One lawyer, start to finish
No case managers. No rotating desk. Duncan Hickman handles your case personally and stays reachable — by phone, by text, in your home or hospital room if that's where you are.
The Hickman Lawyer
Injured in South Carolina?
Make them answer for it.
Hickman Law Firm represents injured people and grieving families — and takes on the insurance companies that count on you giving up. You work directly with attorney Duncan Hickman, from the first call to the last signature.
- No fee unless I win
- Licensed in SC, NC & UT
- You work directly with your attorney
SC · NC · UTLicensed in three states
$0Upfront cost to start
24 hrsEvery call & message returned
1 : 1Direct attorney access
Why Hickman Law Firm
A smaller firm that hits harder.
You are not a file number here. You get one lawyer who knows your case, answers for it, and is ready to try it.
Built to be tried
Insurers pay fairly when they believe you'll take them to a jury. Every case is prepared as if it's going to trial — because that preparation is the leverage that moves an offer.
You pay nothing unless I win
No hourly bills. No retainer. The attorney's fee comes out of the recovery — and only if there is one.*
* Representation is on a contingency-fee basis. Clients may remain responsible for case costs and expenses. Fee is a percentage of any recovery obtained.
Practice Areas
The cases I take on.
Serious injury and wrongful-death claims across South Carolina. If someone else's negligence changed your life, start here.
Car Accidents
Rear-end, intersection, and highway collisions — including underinsured and hit-and-run claims.
Truck Accidents
18-wheeler and commercial-vehicle wrecks, where the carrier and its insurer fight hard.
Motorcycle Accidents
Riders face bias and severe injuries. I push back on both to protect your recovery.
Drunk Driving Victims
Claims for people hurt by impaired drivers — and dram-shop claims against those who over-served them.
Wrongful Death
When negligence takes a life, I help families hold the responsible party accountable.
Catastrophic Injuries
Life-altering harm that demands full accounting of future care, lost earnings, and more.
Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries are often missed. I work with the specialists who prove them.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Back and spine trauma that can mean a lifetime of treatment — and a claim built for it.
Premises Liability
Slip-and-fall and unsafe-property injuries where an owner ignored a hazard they should have fixed.
Property & Insurance Claims
Denied or underpaid property-damage claims — storm, fire, and water loss — where the insurer won't pay what it owes.
Medical Malpractice
Serious harm from a preventable medical error, missed diagnosis, or negligent treatment.
Probate Administration
Guiding families through estate administration and the appointment of a personal representative after a loss.
Also handling: burn injuries · dram-shop claims · workers' compensation · civil litigation. Not sure if you have a case? Ask — the consultation is free.
Your Attorney
Meet Duncan R. Hickman.
Duncan Hickman has worked both sides of the insurance fight — and that's exactly the point.
He began his career at a South Carolina defense firm, defending contractors and companies against construction-defect and property-damage claims on large hotel, condominium, and apartment projects. He evaluated risk, worked alongside insurance carriers, and helped build defense strategy in high-exposure cases. In short, he learned how insurers value a claim — and where they look to pay less.
Now he uses that against them. Duncan represents injured people, property owners, and grieving families across South Carolina — in motor-vehicle collisions, premises-liability cases, denied and underpaid property-damage claims, and the probate matters that follow a loss. He handles each case from first investigation through settlement or trial, and negotiates with insurers and defense counsel himself.
A Columbia native who grew up in Salt Lake City, Duncan returned home for the University of South Carolina — double-majoring in finance and real estate before earning his law degree at the USC School of Law.
- Education
- B.S.B.A., Finance & Real Estate — University of South Carolina J.D. — University of South Carolina School of Law
- Admitted to Practice
- State of South Carolina State of North Carolina State of Utah U.S. District Court, District of South Carolina U.S. District Court, District of Utah U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- Focus
- Personal injury · property & casualty claims · probate
- Memberships
- American Association for Justice South Carolina Association for Justice North Carolina Association for Justice North Carolina Bar Association Richland County Bar Association Charleston County Bar Association Mecklenburg County Bar Association
How It Works
Four steps. No cost to start.
From the first phone call to the courthouse steps, you'll always know where your case stands.
Free consultation
Tell me what happened, and I'll talk through your options at no cost and no obligation.
Investigation
I gather the evidence, records, and expert input your case needs while you focus on healing.
Demand & negotiate
I present the claim and press the insurer for full value — not the lowball first offer.
Trial-ready
If they won't be fair, I'm prepared to take your case to court.
Recoveries
Results that speak plainly.
Those results include individual recoveries of more than $100,000 — for an injured client, and for a property owner fighting an underpaid insurance claim.
Recoveries were obtained by attorney Duncan R. Hickman, some while practicing with prior firms, before the founding of Hickman Law Firm, LLC. Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future case. Every case is different and is decided on its own facts.
Common Questions
Straight answers, up front.
Nothing up front. Personal-injury cases are handled on a contingency-fee basis, which means the attorney's fee is a percentage of the recovery and is owed only if I recover for you. Case costs and expenses are discussed openly in your written fee agreement before any work begins.
Yes. This is a solo firm by design. Duncan Hickman handles your case personally — you won't be passed to a case manager or a call center, and you'll have a direct line to the person doing the work.
South Carolina sets deadlines (statutes of limitation) for injury claims, and some can be shorter than you'd expect — especially claims involving government entities. Evidence also fades quickly. The safest move is to talk to a lawyer soon after the injury so nothing is lost. Reach out and I'll help you understand the deadlines that apply to your situation.
It depends on the specifics — your injuries, the treatment ahead, lost income, and available insurance coverage, among other things. Anyone who promises a number before reviewing your case is guessing. I'll give you an honest read after I understand the facts.
Get medical care first — for your health and your claim. Keep records, photos, and the names of any witnesses. Be careful giving recorded statements to an insurer before you've spoken with a lawyer. Then call me; the consultation is free.
Free Consultation
Tell me what happened.
Send a few details or call directly — no cost, no obligation. Every message is answered and every call returned within 24 hours.
- Call or text(843) 633-3862
- Prefer to write it out?Use the form and I'll reply from my inbox.
-
Office1523 Richland Street, Columbia, SC 29201
By appointment only