When you’re the victim of a car accident in South Carolina, it’s important to explore your legal rights and options. You may have the right to seek compensation from an insurance company or another liable party, such as a negligent motorist, vehicle manufacturer, or government agency. The experienced South Carolina car accident lawyers at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys can help you maximize your recovery.
Since 1980, Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys has provided compassionate, trustworthy, effective legal representation to car accident victims and grieving families throughout South Carolina. Backed by over 150 years of collective experience, our award-winning trial attorneys have forced insurance companies and other tough adversaries to pay our clients $100 million (and counting) in damages.
Don’t settle for less than your car accident case is worth. Trust our top-rated law firm to help you make the most of your fight for compensation. Call one of our South Carolina law offices – conveniently located in Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Lancaster, and Lake Wylie – at 803-324-7574 to set up a free consultation now with a South Carolina car accident attorney.
How Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys Can Help After a Car Accident in South Carolina
The insurance company doesn’t want you to hire an attorney after you’ve been in a crash. Adjusters certainly don’t want you to choose the South Carolina personal injury lawyers at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys to handle your car accident case.
We’re known and respected trial attorneys who’ve helped clients win over $100 million in settlements and jury awards. Client-focused practices and top-dollar recoveries are why we’re recognized by The National Trial Lawyers, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Avvo, Super Lawyers, and the National Association of Distinguished Counsel.
When you ask for our help after a car crash, you’ll be able to count on us to:
- Promptly investigate your auto accident to understand how and why it happened
- Gather critical pieces of evidence throughout the discovery process
- Enlist expert witnesses, including accident reconstructionists, forensic specialists, vocational rehabilitation professionals, and medical specialists who can weigh in as we build your case
- Calculate what your car accident case is worth
- Devise a strategy to handle claims of comparative negligence
- Force the insurance company (and other liable parties) to make a substantial settlement offer or take their chances against our award-winning litigators at trial
At Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys, we appreciate that a car accident can be costly. Hiring a South Carolina car accident attorney to help you secure compensation shouldn’t add to the stress you’re under. That’s why our South Carolina law firm represents traffic accident victims on contingency.
You pay nothing unless we win compensation for your car accident case.
Reach out to one of our South Carolina law offices to learn more. Your first consultation with our team is free.
South Carolina Car Accident Statistics
According to state crash data, there’s a car accident somewhere in the state of South Carolina every 3.6 minutes.
In 2021, a total of 147,724 auto accidents were reported statewide, including:
- 1,112 fatal accidents
- 2,392 accidents causing at least one catastrophic injury
- 34,068 accidents resulting in at least one non-serious injury
That year, crashes caused 53,596 total injuries and 1,198 deaths.
Generally speaking, at least one-quarter of all South Carolina car accidents result in an injury or death.
Representing Clients in All Types of Car Accidents in South Carolina
Insurance companies design the claims process. Adjusters have extensive experience handling claims involving a wide range of collisions. The odds will be stacked against you unless you level the playing field.
The best way to set the stage for a successful result is by hiring an experienced auto accident lawyer in South Carolina to advocate for you.
At Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys, we have a proven ability to help clients in all types of car accident cases, including:
- Rear-end collisions
- Frontal crashes
- Broadside accidents
- T-bone accidents
- Rollovers
- Intersection accidents
- Head-on collisions
- Single vehicle collisions
- Chain-reaction crashes
- Hit and run car accidents
- Collisions with uninsured motorists
- Fatal car accidents
Backed by over 150+ years of combined experience, our team appreciates that every crash is unique and requires an individualized, focused approach. Count on us to draw on our experience, knowledge of South Carolina personal injury law, and winning strategies to help you get the compensation you deserve.
What Can Cause a Car Accident?
Some of the most common causes of car accidents in South Carolina include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Driver fatigue
- Drunk driving
- Unsafe passing
- Illegal turns
- Tailgating
- Braking errors
- Vehicle malfunctions
- Vehicle defects
- Road defects
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Bad weather conditions
- Running red lights and stop signs
As you can see, most car accidents are the result of simple mistakes and lapses in judgment. That’s why the primary cause of action for most car accident cases in South Carolina is negligence.
How Much Is My Car Accident Case Worth?
Just like no two crashes and no two victims are identical, neither are the values of car accident claims. The specific details that make each case different will influence value.
The amount of money you might be able to get after a car accident in South Carolina can depend on:
- The types of physical injuries you’ve sustained in the wreck
- How long you’ll need medical treatment
- Changes in your earning capacity, income, and ability to work
- Shared responsibility for the motor vehicle accident
- Available insurance benefits and applicable policy limits
- Your age and life expectancy
- How the crash has affected your overall quality of life
It’s important to have at least a general sense of what your car accident case might be worth. When the insurance company makes you a settlement offer, you’ll want to know if it’s legitimate or if they’re lowballing you.
Can Shared Fault Hurt My South Carolina Car Accident Settlement?
Yes. South Carolina operates under a system of modified comparative negligence with a 50 percent bar to recovery. Simply put, you can’t get compensation from a third party if your liability is equal to or greater than 50 percent.
You can get a limited monetary award if you share a small percentage of the blame, not exceeding 49 percent.
Our South Carolina car accident attorneys know that the insurance company won’t hesitate to point fingers and blame you for the wreck. We’ll be ready to fight back against these claims and work to get you every cent you need and deserve.
What Types of Damages Can Be Awarded to Crash Victims?
Compensatory damages can be awarded through an insurance claim or car accident lawsuit.
In South Carolina, compensatory damages can fall into two different categories: economic and non-economic. Economic damages help to offset the financial burdens of a car accident, while non-economic damages help you deal with harder-to-value trauma that you experience as a victim.
Our car accident lawyers in South Carolina can help you seek money for:
- Present and future medical bills
- Lost wages and disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Funeral expenses if a car accident is fatal
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- PTSD
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement
If your car accident lawsuit goes to trial, a jury can also determine if punitive damages are appropriate. Punitive damages are generally saved for situations when a defendant’s conduct is clearly intentional or grossly negligent. Most often, this involves cases with a drunk driver or a hit and run motorist.
Common Car Accident Injuries
Call Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys if you’ve suffered any of the following in a recent car accident in South Carolina:
- Broken bones and fractures
- Soft tissue injury
- Crush injury
- Chest injury
- Eye injury
- Concussion injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Whiplash injury
- Back injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Neck injury
- Leg injury
- Burn injury
- Amputation injury
- Degloving injury
- Catastrophic injury
- Wrongful death of a family member
There are two things you must do immediately after a car accident. First, report the wreck to the local police. Next, seek prompt medical attention at the closest hospital. These steps, while simple, can make a huge difference when you file a legal claim for damages down the line.
Does South Carolina Have a Statute of Limitations for Car Accident Lawsuits?
Following a car accident in South Carolina, you’ll generally have just three years to file a personal injury lawsuit for damages.
There are few exceptions to this three-year statute of limitations. Most often, the statute of limitations is different when a child is injured in a South Carolina car accident or a government agency is responsible.
You must file your car accident lawsuit before the applicable filing deadline passes. If you miss it, you lose the right to demand accountability from those at fault.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced South Carolina Car Accident Lawyer
Don’t hesitate to contact the award-winning legal team at Elrod Pope Accident & Injury Attorneys if you or a family member has been injured in a recent auto accident.
Our South Carolina car accident lawyers, whose collective experience spans more than 150 years, represent clients across the state, including Rock Hill, Lancaster, Lake Wylie, and Fort Mill. We’re ready to help you take on the insurance company in pursuit of the life-changing monetary award you deserve.
Connect with our legal team in South Carolina to schedule a free case evaluation today.