paralegals with Collin, Chris, Katie, and Denise...”
“I was very pleased with Ben Akery and Laura Clarke. Anytime I had a concern with anything Laura was one call away. Ben, definitely had my well being at first hand. I appreciate them both never felt so good about a law firm like The Steinberg Law Firm. Ben, I definitely will refer you to my family and friends thanks...”
When reviewing your dates, the lawyer checks both treatment and discovery of the possible error. Under South Carolina's general rule, you get 3 years, subject to a 6-year outer limit. If a child was hurt, the lawyer must check the deadline separately using the minority rules.
Gather the records
When you meet, bring any chart or delivery notes you have, plus your written account. To fill the gaps, ask which other records are needed and who gets them. When listing dates, distinguish the treatment dates from when you learned there might have been a mistake.
Obtain a medical opinion
When filing the Notice of Intent to File Suit, South Carolina requires an expert witness affidavit identifying at least one negligent act or omission. Before the medical review, ask who arranges it and how you'll pay for it.
File the notice
When you file the required Notice of Intent to File Suit, the expert witness affidavit must accompany it, and that filing pauses the deadline. To understand how much time remains in your case, ask the lawyer what's been filed and what it means.
Discuss the path forward
Before a complaint is filed (that's the document starting the lawsuit), ask what still needs to happen and how your claim could move forward afterward. Because South Carolina caps non-economic malpractice damages, those caps are adjusted annually to the Consumer Price Index.
Malpractice claims in Charleston: the rules that matter
The filing deadline in South Carolina
The clock startsWhen you found out, or should have
Time to start a claim3 yearsMiss it and the claim is usually lost.
At the very most6 yearsafter the treatment, with a few exceptions
Limits on damages in South Carolina
Pain and sufferingCapped at about $596,001
All damages togetherNo overall cap
Expert paperworkThe Notice of Intent to File Suit must be filed with an expert witness affidavit identifying at least one negligent act or omission.
A written agreementThe share the lawyer takes, set out before work starts.
If you recover moneyThe agreed share and the case costs come out of it.
If the claim failsNo legal fee on a contingency agreement. Ask about costs.
If you're considering contingency fees, several firms here say they use them. When there's a recovery, the lawyer takes a share; if the claim fails, there's no attorney fee. Records cost money, and medical opinions and court fees can, too (those case costs are separate). How the firms cover those expenses isn't described in a uniform way. Before proceeding, ask whether the firm fronts the money or you pay as the case moves along. Before you sign, ask for a written explanation of the lawyer's share and expense deductions, including costs you might owe even without a recovery. Even if the consultation is free, those questions remain.
Among the seven listed firms, six say consultations are free, while Four say they use contingency fees.
What to bring to your first call
Bring medical records you have, including any relevant delivery notes
List treatment dates and when you first suspected a mistake
List the doctors and hospitals by name
Write a short timeline describing what happened
Gather medical bills with any related receipts
Collect letters and messages from hospitals or insurers
Bring photos you have that relate to the injury
Note your current symptoms and the care you're receiving
Questions to ask a lawyer
1For treatment like this, have you handled malpractice claims?
2Who handles my file, including reading the medical records?
3When does my deadline to file fall?
4To get the expert witness affidavit, what will you do?
5If the first consultation is free, what does it cover?
6What do I pay for fees and case expenses?
7If there's no recovery, could I owe case expenses?
8When I need updates, who should I contact at the office handling my case?
Choose around the treatment, not the rating
What happened should guide you: a missed cancer diagnosis brings up different questions than an injury during delivery, even though both can qualify as medical malpractice. When speaking with a Charleston-area lawyer, ask about claims involving treatment like yours. If a firm publishes a nursing home settlement, you have a concrete case to discuss, but that doesn't show experience with every hospital error.
Don't stop at the headline result: Morgan & Morgan's published birth-injury award was handed down by a Hillsborough County jury. For its hospital-discharge result, Christmas Injury Lawyers reports a civil rights settlement. Before discussing those cases, ask whether the lawyer has handled a South Carolina malpractice claim like yours and what work that lawyer actually did on them.
Bring the dates into the first conversation
If a child was hurt, different timing rules apply. Although minority can pause deadlines, the pause can't exceed 7 years or extend beyond 1 year after the child turns 18. Don't calculate that deadline without help. Because this is general information rather than legal advice, ask a South Carolina lawyer how those rules apply to your family.
Get the working arrangement in writing
Before choosing a firm, ask who reads charts and returns calls. Although reviews here praise quick answers, some also describe trouble reaching a lawyer.
Before meeting, check the location: several offices here are in North Charleston or Mt Pleasant, while Anastopoulo Law Firm also lists a Charleston office.
When a consultation is free, that covers the first discussion. Before the firm decides whether to take your case, ask what's included and whether anyone reviews your records.
If you agree to a contingency fee, the lawyer takes a share of a recovery and no attorney fee if the claim fails. Ask separately who covers case expenses.
If someone promises a result or refuses to explain settlement deductions, be wary of that person. Before signing, ask for the fee agreement. When a firm declines your case, ask whether it reviewed your medical records and checked the deadline for filing. You can't tell from the refusal alone whether it did either.
Questions people ask
How long do I have to file a malpractice claim in Charleston?
Under South Carolina's general rule, you must file within 3 years of the treatment, omission or operation, or within 3 years of when it was or reasonably should have been discovered. There's also a 6-year outer limit. When the Notice of Intent to File Suit is filed, the deadline pauses. Because the discovery rule doesn't leave you unlimited time, have a South Carolina lawyer check the dates in your case.
Can I speak with a lawyer without paying for the first consultation?
If you want a free consultation, Six listed firms offer one. Before booking with Fuller Law, LLC, check the price; it doesn't say whether its consultation is free. Before that conversation, ask what's covered, especially whether the firm will read your medical records. Even if you don't pay for that first conversation, you still need to ask who covers later case expenses; a free consultation doesn't mean the firm will take your claim.
What does a contingency fee mean for my family?
If there's a recovery under a contingency fee, the lawyer gets a share; if the claim fails, there's no attorney fee. Among the firms listed here, Four say they work that way, but expenses are separate. Before agreeing, ask who covers records and medical opinions and whether the firm pays those costs upfront. If there's no recovery, have the lawyer explain which costs you could still owe.
Does South Carolina require a medical opinion before filing?
When you file the Notice of Intent to File Suit, it must include an expert witness affidavit identifying at least one negligent act or omission. Because that medical review is required for filing, you can't put it off until later. Before proceeding, ask who pays for the review and how the lawyer will get the affidavit. To understand how this affects your claim, ask the lawyer to explain the requirement.
Are the deadlines different if my child was injured?
Yes. Although South Carolina pauses a child's deadlines for minority, the pause can't exceed 7 years or extend beyond 1 year after the child turns 18. When reviewing the treatment dates, those limits need a careful look. Rather than waiting for adulthood or calculating the filing date yourself, speak with a South Carolina lawyer about your child's deadline.
Which listed firms handle birth injury claims?
If your claim involves birth injury, Morgan & Morgan, Anastopoulo Law Firm and Trey Harrell Law Office list it among their claims. For a delayed C-section, Morgan & Morgan publishes a $37.8 million award from a Hillsborough County jury in 2007. That doesn't predict what another family will receive. When you contact each firm, ask about your delivery issue and who would read your child's records.
What should I do first if I suspect a hospital made a mistake?
Start by noting the treatment date and when you first learned there might have been an error. Along with your medical records, gather any hospital letters and bills you have. Once you have those, ask a lawyer about the filing deadline and which additional records are needed for the medical review required with South Carolina's Notice of Intent to File Suit.
How long will a malpractice claim take?
You can't get a dependable timeline for your case from this list. Although some Hartman clients say their cases took years, your case could move on a different schedule. Before moving ahead, ask what's next and which records are missing. Also ask how you'll hear about progress. While South Carolina's filing deadline sets the time you have to act, it doesn't tell you when your case will finish.
Can I contact these firms if a loved one died after medical treatment?
If your claim involves wrongful death, several listed firms address it, including Steinberg Law Firm and The Hartman Law Firm, LLC. For a patient's death involving a hospital, Christmas Injury Lawyers publishes a civil rights settlement. That isn't the same as a malpractice verdict. When explaining what happened, give the lawyer the treatment dates. To find out who can bring a claim and which rules apply, speak with a South Carolina lawyer.
Does South Carolina limit malpractice damages?
Because South Carolina caps non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases, it adjusts those caps each year to the Consumer Price Index. When considering the cap, remember that the figure doesn't stay fixed. To understand which current limit applies and what it means for your claim, ask a South Carolina lawyer about your situation. You can't use the settlements and verdicts published here to establish what your case is worth.
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