Firm Dossier · South Carolina · November 2026
Five South Carolina injury firms with Rock Hill offices, checked on fees, filing deadlines, Google reviews and stated results.
A catastrophic injury claim can turn on a two-year deadline, a damages cap or a fee clause most families never read. This page sets the five firms side by side on what each one publishes and what their clients wrote.
1 of 5
firms here publish their contingency percentages
2 years
to sue a state agency or local government, against 3 for most injury claims
$0
what a first consultation costs at all five firms
David W. Martin Accident and Injury Lawyers is listed first on this page. The order of the other four is not a ranking. Every fact below was checked against the source named beside it in November 2026.
01
The scorecard: 5 checks, 5 firms
✓ meets the check ◐ partly or self-reported ✗ does not, or not published
David W. Martin Accident and Injury LawyersYork County and Upstate families who want a local injury team with offices in six South Carolina cities
Rock Hill office
✓546 E Main StBar record checked
◐Firm bio onlyCatastrophic case focus
✓Injury division pageFee terms published
✗Not publishedGoogle rating checked
✓4.8 / 93 Schiller & Hamilton Law FirmInjured workers who may need workers’ compensation, a third-party claim and Social Security Disability from one office
Rock Hill office
✓S Herlong AveBar record checked
◐Firm bio onlyCatastrophic case focus
◐PI, SSDI, criminalFee terms published
◐Contingency, no %Google rating checked
✓4.8 / 261 Elrod Pope Accident & Injury AttorneysFamilies who want fee percentages in writing before the first call, from a firm with a spinal injury verdict on record
Rock Hill office
✓E Black StBar record checked
◐Firm bio onlyCatastrophic case focus
✓Injury onlyFee terms published
✓33 / 35 / 40%Google rating checked
✓5.0 / 719 McKinney, Tucker & Lemel, LLCClients whose injury case sits beside a criminal charge, a family court matter or a North Carolina connection
Rock Hill office
✓Hampton StBar record checked
◐Firm bio onlyCatastrophic case focus
✗One of three areasFee terms published
◐Contingency, no %Google rating checked
✓4.7 / 93 McGowan, Hood, Felder & PhillipsMedical malpractice, birth injury and trucking cases against hospitals or carriers that need a large case budget
Rock Hill office
✓Health Care DrBar record checked
◐Firm bio onlyCatastrophic case focus
✓Serious injury, malpracticeFee terms published
◐Gross basis, no %Google rating checked
✓4.8 / 37 02
Before you hire: three numbers that shape a catastrophic injury case
1
1 of 5: firms here publish their contingency percentages
Elrod Pope prints its terms: 33% for workers’ compensation, 35% before a lawsuit and up to 40% in litigation, figured before expenses, with expenses paid by the client. McGowan Hood states its fee is figured on the gross recovery. The other three say only that the fee is a percentage set at the consultation.
2
2 years: to sue a state agency or local government, against 3 for most injury claims
Most South Carolina injury and wrongful death suits must be filed within three years. A claim against a state agency or political subdivision, such as a county truck or a public hospital, has two years, and recovery is capped at $300,000 per person and $600,000 per occurrence.
3
$0: what a first consultation costs at all five firms
Each firm here advertises a free consultation. For a second opinion from outside this list, the South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service at 803-799-7100 connects callers with prescreened lawyers; its personal injury page says those referrals come with a free consultation, and other referrals are capped at $50 for 30 minutes.
03
The 5 firm dossiers
01
David W. Martin Accident and Injury Lawyers
York County and Upstate families who want a local injury team with offices in six South Carolina cities
Why it made the list
David W. Martin Accident and Injury Lawyers is the injury division of David W. Martin Law Group, LLC. Its South Carolina catastrophic injury lawyers page names spinal cord and brain injuries, paralysis, loss of limb, severe burns and loss of vision or hearing among the cases it takes. The firm lists offices in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Greenville, Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach and Columbia, all reached on one number. Its case results page states more than $50 million recovered for injury victims since 2023, including an $11,043,130 motor vehicle result involving a spinal cord injury and a $16,000,000 wrongful death result in a daycare neglect case, both its own figures.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyDavid W. Martin, founder; J.D., Charlotte School of Law
- Bar recordNot checked in this run; confirm on the SC Judicial Branch attorney search
- Offices546 E Main St, Rock Hill, SC 29730; also Fort Mill, Greenville, Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, Columbia
- Phone803-258-6199 (all offices)
- Fee termsNot published on the catastrophic injury page
- Results stated$11,043,130 spinal cord injury (motor vehicle); $16,000,000 wrongful death (daycare neglect); over $50 million since 2023
- Google rating4.8 from 93 reviews (Rock Hill profile, listed as David W. Martin Law Group)
Your first-call script
QWhich lawyer will lead my file, and who handles it day to day?
QWere the $11 million spinal cord and $16 million wrongful death results verdicts or settlements, and which lawyer handled them?
QWhich of your six offices would run my case, and in which county would it be filed?
From the reviews we read
+ Frequent case updates+ Staff named by clients+ Repeat clients~ Profile shared with other practices
Reviewers on the Rock Hill profile describe steady updates and name individual staff who handled their files. The profile is listed under David W. Martin Law Group, so its 93 reviews mix injury clients with clients of the group’s other practices; read them for service style rather than as a tally of injury outcomes.
Fit and watch-outA practical fit for a York County or Upstate family that wants a nearby office and a firm that lists spinal cord and wrongful death results. The trade-off: the catastrophic injury page is short, the fee percentage is not published, and the large results are the firm’s own statements without case detail.
02
Schiller & Hamilton Law Firm
Injured workers who may need workers’ compensation, a third-party claim and Social Security Disability from one office
Why it made the list
Schiller & Hamilton lists its main office on South Herlong Avenue in Rock Hill, with more offices in Lancaster, Beaufort and Charleston, and keeps catastrophic injury lawyer pages for Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lancaster, York County, Beaufort and Bluffton, with separate pages on amputation, paralysis, spinal cord and brain injury. The firm states more than 100 years of combined experience. Its stated results include a $600,000 workplace case settled with a third party after workers’ compensation funds were obtained, and a $33 million total recovery shared with two other firms against defendants that included a tire maker. It also runs a Social Security Disability practice, which matters when an injury ends a career.
Proof file
- Lead attorneyBennett J. Schiller III, founder and managing partner; J.D., University of South Carolina, 1994
- Bar recordNot checked in this run; confirm on the SC Judicial Branch attorney search
- Offices197 S Herlong Ave, Rock Hill, SC 29732 (main); Lancaster, Beaufort, Charleston
- Phone803-902-4583 (site header); Google listing shows 803-902-7854
- Fee termsContingency; percentage explained at consultation
- Results stated$33 million total recovery shared with Joye Law Firm and Parker Law Group; $1.1 million tractor trailer settlement
- Google rating4.8 from 261 reviews (Rock Hill profile)
Your first-call script
QIf I was hurt at work, will one lawyer coordinate the workers’ compensation claim, the third-party suit and any disability claim?
QOn the $33 million recovery, what part did your firm handle, and which of your lawyers worked on it?
QWhich lawyer in the Rock Hill office would handle a catastrophic case, and has that lawyer tried one to verdict?
From the reviews we read
+ Disability appeals won+ Clear explanations+ Responsive staff~ Few injury cases in reviews read
The reviews we read lean heavily toward Social Security Disability clients, several of whom credit attorney Jarrunis Yates and his staff with steady contact through appeals that ran for years. That says a good deal about patience on slow files and less about catastrophic injury trials, which none of those reviews described.
Fit and watch-outStrong for someone whose injury also ended their working life and who expects a disability claim beside the injury case. The trade-off: the largest catastrophic result listed was shared with two other firms, and the review base mostly reflects disability work.
03
Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys
Families who want fee percentages in writing before the first call, from a firm with a spinal injury verdict on record
Why it made the list
Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys was founded in 1980 and lists offices in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lancaster, Lake Wylie and York, plus Charlotte. It is the only firm here that prints its contingency percentages: 33% for workers’ compensation, 35% before a lawsuit and up to 40% in litigation, figured before expenses, which the client pays. Its catastrophic injury work is backed by stated results that include a $10.28 million spinal injury verdict in a trailer collapse case and a $6.0 million brain injury settlement, both its own figures. The site names Ben P. Leader as responsible attorney and states more than $100 million recovered for clients.
Proof file
- Responsible attorneyBen P. Leader; partners include Harold C. Staley Jr., Andrew W. Creech and Garrett B. Johnson
- Bar recordNot checked in this run; confirm on the SC Judicial Branch attorney search
- Offices212 E Black St, Rock Hill, SC 29730; Fort Mill, Lancaster, Lake Wylie, York; Charlotte, NC
- Phone803-324-7574 (site); Google listing shows 803-784-0209
- Fee terms33% workers’ compensation, 35% pre-litigation, up to 40% litigation; fee figured before expenses
- Results stated$10.28 million spinal injury verdict; $10.25 million tractor trailer settlement; $6.0 million brain injury settlement
- LanguagesSpanish-language section of the site
- Google rating5.0 from 719 reviews (Rock Hill profile)
Your first-call script
QAt what point in my case does the fee move from 35% to 40%?
QWhich lawyer tried the $10.28 million spinal injury verdict, and would that lawyer work on my case?
QBecause expenses come out of my share after your fee, what expenses are typical in a catastrophic case, and who advances them?
From the reviews we read
+ Monthly case updates+ Lawyers and paralegals named+ Smaller claims taken seriously~ Largest review base here
At 719 Google reviews and a 5.0 average, Elrod Pope has by far the largest review base here. Reviewers name individual lawyers and paralegals, describe monthly updates over cases that ran a year or more, and one says the firm took a modest claim days before the three-year deadline.
Fit and watch-outThe clearest fee terms and the deepest review record in this group, from a firm with five York and Lancaster County offices. The trade-off: figuring the fee before expenses leaves the client carrying the full cost of records and outside witnesses from their share, which can be large in a catastrophic case.
04
McKinney, Tucker & Lemel, LLC
Clients whose injury case sits beside a criminal charge, a family court matter or a North Carolina connection
Why it made the list
McKinney, Tucker & Lemel traces its practice to Tom McKinney, who began practicing in 1965, and has been at 215 Hampton Street in Rock Hill since 2021 after decades on Saluda Street. Personal injury is one of three practices, alongside criminal defense and family law, and its Rock Hill personal injury page covers car, truck, motorcycle and pedestrian crashes, medical malpractice and wrongful death, with separate pages on spine and brain injury. Attorney James W. Tucker Jr. lists membership in both the South Carolina and North Carolina bars. The site publishes no case results and says the fee percentage is agreed at the start of representation.
Proof file
- AttorneysJames W. Tucker Jr., Gary C. Lemel, George E. Anderson V, Jessica Tucker
- Bar recordNot checked in this run; confirm on the SC Judicial Branch attorney search
- Office215 Hampton St, Rock Hill, SC 29730; Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM
- Phone803-328-1848 (site); Google listing shows 803-336-2522
- Fee termsContingency; percentage agreed at the outset
- Case resultsNot published
- Recognition listedAV Preeminent badge
- Google rating4.7 from 93 reviews
Your first-call script
QHow many catastrophic injury cases has the firm taken to trial in the last five years?
QDo you bring in co-counsel for cases with large expense outlays, and how would that change my fee?
QWhich attorney would lead my injury case, given each lawyer’s mix of family, criminal and civil work?
From the reviews we read
+ Traffic and criminal matters resolved+ Divorce clients felt supported+ Fees described as reasonable~ No injury cases in reviews read
The reviews we read praise Gary Lemel on traffic and criminal matters and Jessica Tucker on divorce cases, and two say the fees came in lower than other firms quoted. None of the reviews we read described an injury case, so they speak to service style, not to catastrophic injury results.
Fit and watch-outA fit when an injury case runs next to a DUI charge against the other driver, a family court matter or a North Carolina connection. The trade-off: personal injury is one of three practices, no results are published, and the reviews do not show catastrophic injury work.
05
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips
Medical malpractice, birth injury and trucking cases against hospitals or carriers that need a large case budget
Why it made the list
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips was founded in 2003, states it has nearly 20 attorneys, and keeps offices in Rock Hill, Columbia, Mount Pleasant, Surfside Beach and Greenville. Its serious personal injury practice is aimed at hospitals, trucking companies and product makers. Stated results include a $13.75 million verdict against Aiken Regional Medical Centers for a client who lost both legs, an arm and fingers after untreated sepsis, a $12.3 million verdict for bedsores suffered by a paralyzed patient, and a $19 million truck crash settlement, all its own figures. Founding partner Chad McGowan states admission in South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina.
Proof file
- Lead attorneysChad McGowan (J.D., Emory, 1995), S. Randall Hood, Johnny Felder, Robert V. Phillips
- Bar recordNot checked in this run; confirm on the SC Judicial Branch attorney search
- Offices1539 Health Care Dr, Rock Hill, SC 29732; Columbia, Mount Pleasant, Surfside Beach, Greenville
- Phone855-434-2209 (site, Rock Hill); Google listing shows 803-471-4507
- Fee termsContingency; fee figured on gross recovery before expenses; percentage not published
- Results stated$13.75 million malpractice verdict (Aiken Regional); $12.3 million malpractice verdict; $19 million truck settlement
- Google rating4.8 from 37 reviews (Rock Hill profile)
Your first-call script
QWhich lawyer at the Rock Hill office would lead my case, and which partner would try it?
QFor a malpractice claim, who obtains the sworn medical affidavit required before suit, and who pays for it?
QYour fee is figured on gross recovery: what percentage applies, and how are expenses repaid?
From the reviews we read
+ Birth injury and wrongful death families+ Lawyers answer directly+ Support through trial~ 37 reviews, a small base
Reviewers at the Rock Hill office include families from a birth injury case and a wrongful death case, and several name Randy Hood or Ashley Creech as the lawyer who answered them directly. One review describes the team’s work through a trial. The base is small for a firm of this size.
Fit and watch-outThe heaviest malpractice and trucking record in this group, useful when the defendant is a hospital or a carrier. The trade-off: the Rock Hill office has the smallest review count here, the fee percentage is not published, and two of the largest results listed are class actions, not injury cases.
04
Six things to get in writing before you sign a fee agreement
A signed contingency agreement. South Carolina’s Rule 1.5(c) requires a contingency fee agreement in writing, signed by the client, stating the percentage for settlement, trial and appeal.
Expenses before or after the fee. The same rule requires the agreement to say whether expenses come out before or after the fee is figured. On a large catastrophic case the difference can run to tens of thousands of dollars.
Who advances costs if there is no recovery. Ask whether you owe case expenses if the claim fails, and get the answer in the agreement rather than in a conversation.
The lawyer who will handle the case. Name the attorney who will lead the file and the one who would try it, so the case is not passed down after you sign.
The filing deadline in writing. Have the firm write down the deadline it is working to, and whether any defendant is a government body with a two-year limit.
How results on the website relate to yours. Every firm here notes that past results do not predict yours. Ask which of the listed results were verdicts, which were settlements and which were shared with other firms.
05
Frequently asked questions
How much does a catastrophic injury lawyer cost in South Carolina?
+
All five firms here work on contingency, so you pay a percentage of any recovery and no fee if there is none. Only Elrod Pope publishes its rates: 33% for workers’ compensation, 35% before a lawsuit and up to 40% in litigation, figured before expenses. McGowan Hood figures its fee on gross recovery. The others set the percentage at the consultation.
How long do I have to file a catastrophic injury claim in South Carolina?
+
Most injury and wrongful death suits must be filed within three years under S.C. Code 15-3-530; for wrongful death the clock runs from the date of death. A claim against a state agency or local government has two years under the Tort Claims Act. Medical malpractice suits also need a Notice of Intent to File Suit and a sworn medical affidavit before filing.
Is there a cap on damages in a South Carolina catastrophic injury case?
+
Two caps come up often. Claims against a government body are capped at $300,000 per person and $600,000 per occurrence under S.C. Code 15-78-120. In medical malpractice, noneconomic damages start from a $350,000 limit per provider under S.C. Code 15-32-220, adjusted each year. Ask the firm which caps apply to your facts.
Do all five firms have an office in Rock Hill?
+
Yes. David W. Martin is at 546 E Main St, Schiller & Hamilton at 197 S Herlong Ave, Elrod Pope at 212 E Black St, McKinney, Tucker & Lemel at 215 Hampton St, and McGowan Hood at 1539 Health Care Dr. Four of the five also list offices elsewhere in South Carolina.
How can I check a South Carolina lawyer’s license?
+
The South Carolina Bar points the public to the SC Judicial Branch attorney search to confirm a lawyer’s contact details and member status, and its membership services line can confirm status by phone. Check before you sign, because this page did not verify bar records.
06
Method and sources
How we checked these firms+
This is a shortlist of five South Carolina injury firms with Rock Hill offices, not a ranking. For each one we read its own site for offices, lawyers, fee terms and stated results, then checked its Rock Hill Google Business Profile for address, phone and review count, and read the review text itself.
Where a firm publishes a result, a recognition or a years-of-experience figure, we say it is the firm’s own statement. Where a firm’s website and its Google listing show different phone numbers, we show both. Deadlines and caps come from the South Carolina Code itself. Bar records were not checked in this run and are marked that way.
Sources+
- Firm websites: davidwmartininjurylaw.com, schillerhamilton.com, elrodpope.com, mtllawfirm.com, mcgowanhood.com (read November 2026)
- Google Business Profiles for each firm’s Rock Hill office: address, phone, rating, review count and review text (checked November 2026)
- S.C. Code 15-3-530 (three-year limit for injury and wrongful death actions)
- S.C. Code 15-78-110 and 15-78-120 (Tort Claims Act: two-year limit and liability caps)
- S.C. Code 15-32-220 (medical malpractice noneconomic damages limit) and 15-79-125 (Notice of Intent to File Suit)
- South Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 1.5(c) (contingency fee agreements)
- South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service and member directory pages
General information for people choosing an injury lawyer, not legal advice. Deadlines and caps depend on the facts of each case; confirm them with a South Carolina lawyer before relying on them.