Robert F. Goings

Over two decades of practicing law, Robert F. Goings has earned a reputation as one of the leading trial lawyers in South Carolina, known for taking on major corporations, insurance companies, and hospitals on behalf of seriously injured clients and families. Robert has secured some of the largest jury verdicts in South Carolina history, including one of the highest non-fatal injury verdicts in Richland County history—a $13.5 million jury verdict with punitive damages—and a recent $5 million wrongful-death medical malpractice verdict. Many other results cannot be published due to confidentiality obligations. His results reflect his standing as a highly respected South Carolina personal injury lawyer with the courtroom skill to take high-stakes cases to verdict.

Raised on a dairy farm in Union County, Robert brings the values of fairness, honesty, and hard work to every case. His grandfather, a hardworking farmer and a man of the utmost integrity, taught Robert from a young age that treating people “right,” being honest, and doing good by others were nonnegotiables in life. Although Robert was not athletic enough to make it on a varsity team, his love for singing, theater, and the performing arts—and the grit he developed on the farm—became the foundation for his success in the courtroom. For Robert today, as a leading trial lawyer, the courtroom is his stage, and he channels those early skills and values into his work representing victims of catastrophic injuries, trucking accidents, medical malpractice, product defects, and wrongful death cases all across South Carolina.

Robert’s record of landmark verdicts, creative advocacy, and unwavering commitment to justice have made him one of the most respected trial lawyers in South Carolina. Robert is known for being trial-ready, meaning he aggressively prepares every case for court and refuses to settle for less than his clients deserve. This approach has generated courtroom success that has drawn widespread respect from both the legal community and the media. South Carolina Lawyers Weekly has stated that “Robert Goings has a knack for getting big verdicts,” and Robert is frequently praised by his peers for his creative trial strategies and tenacious courtroom advocacy.

He is also regularly called upon and retained by other attorneys to assist in complex, high-stakes personal injury and wrongful death cases—an acknowledgment of his skill, judgment, and the trust placed in him by his fellow lawyers across the state. Robert is known for bringing a rare combination of creativity and tenacity into the courtroom—thinking several steps ahead, uncovering angles others miss, and relentlessly driving each case toward the truth. His dynamic presence, strategic insight, and ability to connect authentically with juries have earned him a reputation as one of the most effective and persuasive trial advocates in South Carolina. For Robert, the courtroom is his natural habitat, and the place where he is most comfortable as a lawyer. He believes the challenge of being a trial lawyer is that the audience is always changing—every jury is different, every judge is different, and every case brings new facts and new witnesses. The one constant is Robert’s desire to be a truth-teller, connect with the jury, and be authentic, truthful, and compassionate in the courtroom as he represents his clients to the best of his ability.

Apart from his work as a lawyer and as a business owner, Robert has also single-handedly built one of the most respected plaintiffs’ trial firms in South Carolina. Through a commitment to excellence, integrity, and client-focused advocacy, Robert has assembled a team of exceptionally talented trial attorneys and staff who are recognized as leaders in the legal community. Under Robert’s leadership, Goings Law Firm has earned a statewide reputation for outstanding results, professionalism, and the strength of its trial team.

The firm’s success is reflected in its statewide recognition, including:

• Best Law Firm (2024 & 2025)
• Best Personal Injury Firm (2024 & 2025)
• Best Workers’ Compensation Firm (2024 & 2025)
• Best Accident Firm (2025)

Goings Law Firm has cemented its position as one of the premier plaintiffs’ litigation firms in South Carolina and a top choice for clients seeking experienced personal injury and wrongful death attorneys in Columbia and throughout South Carolina.

When you hire Robert and the team at Goings Law Firm, you aren’t getting a lawyer who looks for a quick settlement—you’re getting a true trial advocate with a proven record in the courtroom. Whether the case involves a severe injury, medical negligence, or a wrongful death, Robert and his team bring the legal skill, strategic preparation, and unwavering determination needed to stand up to the most powerful defendants.

Outside his firm, Robert spends his time with his wife Rebecca (also an attorney) and their three children. When he’s not in the courtroom, he loves being outdoors, cooking barbecue, or singing at his church, living out the values he brings to every aspect of his work and life.

Educational Background

• Bachelor of Arts Major in Government, summa cum laude – Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina, (2003)
  • Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and Blue Key honor societies
  • Student Body President in 2002
  • Government Award (Given to the student with the highest honors in the Government Major)
  • Outstanding Citizen Award (elite distinction granted annually to the graduating senior who has shown the greatest concern for, and given the greatest service to, the general improvement of Wofford College)
• Juris Doctorate in 2006 – University of South Carolina School of Law (2006)
  • Served as Editor for the Southeastern Environmental Law Journal
  • Competed in Moot Court
  • Awarded the prestigious Claude Sapp Award (presented annually to the single graduate who that year possesses the best combination of scholarship, leadership, and industry)

Professional Associations

• American Bar Association
• South Carolina Bar Association (House of Delegates)
• Richland County Bar Association
• South Carolina Bar Practice and Procedure Committee
• Young Lawyers Division Committee
• South Carolina Association for Justice
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) – 2020 President (South Carolina Chapter)
• American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) – National Board Representative and Committee Chair
• International Society of Barristers – South Carolina member
• Member of the John Belton O’Neall Inn of Court
• Member of the Alumni Board of the University of South Carolina School of Law

Courts Admitted

• All South Carolina State Courts
• U.S. District Court
• Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Federal Circuit Court of Appeals
• Supreme Court of the United States

Awards

• Selected to Super Lawyers Top 10 Attorneys in South Carolina (2025-2026)
• Selected to Super Lawyers Top 25 Attorneys In South Carolina (2021-2026)
• Trial Lawyer of the Year by the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), South Carolina Chapter
• Named to South Carolina Lawyers Weekly’s 2025 Personal Injury Law Power List
• Rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®
• 2025 Martindale-Hubbell Platinum Client Champion® Award
• Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
  • Litigation – Insurance
  • Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs
• South Carolina Lawyers Weekly “Leader in the Law” Honor
• Fellow of the International Society of Barristers
• Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA)
• Compleat Lawyer Award (Silver) – University of South Carolina School of Law (2016)
• Legal Elite of South Carolina – Midlands
• South Carolina Business Monthly – Voted Top Attorney (Personal Injury)
• Selected as an “Emerging Legal Leader” by the South Carolina Lawyers Weekly Magazine in 2011

Case Victories

• $12,500,000 Jury Verdict (2021): In Columbia, Goings won a $12.5 million verdict (including $9 million in punitive damages) for a client injured by a drunk driver. This is one of the largest non-fatality auto accident verdicts in Richland County history
• $5 Million wrongful‑death medical‑malpractice verdict (2024)
• $2 Million trip‑and‑fall verdict (2023)
• $600,000 rear‑end collision verdict (2023)