South Carolina Car Accident Lawyers Answer Your Questions
Car accidents are a common reason why people file personal injury or wrongful death claims. Each year, an average of two million U.S. drivers suffer injuries during car accidents.
Some types of car accident injuries can lead to permanent disabilities. In some cases, survivors and their family members suffer millions of dollars in damages and may need to seek compensation.
However, the process for filing a car accident claim or lawsuit can be very time-consuming without the help of an attorney. That is what we created this FAQ page to help the people of South Carolina understand how car accident compensation works.
- What Should I Do After a Car Accident?
- What Should I Not Do After a Car Accident?
- What Compensation Can I Recover From a Car Accident Claim?
- Can I Sue an Underinsured or Uninsured Driver?
- What If I Am Injured In a Hit and Run Accident?
- How Much Do Car Accident Lawyers Cost?
What Should I Do After a Car Accident?
You should seek medical attention right away if the accident was serious. Seek medical care even if you believe you did not suffer an injury. You are establishing a record of your injuries by going to the hospital, which can help with a car accident claim at a later date. However, you could also have injuries that may not cause symptoms right away. Some types of delayed car accident injuries are fatal or could lead to permanent disabilities.
You should also attempt to obtain contact information from witnesses. Understandably, this may not always be possible depending on the nature of your injuries following a crash. While it would also be helpful to take photographic evidence of the crash scene or your injuries, you may be unable to if you are seriously injured.
What Should I Not Do After a Car Accident?
There are a number of critical mistakes you could make that may jeopardize your ability to recover compensation after an accident.
You should never talk about your accident on social media, even if you have maxed out privacy settings. Even if you use the maximum privacy settings, posts, photos and videos could be uncovered during the discovery phase of a lawsuit. Depending on the content of those posts, photos and videos, you could have your compensation reduced or denied altogether.
You should also never talk to the other party’s insurance company. After the accident, insurance companies representing other people involved in the accident may call you to determine what happened. Whatever you say to the insurance adjusters working for these companies may seriously hurt your claim.
Finally, it is extremely important to keep your cool after a crash. Do not become confrontational with other people involved in the crash. Leaving the scene of a crash is perhaps the worst mistake you could make, as it is a crime in South Carolina.
What Compensation Can I Recover From a Car Accident Claim?
There are two types of compensatory damages you can recover from a car accident lawsuit. First, there are economic damages. These damages cover tangible things, like your hospital bills or lost income. Noneconomic damages are less tangible and may cover emotional anguish and pain and suffering.
How much compensation you can recover depends on the severity of the accident as well as your injuries and degree of fault. Generally, more severe injuries lead to larger settlements and jury verdicts. Certain types of injuries, such as a complete spinal cord injury, may result in millions of dollars in damages over a lifetime.
You should be careful while choosing a car accident attorney. South Carolina is a modified comparative negligence state. If you have a larger degree of fault than other parties involved in the accident, then you may be unable to recover compensation. An experienced attorney can work with medical experts and crash reconstruction specialists to help quantify your damages and determine your degree of fault (if any).
Can I Sue an Underinsured or Uninsured Driver?
Some accidents may involve underinsured or uninsured drivers. It may be difficult to recover compensation if you are hit by a motorist who lacks insurance or has inadequate insurance. Chances are, if this person could not afford insurance, he or she cannot afford to pay your damages. However, this does not mean you cannot recover compensation. Your car insurance policy likely has uninsured motorist coverage. You may be able to recover compensation under your policy.
However, you may not have underinsured coverage on your policy. Insurance companies must offer this coverage when you purchase mandatory liability insurance, but you can opt out in writing for a lower premium. You should make sure you have underinsured motorist coverage on your policy.
What If I Am Injured In a Hit and Run Accident?
A hit and run is one of the worst-case scenarios that could occur during a crash. In many cases, a driver will flee the scene of an accident if they are afraid of the consequences of causing a crash or if they are breaking the law, such as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
There are no guarantees you will be able to track down the driver. Fortunately, video cameras are commonplace in South Carolina, and depending on where your crash occurred, it might be possible to locate the at-fault motorist.
How Much Do Car Accident Lawyers Cost?
Personal injury attorneys take cases on a contingency fee basis, including the attorneys at the Law Offices of Wilkerson, Jones & Wilkerson. This means that you do not owe fees unless we recover a settlement or verdict.
It also does not cost money to talk to us after an accident. The South Carolina car accident lawyers at the Law Offices of Wilkerson, Jones & Wilkerson offer free initial consultations.
Contact Our South Carolina Car Accident Lawyers
Do you have additional questions about what to do after a car accident? We encourage you to contact our office. We can explain your legal rights and potential options for recovering compensation after a crash. To schedule a free consultation with us, dial (803) 324-7200 or use the contact form on our site.