David T. Pearlman
Top rated Workers' Compensation attorney in Charleston, South Carolina
Steinberg Law Firm, LLC
Practice Areas: Workers' Compensation, Personal Injury
Licensed in South Carolina since: 1976
Education: University of South Carolina School of Law
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2008 - 2024 
Free Consultation Steinberg Law Firm, LLC
61 Broad StreetCharleston, SC 29401 Phone: 843-720-2800 Email: David T. Pearlman Visit website
Details
David Pearlman has spent his entire life observing the dignity of, and respect for, the law, thanks to the example of his father, the Honorable Gus H. Pearlman, who was probate judge for Charleston County for 35 years. “He taught me that everybody deserves respect, dignity, and equal justice, no matter their background,” David says. He has spent his entire career trying to ensure that “justice for all” means just that, beginning even before going into practice by marching for civil and workers’ rights as a student at both the University of Georgia and George Washington University.
After receiving his law degree from the University of South Carolina Law School in 1976, David joined the Steinberg Law Firm. “Irving Steinberg founded the firm to help the working people of South Carolina,” he says, “which is why it’s always been the perfect place for me to practice law.” In 1980, he became a firm partner.
David has been a member of the South Carolina Bar for more than 45 years and has won landmark cases before the South Carolina Court of Appeals and the South Carolina Supreme Court. He has been credited with protecting working people through victories against some of the country’s largest corporations.
David served as an adjunct professor of workers’ compensation law at the Charleston School of Law for two years, has lectured about workers’ rights, and served on numerous committees devoted to such concerns, including as legislative chairperson for South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates (IWA) for the last 12 years. He is a past recipient of the Gedney M. Howe Jr. Award for Outstanding Public Service and a 2011 and 2017 honorable recipient of the Leadership in Law recognition by Lawyers Weekly. For over a decade, he has been named one of the Best Lawyers in America and has been nominated by his peers as a Super Lawyer year after year. He also holds the highest professional and ethical rating (AV) in Martindale-Hubbell, a prestigious legal directory.
Not only is David highly respected by his peers; he is deeply loved by his staff because of his character and passion for helping people. He is a champion in his profession and dedicated to community outreach. Among his volunteer activities, he helps local first responders and law enforcement personnel cope with mental injuries sustained as a result of their jobs. He also supports the Trident Literacy Association, which helps adults reverse the cycle and impact of generational poverty and illiteracy by helping them acquire vital life skills.
David and his wife of 40+ years, Janet, live on Sullivan’s Island and have two children. He is proud to say that their children are following his family’s tradition of legal service: Their daughter is a lawyer in Chicago, and their son is a lawyer in New York City.
If you or a family member has been injured, help is available. Contact the Steinberg Law Firm at (843) 720-2800 to receive a free, no-obligation case evaluation. Our experienced legal team has recovered over $500 million in the last 10 years handling cases involving:
First Admitted: 1976, South Carolina
Professional Webpage: https://www.steinberglawfirm.com/attorney/david-t-pearlman/
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- David served as an adjunct professor of workers’ compensation law at the Charleston School of Law for two years, has lectured about workers’ rights, and served on numerous committees devoted to such concerns, including as legislative chairperson for South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates (IWA) for the last 12 years. He is a past recipient of the Gedney M. Howe Jr. Award for Outstanding Public Service.
Bar/Professional Activity:
- South Carolina Bar Association; Member
- Workers’ Injury Law & Advocacy Group; Executive Board; 2010-present
- Injured Workers’ Advocates; Legislative Chairman; 2004-present
- Injured Workers’ Advocates; Former Executive Board Member
- Charleston County Bar Association; Past Chairman, Workers’ Compensation section
- South Carolina Injured Workers’ Advocates; Legislative Chair
- South Carolina Association for Justice; Past chair, Past Chairman of Workers’ Compensation section
- American Bar Association; Member
Educational Background:
- University of Georgia
- George Washington University
Honors/Awards:
- The Leadership in Law Awards honor legal professionals in South Carolina who have been recognized for going above and beyond in their profession and in their community. Honorees are nominated by their peers and then selected by a panel of leaders based on professional and personal accomplishment and their community involvement. Each year, legal publication South Carolina Lawyers Weekly hosts an award ceremony to recognize all South Carolina Leadership in Law honorees. This year, the event will be held on Friday, March 24th at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston, SC at 7:00 PM. According to the SC Lawyers Weekly website, “the event will recognize attorneys from across the Palmetto State who have achieved success in their law practice, made contributions to society, and had an impact on the legal profession.” Additionally, one of the honorees will be selected as “Lawyer of the Year” and revealed the night of the event. Nominated attorneys come from many different legal disciplines and practice areas, and the 2017 Class of Honorees includes 30 attorneys from law firms across the state., South Carolina Leadership in Law Honoree, Leadership in Law, 2017
- AV Preeminent® is a significant rating accomplishment - a testament to the fact that a lawyer's peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence., AV Preeminent, Martindale-Hubbell, 2013
- The American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys is a third-party attorney rating organization that publishes an annual list of the Top 10 Personal Injury attorneys in each state. Attorneys who are selected to the “10 Best” list must pass AIOPIA’s rigorous selection process, which is based on client and/or peer nominations, thorough research, and AIOPIA’s independent evaluation. AIOPIA’s annual list was created to be used as a resource for clients during the attorney selection process. One of the most significant aspects of the selection process involves attorneys’ relationships and reputation among his or her clients. As clients should be an attorney’s top priority, AIOPIA places the utmost emphasis on selecting lawyers who have achieved significant success in the field of Personal Injury law without sacrificing the service and support they provide. Selection criteria therefore focus on attorneys who demonstrate the highest standards of Client Satisfaction., 10 Best Personal Injury Attorneys for Client Satisfaction., American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, 2019
- Best Lawyers is the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession. A listing in Best Lawyers is widely regarded by both clients and legal professionals as a significant honor, conferred on a lawyer by his or her peers. For more than three decades, Best Lawyers lists have earned the respect of the profession, the media, and the public, as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals anywhere. David has been named in the "Workers’ Compensation Law - Claimants" by Best Lawyers in America for 18 consecutive year (2005-2023)., Best Lawyers in America, Workers' Compensation Law - Claimants, Best Lawyers in America, 2023
- Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. David has won the recognition of SuperLawyers for 15 consecutive years (2008-2023)., Super Lawyer, SuperLawyers, 2024
Representative Clients:
- Attorney David T. Pearlman of Steinberg Law Firm Obtains $550K Settlement Award in South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Case Using New Medical Technology The South Carolina workers’ compensation program allows injured workers to obtain much-needed compensation while they recover from their injuries. While the workers’ compensation program is designed to be quicker and easier than a traditional lawsuit, workers’ compensation claims are often contested by an employer or the employer’s insurance company. Earlier this year, Steinberg Law Firm partner, David Pearlman, successfully negotiated a difficult settlement for a South Carolina man who was severely injured in an on-the-job accident. The case highlights the importance of staying abreast of technological and medical advancements, and how successful advocates can use these new technologies to help create a more persuasive case for recovery. While many of the details surrounding the $550K settlement award must remain confidential under the terms of the agreement, the importance of the case can be understood from the basic fact. A man was employed as a heavy lift equipment mechanic when he was involved in an on-the-job fall. As a result of the fall, the worker suffered a facial fracture and cranial bleed. As is the situation in many cases involving trauma to the head, the worker’s cognitive abilities and motor skills were impaired. The worker applied for South Carolina workers’ compensation. As a part of that process, he was evaluated by an expert by the defense. This expert reviewed the results from a traditional MRI, finding that there was no evidence of brain damage. Thus, the defense expert testified that the defendant only suffered a seven percent impairment. In response, attorney David Pearlman sought testing through a newly available technology called diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI is a way for medical professionals to determine microstructural changes to the brain that an MRI may not pick up. As attorney Pearlman explains, “in many cases, especially in mild traumatic brain injuries, there is brain damage. It just has not been able to be seen through routine MRIs because the damage is microscopic. With the new technology of a DTI, you can capture and be able to show the true extent of the severe brain injury.” Relying on DTI and several experts who interpreted the results, attorney Pearlman was able to secure a large settlement offer that would not otherwise have been available. , 2020
Verdicts/Settlements (Case Results):
- Attorney David T. Pearlman of Steinberg Law Firm Obtains $1.68 Million Settlement in South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Case A Charleston man who suffered a stroke after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury he sustained on the job has received a $1.68 million settlement in a confidential South Carolina workers’ compensation case. The case raised an interesting issue related to the cause of the employee’s injury, and whether such an injury was covered under the workers’ compensation system. The case involved an employee who suffered an injury to his right shoulder while on the job. The employer did not contest that the shoulder injury was covered under the workers’ compensation program, as it occurred within the scope of the man’s employment. As a result of his shoulder injury, doctors told the employee that he needed to have a follow-up surgery. About eleven months after the initial injury, the employee went in for surgery to repair his right rotator cuff. Unfortunately, at some point during the time when the man was in the hospital’s care, he had a stroke. This resulted in the injured employee suffering global aphasia, rendering him incapable of speaking or understanding other’s speech. The man filed a South Carolina workers’ compensation claim based on the injuries he suffered during the stroke. In his claim, he sought lifetime compensation and medical treatment, including the need for home healthcare. Pearlman said there was inadequate pre-surgery determination of the client’s risk for a potential stroke, and if the proper evaluation had been conducted before the surgery, procedures could have been used that would have prevented or reduced the possibility of a stroke. Pearlman said the client was taken off his anticoagulant medication before the surgery and was not properly put back on it after the surgery, putting him at a greater risk of having a stroke. Pearlman said that the employers’ insurance company had disputed that the stroke was a catastrophic consequence of the shoulder surgery. “I didn’t think that the stroke was just a mere coincidence and it just happened out of circumstance two weeks after having surgery,” Pearlman said. “We wanted to, and were able to, develop enough evidence and expert testimony to show that there was a relationship between the shoulder injury and the resulting surgery, and then the resulting stroke, which left my client with substantial brain damage.” Pearlman said the client and his family were able to buy a modified van for transportation and make modifications to their home to accommodate his limited mobility as a result of the settlement, which was also used to pay off the client’s house and provide the family with financial stability since he could no longer work. “We were pleased to be able to put together the medical avenues to support our claim and to achieve a very, very good result under the Workers’ Compensation Act for my client,” Pearlman said. The South Carolina workers’ compensation program allows injury workers to obtain much-needed compensation while they recover from their injuries. While the workers’ compensation program is designed to be quicker and easier than a traditional lawsuit, workers’ compensation claims are often contested by an employer or the employer’s insurance company. The case serves as an important reminder of how the assistance of a skilled workers’ compensation attorney can impact the outcome of an injured worker’s claim. The employee retained the services of Steinberg Law Firm’s veteran workers’ compensation attorney, David T. Pearlman, to assist in the preparation of his claim. Attorney Pearlman has been handling workers’ compensation claims on behalf of injured workers for the past four decades. He routinely speaks on workers’ safety and workers’ rights matters, and is regarded as an authority in workers’ compensation law, having won many high-profile cases in front of the state supreme court. Indeed, attorney David Pearlman’s dedication to his clients has been recognized by the organization “Best Lawyers” since 2005. With attorney Pearlman’s help, the man was able to prove that the stroke was causally related to the underlying work injury, rendering him eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. After successfully engaging in the arbitration process, attorney Pearlman was able to recover $1.68 million in compensation for his client. A Charleston man who suffered a stroke after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury he sustained on the job has received a $1.68 million settlement in a confidential South Carolina workers’ compensation case. The case raised an interesting issue related to the cause of the employee’s injury, and whether such an injury was covered under the workers’ compensation system. The case involved an employee who suffered an injury to his right shoulder while on the job. The employer did not contest that the shoulder injury was covered under the workers’ compensation program, as it occurred within the scope of the man’s employment. As a result of his shoulder injury, doctors told the employee that he needed to have a follow-up surgery. About eleven months after the initial injury, the employee went in for surgery to repair his right rotator cuff. Unfortunately, at some point during the time when the man was in the hospital’s care, he had a stroke. This resulted in the injured employee suffering global aphasia, rendering him incapable of speaking or understanding other’s speech. The man filed a South Carolina workers’ compensation claim based on the injuries he suffered during the stroke. In his claim, he sought lifetime compensation and medical treatment, including the need for home healthcare. Pearlman said there was inadequate pre-surgery determination of the client’s risk for a potential stroke, and if the proper evaluation had been conducted before the surgery, procedures could have been used that would have prevented or reduced the possibility of a stroke. Pearlman said the client was taken off his anticoagulant medication before the surgery and was not properly put back on it after the surgery, putting him at a greater risk of having a stroke. Pearlman said that the employers’ insurance company had disputed that the stroke was a catastrophic consequence of the shoulder surgery. “I didn’t think that the stroke was just a mere coincidence and it just happened out of circumstance two weeks after having surgery,” Pearlman said. “We wanted to, and were able to, develop enough evidence and expert testimony to show that there was a relationship between the shoulder injury and the resulting surgery, and then the resulting stroke, which left my client with substantial brain damage.” Pearlman said the client and his family were able to buy a modified van for transportation and make modifications to their home to accommodate his limited mobility as a result of the settlement, which was also used to pay off the client’s house and provide the family with financial stability since he could no longer work. “We were pleased to be able to put together the medical avenues to support our claim and to achieve a very, very good result under the Workers’ Compensation Act for my client,” Pearlman said. The South Carolina workers’ compensation program allows injury workers to obtain much-needed compensation while they recover from their injuries. While the workers’ compensation program is designed to be quicker and easier than a traditional lawsuit, workers’ compensation claims are often contested by an employer or the employer’s insurance company. The case serves as an important reminder of how the assistance of a skilled workers’ compensation attorney can impact the outcome of an injured worker’s claim. The employee retained the services of Steinberg Law Firm’s veteran workers’ compensation attorney, David T. Pearlman, to assist in the preparation of his claim. Attorney Pearlman has been handling workers’ compensation claims on behalf of injured workers for the past four decades. He routinely speaks on workers’ safety and workers’ rights matters, and is regarded as an authority in workers’ compensation law, having won many high-profile cases in front of the state supreme court. Indeed, attorney David Pearlman’s dedication to his clients has been recognized by the organization “Best Lawyers” since 2005. With attorney Pearlman’s help, the man was able to prove that the stroke was causally related to the underlying work injury, rendering him eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. After successfully engaging in the arbitration process, attorney Pearlman was able to recover $1.68 million in compensation for his client. A Charleston man who suffered a stroke after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury he sustained on the job has received a $1.68 million settlement in a confidential South Carolina workers’ compensation case. The case raised an interesting issue related to the cause of the employee’s injury, and whether such an injury was covered under the workers’ compensation system. The case involved an employee who suffered an injury to his right shoulder while on the job. The employer did not contest that the shoulder injury was covered under the workers’ compensation program, as it occurred within the scope of the man’s employment. As a result of his shoulder injury, doctors told the employee that he needed to have a follow-up surgery. About eleven months after the initial injury, the employee went in for surgery to repair his right rotator cuff. Unfortunately, at some point during the time when the man was in the hospital’s care, he had a stroke. This resulted in the injured employee suffering global aphasia, rendering him incapable of speaking or understanding other’s speech. The man filed a South Carolina workers’ compensation claim based on the injuries he suffered during the stroke. In his claim, he sought lifetime compensation and medical treatment, including the need for home healthcare. Pearlman said there was inadequate pre-surgery determination of the client’s risk for a potential stroke, and if the proper evaluation had been conducted before the surgery, procedures could have been used that would have prevented or reduced the possibility of a stroke. Pearlman said the client was taken off his anticoagulant medication before the surgery and was not properly put back on it after the surgery, putting him at a greater risk of having a stroke. Pearlman said that the employers’ insurance company had disputed that the stroke was a catastrophic consequence of the shoulder surgery. “I didn’t think that the stroke was just a mere coincidence and it just happened out of circumstance two weeks after having surgery,” Pearlman said. “We wanted to, and were able to, develop enough evidence and expert testimony to show that there was a relationship between the shoulder injury and the resulting surgery, and then the resulting stroke, which left my client with substantial brain damage.” Pearlman said the client and his family were able to buy a modified van for transportation and make modifications to their home to accommodate his limited mobility as a result of the settlement, which was also used to pay off the client’s house and provide the family with financial stability since he could no longer work. “We were pleased to be able to put together the medical avenues to support our claim and to achieve a very, very good result under the Workers’ Compensation Act for my client,” Pearlman said. The South Carolina workers’ compensation program allows injury workers to obtain much-needed compensation while they recover from their injuries. While the workers’ compensation program is designed to be quicker and easier than a traditional lawsuit, workers’ compensation claims are often contested by an employer or the employer’s insurance company. The case serves as an important reminder of how the assistance of a skilled workers’ compensation attorney can impact the outcome of an injured worker’s claim. The employee retained the services of Steinberg Law Firm’s veteran workers’ compensation attorney, David T. Pearlman, to assist in the preparation of his claim. Attorney Pearlman has been handling workers’ compensation claims on behalf of injured workers for the past four decades. He routinely speaks on workers’ safety and workers’ rights matters, and is regarded as an authority in workers’ compensation law, having won many high-profile cases in front of the state supreme court. Indeed, attorney David Pearlman’s dedication to his clients has been recognized by the organization “Best Lawyers” since 2005. With attorney Pearlman’s help, the man was able to prove that the stroke was causally related to the underlying work injury, rendering him eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. After successfully engaging in the arbitration process, attorney Pearlman was able to recover $1.68 million in compensation for his client. A Charleston man who suffered a stroke after undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury he sustained on the job has received a $1.68 million settlement in a confidential South Carolina workers’ compensation case. The case raised an interesting issue related to the cause of the employee’s injury, and whether such an injury was covered under the workers’ compensation system. The case involved an employee who suffered an injury to his right shoulder while on the job. The employer did not contest that the shoulder injury was covered under the workers’ compensation program, as it occurred within the scope of the man’s employment. As a result of his shoulder injury, doctors told the employee that he needed to have a follow-up surgery. About eleven months after the initial injury, the employee went in for surgery to repair his right rotator cuff. Unfortunately, at some point during the time when the man was in the hospital’s care, he had a stroke. This resulted in the injured employee suffering global aphasia, rendering him incapable of speaking or understanding other’s speech. The man filed a South Carolina workers’ compensation claim based on the injuries he suffered during the stroke. In his claim, he sought lifetime compensation and medical treatment, including the need for home healthcare. Pearlman said there was inadequate pre-surgery determination of the client’s risk for a potential stroke, and if the proper evaluation had been conducted before the surgery, procedures could have been used that would have prevented or reduced the possibility of a stroke. Pearlman said the client was taken off his anticoagulant medication before the surgery and was not properly put back on it after the surgery, putting him at a greater risk of having a stroke. Pearlman said that the employers’ insurance company had disputed that the stroke was a catastrophic consequence of the shoulder surgery. “I didn’t think that the stroke was just a mere coincidence and it just happened out of circumstance two weeks after having surgery,” Pearlman said. “We wanted to, and were able to, develop enough evidence and expert testimony to show that there was a relationship between the shoulder injury and the resulting surgery, and then the resulting stroke, which left my client with substantial brain damage.” Pearlman said the client and his family were able to buy a modified van for transportation and make modifications to their home to accommodate his limited mobility as a result of the settlement, which was also used to pay off the client’s house and provide the family with financial stability since he could no longer work. “We were pleased to be able to put together the medical avenues to support our claim and to achieve a very, very good result under the Workers’ Compensation Act for my client,” Pearlman said. The South Carolina workers’ compensation program allows injury workers to obtain much-needed compensation while they recover from their injuries. While the workers’ compensation program is designed to be quicker and easier than a traditional lawsuit, workers’ compensation claims are often contested by an employer or the employer’s insurance company. The case serves as an important reminder of how the assistance of a skilled workers’ compensation attorney can impact the outcome of an injured worker’s claim. The employee retained the services of Steinberg Law Firm’s veteran workers’ compensation attorney, David T. Pearlman, to assist in the preparation of his claim. Attorney Pearlman has been handling workers’ compensation claims on behalf of injured workers for the past four decades. He routinely speaks on workers’ safety and workers’ rights matters, and is regarded as an authority in workers’ compensation law, having won many high-profile cases in front of the state supreme court. Indeed, attorney David Pearlman’s dedication to his clients has been recognized by the organization “Best Lawyers” since 2005. With attorney Pearlman’s help, the man was able to prove that the stroke was causally related to the underlying work injury, rendering him eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. After successfully engaging in the arbitration process, attorney Pearlman was able to recover $1.68 million in compensation for his client., 2020
- Attorney David T. Pearlman of Steinberg Law Firm finalized a $3 million case settlement for a severely injured 16-year-old Honduran national who fell off a 3-story roof in Myrtle Beach, SC., 2023
Office location for David T. Pearlman
61 Broad Street
Charleston, SC 29401
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