Accidents bring unwanted stress and costs to your life. The at-fault driver’s insurance coverage should provide a required financial safety net to help you recover financially from your damages in an accident on South Carolina highways. Crashes involving uninsured motorists produce uncertainty about how you will pay for your expenses resulting from the accident.
Complex legal circumstances require guidance from an experienced South Carolina car accident lawyer. Shelly Leeke Law Firm wants to prepare you for life’s worst-case scenarios, offering The South Carolina Accident Book to help you understand your rights.
Contact us today to speak with a South Carolina uninsured motorist accident lawyer with our firm.
Why Working with an Uninsured Motorist Accident Lawyer is Critical to Your Recovery
A significant option for financial recovery is no longer available to you if you suffer damages in a car wreck with an uninsured driver. Understanding your legal options is the first step to recovery, and our law firm strives to secure maximum damages. A South Carolina personal injury lawyer can offer these services to you:
- Immediately begin collecting evidence before it is overwritten or lost to establish fault in an accident.
- Investigate your legal options for filing a personal injury lawsuit.
- Explore all of your alternatives for compensation outside of filing a lawsuit to help you efficiently navigate the insurance claim process.
- Provide a comprehensive evaluation of your damages.
- Work within legal timeframes to file a civil action.
Alerting your insurance company immediately of an uninsured motorist accident is vital. If you are an uninsured motorist injured in a car accident, you still have the right to file a claim or take action against the at-fault driver. However, you will likely suffer the penalties for driving without insurance.
Financial Recovery Options in an Uninsured Motorist Accident in South Carolina
Vehicles operating on public highways must meet South Carolina auto insurance requirements, including liability and uninsured motorist insurance. You typically file a claim against the at-fault driver’s liability coverage. However, a driver’s failing to have insurance requires you to seek other options to cover your costs, which may include:
- Uninsured motorist coverage: Your insurance policy includes this coverage. It is equal to minimum liability coverage usually carried by the at-fault driver and likely includes a $200 deductible.
- Personal Injury Protection (PIP): Optional medical pay coverage you purchase will assist with paying medical expenses and lost wages up to specific policy amounts.
- Other optional coverages: Insurance coverages, such as collision insurance, are available to purchase that may cover the costs of damage to your vehicle.
- File a personal injury lawsuit: An uninsured motorist accident lawyer in South Carolina can investigate your financial options for legal recourse against an uninsured driver, discuss the costs to sue someone, and file a legal action for you.
You have the legal right to seek compensation for your damages. Even insurance options may provide complex challenges for financial recovery. Contacting the Shelly Leeke Law Firm Team will help you know what to do if you are hit by an uninsured motorist and prepare you for the unexpected.
Filing a Claim with Your Auto Insurance Policy Provider for Damages
Purchasing optional insurance coverages does not guarantee maximum coverage under a claim. An uninsured motorist accident attorney in South Carolina will fight back against attempts to reduce your claim with sound documentation and insight into the value of your damages.
It is vital to understand what optional insurance policies cover to avoid loopholes that prevent you from claiming coverage benefits following an accident with an uninsured driver. These loopholes may include only paying the remaining balances for costs other insurers or policies do not pay.
What to Expect After an Accident Involving an Uninsured Motorist
There are essential steps to take immediately following an accident. Accidents involving drivers with insurance coverage may still be tense and uncomfortable, so remaining calm is critical to a more positive outcome. However, obtaining personal information from an uninsured motorist may be challenging or impossible.
Uninsured drivers may unexpectedly flee the accident scene to avoid interactions with law enforcement. Take photos of the uninsured car and its license plate to make locating the driver easier, but only if it is safe. Make notes of the car’s make, model, color, and other information to help identify the vehicle.
Speak with law enforcement at the scene of the accident immediately. Provide information about the hit-and-run vehicle and driver. It may be possible to locate the driver to obtain more information quickly.
Vulnerable Highway Users in South Carolina and Uninsured Motorists
Auto drivers are not the only users of South Carolina highways who experience the impacts of uninsured motorist accidents. Your injuries can be more severe, and determining your compensational options can be complex. According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) (Pg. 38), vulnerable road user statistics reflect the following number of incidents annually:
- Pedestrian accidents: 1,137
- Motorcycle collisions: 2,086
- Other motorbike traffic collisions: 444
Let us work to uncover the compensation options that are available to you. An uninsured motorist accident lawyer in South Carolina can guide you through possible personal insurance coverage options to assist you with ways to cover extensive medical costs. Everyone has the right to use South Carolina highways safely.
South Carolina Laws Impacting Your Financial Recovery
Any fault you contribute to the accident may impact your compensation in a claim. Read our breakdown of South Carolina’s negligence laws. While we do not recommend waiting to reach out, you typically have three years (S.C. Code §15-3-530(5)) from the date of an accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in South Carolina.
Discuss a Uninsured Motorist Accident with a Team Member Today
Schedule a free case evaluation today with a South Carolina uninsured motorist accident attorney to discuss a South Carolina car accident that has left you with significant costs.
We will help you uncover options for financial recovery. We are available 24/7 and can come to you, if you can’t come to us.
