August 2017 Archives

It is impossible to tell you how your case will take, but we can let you know what to expect. Some cases may be settled within a few months, while others could take years to resolve. It depends on many factors including the nature and severity of the injuries, whether liability is disputed, whether damages are disputed, and whether the at-fault driver's insurance company agrees to pay full compensation for your injuries, denies your claim, or delays payment. Below is an explanation of some of the stages of an auto accident case.

I've compiled some of the most common questions that we get from new clients. Any information here may vary depending on the facts and circumstances of your individual case, and this is intended only to give you a general understanding of the claims process and what is involved in an auto accident case.

Under South Carolina law, the driver who is at fault in an auto accident is liable for all damages that were proximately caused by their negligence. Auto accident lawyers often look at this as the three-legged chair approach to whether you have a case. You must be able prove:

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), South Carolina had 977 traffic fatalities in 2015, the most recent year with available data. Horry County and the Myrtle Beach area have led the state in traffic fatalities since at least 2011 with the number of fatalities increasingly each year. Drunk driving has contributed significantly to the death toll on our state's highways, with 309 of the 977 total deaths in 2015 attributed to alcohol impairment.

Self-driving cars are here and it is widely predicted that they will be the transportation of the future. Several companies have received permits to test their self-driving vehicles on public roads, and the results thus far have been promising but not without incident. An Uber self-driving car was involved in an accident in Arizona this year although the other driver was cited for failure to yield. The driver of a Tesla self-driving car was killed last year in Florida when it collided with a truck, and one of Google's self-driving cars crashed with a bus last year as it attempted to maneuver around an obstacle.

If you are involved in a car crash during bad weather conditions, the insurance company may attempt to deny your claim by blaming the accident on the inclement weather. In most cases, weather does not cause accidents. People cause auto accidents by failing to take proper care to drive safely regardless of the weather conditions, and, most likely, at least one party to the accident was guilty of negligence.

When the police respond to an auto accident, they will often cite one or both parties with traffic violations such as speeding, following too close, or failure to yield. Sometimes a driver will be arrested and charged with driving under the influence (DUI) following a car wreck. 

South Carolina distracted driving laws are among the weakest in the nation. As a result, visitors to Myrtle Beach and other South Carolina destinations need to be especially vigilant for drivers who may not have their eyes on the road.

Do you live in South Carolina full time? Perhaps, you don't, but visit here annually to vacation at Myrtle Beach or another popular tourist location every summer. Either way, if you're enjoying fun in the sun or some other adventure with family and friends, chances are you're going to either ride in a car or drive one to get there. That said, many summer gatherings include alcoholic beverages, which can be a real game changer if you do plan operate a motor vehicle.