Beaufort Car Accident Lawyer
Car accidents are the most common cause of death in South Carolina. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, South Carolina’s 1.88 deaths per 100 million miles driven is the country’s highest fatality rate – almost twice the national average.
If you’ve been hurt in an accident, turn to the car accident attorneys in Beaufort at Stewart Law Offices. We have extensive experience helping people who have been hurt in car accidents caused by reckless or negligent actions of another person or party. We’re ready to put our knowledge and skills to work for you.
Common Car Accident Causes
The most common causes of injuries and deaths in car accidents in Beaufort includes:
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Reckless driving
- Hit and runs
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Driver fatigue
- Driving too fast for the conditions
- Tailgating
- Lack of experience
- Failure to follow traffic laws
- Mechanical failure or parts defects
- Inadequate maintenance or lack of inspections
- Blind spots
- Other driver error
In a Safewise report based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, South Carolina had the second-highest number of deaths (per 100,000 population) in the country that was caused by impaired drivers.
Stewart Law Offices can handle accidents that result from any of these forms of negligence and any others not listed.
What to Do After a Car Accident in Beaufort
If you’re involved in a wreck in or near Beaufort, there are several important things you need to do as soon as possible:
- Don’t wait to get medical help. In a serious accident, emergency personnel should be called to the scene immediately to treat any injuries. Even if you don’t think you were seriously hurt at first, you should seek medical attention from a doctor or hospital. Some neck, spine, head, and other injuries may not surface until days or weeks later and may require long-term care.
- Give all individuals involved in the accident your name, address, contact information, license plate number, car make and model, driver’s license details, and insurance information, and get a copy of theirs.
- Take pictures of the scene if you have a camera or a cell phone with one built-in. Shoot as many photos as possible of the vehicles and the overall scene, including crash damage, the point of impact, road signs and markings, and any injuries you have. If you notice signs of alcohol or drugs in the other vehicle, capture that as well.
- Call the police at the scene, and be sure to get a copy of their accident report. It will include the officer’s account of the accident, as well as any citations that were issued at the scene. It may also have information about the other drivers and their insurance carriers.
- Immediately get information from any witnesses, including their contact details and a statement from them. If the police are on-scene, they should also be collecting witness statements for their report.
- Keep any bills for medical expenses and anything else related to the accident and your injuries.
- Don’t have your car repaired until your case is resolved. The visible damage to your vehicle can be the most compelling evidence in your accident claim, so it’s critical to keep your vehicle in the same condition it was in after the wreck until after your case has been resolved.
- Don’t speak with the other driver’s insurance carrier until you’ve consulted with a lawyer first. Decline to give them a statement or sign anything until you’ve received legal advice from your lawyer. Insurance companies may try to talk you into making statements that will reduce their liability otherwise.
- Don’t talk about your accident, injuries, or case publicly. Be especially wary of posting any photos or comments on social media, including any pictures that imply you’re feeling okay if you have injuries from the accident.
If you need to file an injury claim against a negligent driver or another party, you should hire Stewart Law Offices as soon as possible. It can be challenging to prove fault in a car accident. That’s why it’s vital to hire an attorney who can build a persuasive case, conduct a detailed investigation, collect additional evidence, and negotiate with the insurance companies for a settlement on your behalf.
The amount of time you have after the accident to file an injury claim in Beaufort is within three years of the date of the accident, according to the South Carolina Code of Laws section 15-3-530. The time period is different in different states, so be sure to verify this with your attorney.
Building a Case for Compensation
All drivers are responsible for the safety of their passengers and others on the road. If they drive recklessly, carelessly, or under the influence, they could be held liable for any injuries they cause.
When individuals are injured or killed in a car accident, the driver and several other parties could be held responsible and be subject to a personal injury claim in Beaufort. The manufacturer of either vehicle could be liable if defects caused the accident or made the damages worse than they otherwise would have been. This also applies to repairs made to either vehicles by dealers or other automobile service companies. If either vehicle is a rental car, the rental company could also be responsible for the accident if they failed to properly inspect, maintain, and repair the rented vehicle to ensure that it’s roadworthy. If the road design or surface contributed to the accident, government agencies responsible for road construction or maintenance might be liable.
Because multiple parties could share liability for your injuries or the death of your loved one, it is crucial to have an experienced car accident attorney in Beaufort evaluate your case and discuss your legal options with you right away. We can conduct a complete and independent investigation, consult with medical personnel and other analysts, and make sure that vital evidence is preserved.
Potential Damages Our Car Accident Lawyers Will Fight For
If your attorney can prove that a driver or another responsible party did not act in a reasonably safe way and their actions resulted in you being harmed, you may have the right to seek compensation that could include:
- Short-term and long-term medical expenses (past and future)
- Lost earning capacity
- Lost wages from time missed at work
- Rehabilitation and medical devices
- Repairs or replacement of damaged property
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Non-economic damages such as mental anguish, emotional distress, disfigurement, and pain and suffering
In a car accident, if someone dies, the surviving family members could file a Beaufort wrongful death claim for loss of financial support, funeral and burial expenses, or final medical expenses.
Common Questions Our Car Accident Attorneys Are Asked
While you are free to handle your claim yourself, car accident claims can be complicated. You probably don’t have the time or energy to gather evidence, document losses, investigate the accident, negotiate with insurance companies, prepare a demand package, and do everything else involved in a personal injury claim. An experienced South Carolina car accident lawyer from Stewart Law Offices can handle your claim while you focus on your recovery.
Insurance companies conduct a cursory investigation to determine who is at fault in an accident, such as reviewing the accident report, pictures of the accident, and damages to vehicles. However, it is important to remember that insurance companies are for-profit companies. They have a vested interest in minimizing the value of claims against their insured so that they can protect their bottom line. For this reason, it is important that you hire an experienced car accident lawyer who can help prove the other driver was at fault for the accident.
The most important priority after being hurt in a car accident in South Carolina is getting medical treatment. After a crash, many people wonder whether it’s best to go through their health insurance or through the at-fault driver’s insurance company first. Here, Stewart Law Offices breaks down what you should do and why.
No. PIP is optional for South Carolina drivers. However, everyone is required to carry liability insurance for:
- Bodily injury
- Property damage
- Uninsured/Underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM)
In order to keep premiums down, drivers often choose to purchase an auto insurance policy only up to South Carolina’s required limits. The drawback to this plan is that car accident damages, especially serious injury crashes, often have expenses that far exceed the minimum policy limits. That could leave you on the hook for any remaining costs once you’ve maxed out your policy.
That depends on your injuries, the circumstances of the car accident, the other driver’s insurance policy limits, and the terms of your own auto policy. The insurance company will only pay up to the at-fault driver’s policy limits.
However, if you were hit by an uninsured or underinsured driver, you may be able to recoup your losses through your own insurance company.
As car accident lawyers, Stewart Law Offices strongly recommends that you purchase as much auto insurance as you can afford. This includes underinsured motorist coverage.
Here’s the truth. Buying the minimum amount of car insurance is often not enough to cover the costs of a serious accident. Today’s medical expenses are astronomical. The average cost of an emergency room visit alone is over $1,300*. The lifetime costs of some of the most catastrophic injuries can easily reach millions.
In addition, each state sets its own minimum car insurance limits — some much lower than South Carolina’s. If you’re hit by an out-of-state driver with a smaller insurance policy, your ability to recover compensation for all of your medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering could be significantly limited. With UIM on your own policy, you will be able to make up the difference for whatever is not paid by the other driver’s insurer up to the policy’s limits. It’s added protection.
How Stewart Law Offices Can Help After a Car Accident in Beaufort
After a car accident, victims have to cope with financial stress, increasing medical bills, and emotional anguish. If they can’t return to work soon, the financial burden can become overwhelming. Thankfully our legal system allows them to seek compensation for their losses if their accident was caused by a negligent or reckless act on the part of someone else.
How We’ve Helped Past Auto Accident Clients
Contact Stewart Law Offices in Beaufort to discuss your case with our car accident lawyers. Our team is ready to review the details and evidence of your case and answer any questions you have during a free consultation. If you’re still recovering from your injuries and can’t come to our office, we’ll meet with you at your home or in the hospital.
We understand what you’re going through and are here to help you seek the compensation you need to support your family, move on with your life, and pay your bills. When someone’s negligence harms you, you shouldn’t have to pay for what they’ve done.