Dirk J. Derrick grew up in Conway, SC. His first job was at the age of six as a farmhand on his grandfather’s tobacco farm in rural Horry County. He has worked and made money every year since. Dirk credits hot, humid summer days in the tobacco fields as his inspiration to get a good education and work in a climate-controlled environment.
His father was a high school teacher and football coach who had been co-captain of the 1957 South Carolina Gamecock football team. Coach Derrick was very competitive, and his children were raised to compete to win in anything they pursue. Everything was a competition including who could be the most productive in their summertime farming jobs, who could make the best grades in school, and who could win a particular athletic competition.
Dirk earned a football scholarship to Wofford College where he played for four years. After graduating, he coached college football at East Tennessee State University for one year where he met his wife, Michelle. They were married in 1985, the same year Dirk began law school at the University of South Carolina. He graduated in 1987 and began practicing in Horry County in 1988. Due to early success in the courtroom, Dirk worked his way into a partnership after just three years. In 1991, he left the partnership and established Derrick Law Firm Injury Lawyers.
For the next 20 years, Dirk operated his firm like most small law firms, but became very frustrated with the leverages held by the insurance industry which creates obstacles in providing the three things expected by our clients, getting the real value of their claims, as fast as possible, while receiving elite customer service from a trusted lawyer.