South Carolina, like many other states, requires that all registered drivers to carry both liability coverage and uninsured motorist coverage. Ideally, this makes it so that no matter what the insurance status is of a driver involved in a car accident, there is usually some grounds for an injured or wronged party to make a legitimate insurance claim and recover relief.
With this kind of law in place, why would it ever be necessary to take legal action following a car accident? The truth is, even though there are laws in place to cover as many drivers as possible, injured car accident victims still can face resistance when trying to recover the compensation they deserve. This is largely due to two reasons: coverage minimums and insurance provider contention.
Minimum Liability & Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Even though all registered South Carolina drivers are required to have minimum liability and uninsured motorist coverage, most drivers elect to have minimum coverage. This saves many households money but, in the event of an accident, limits the money available to injury victims.
Minimum liability and uninsured driver insurance in South Carolina includes:
- $25,000 for property damage
- $25,000 for injury or death per person
- $50,000 for injury or death per accident (when multiple victims)
In many cases where there is mild to moderate injury to one party, you can see where this minimum coverage can still be helpful. However, when there is serious injury, death, or multiple injury victims, the ceilings suddenly become significant. $25,000, for example, is not appropriate relief for the loss of a loved one. When victims and loved ones are faced with life-altering effects of a car accident, minimum coverage will likely not reflect proper compensation.
Contention with Insurance Providers
The minimum liability and uninsured motorist coverage numbers above represent the maximum payout on those policies, which means that, if they see fit, insurance providers will provide payouts lower than those numbers when they can—and they often do. Minimum coverage laws do not change the fact that these companies fiercely protect their bottom lines and often try to marginalize the claims of their customers. Hiring an attorney who is ready to negotiate and even litigate is still the most effective way to show an insurance provider that you are serious about your claim and recovering the coverage you deserve for your injury.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a car accident caused by another driver, then it may be time to speak with a proven Charleston personal injury attorney. At Pierce, Sloan, Kennedy & Early LLC, our nationally recognized firm has recovered millions of dollars for deserving clients who have been harmed by the negligence of others.
To start exploring your injury claim options with a proven legal advocate, contact our team at (843) 968-0886 today.