Charleston Hit & Run Accident Lawyer
Anytime you are involved in a car accident, no matter how minor, South Carolina law requires you to stop and exchange information with the other drivers involved. Simply leaving the scene of the accident is illegal. Indeed, in some cases you can be charged with a felony.
Unfortunately, many drivers ignore the law and never bother to stop. This can pose special legal challenges for anyone left behind at the accident scene with serious–or even life-threatening–injuries. If you find yourself in this situation, our Charleston hit & run accident lawyer can help. The Stanley Law Group has over 60 years of combined experience in representing accident victims and their families. We understand how to deal with hit-and-run scenarios where the negligent driver is never identified.
Will Your Own Insurance Pay for Your Hit & Run Damages?
In South Carolina, a negligent driver is responsible for any losses incurred by a victim in a car accident. This includes both the victim’s economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages encompass losses such as medical bills, lost income due to time missed from work, and the costs of repairing or replacing a damaged vehicle. Non-economic damages include more difficult to quantify losses, such as the victim’s pain and suffering.
If a hit and run driver is ultimately identified, the victim can pursue a claim for damages, either against the driver’s insurance company or by filing a personal injury lawsuit. But what happens if the driver is never found? In many cases, the victim’s own auto insurance company may be responsible for any losses. Here are just a few examples:
- Uninsured Motorist (UM) Coverage: Uninsured motorist coverage pays you benefits in the event you are hit by a hit-and-run driver or a known driver who simply has no liability insurance. South Carolina law requires all drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage equal to the minimum amounts of liability coverage.
- Underinsured Motorist (UIM) Coverage: Underinsured motorist coverage kicks-in when the driver who hits you lacks sufficient insurance to pay for all of your damages. Your insurance company is required to offer you UIM coverage with your policy, but unlike UM coverage you have the option of refusing it.
- Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay): Another form of optional insurance coverage is personal injury protection, which in South Carolina is more commonly known as medical payments coverage or MedPay. MedPay provides benefits to pay for your medical expenses following a car accident, regardless of who was at-fault for the collision.
Let Our Charleston Hit & Run Accident Lawyers Help
Dealing with insurance companies is often the last thing you want to do following a hit and run accident where you, or someone that you love, has sustained serious injuries. Our Charleston hit and run accident lawyers can help take some of that burden off of your shoulders. If you need to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney, call the Stanley Law Group at 803-799-4700 or contact us online today to request a free consultation.
