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You should immediately report a car accident of any severity, even one that is seemingly minor. Moreover, South Carolina law requires you to report a car accident that results in injuries, fatalities, or more than $1,000 in vehicle damage.
A car accident report could also be an asset to your injury claim if the other driver was at fault. If a Spartanburg car accident lawyer represents you in your insurance claim, your car accident report can be crucial to your evidence collection. Most law firms in your area will offer a free review of your wreck and clarify your financial recovery options.
The Role of a Police Report in a South Carolina Car Accident Investigation
You should always report a car crash to the local police. Not only is it mandatory (per SC Code § 56-5-1270), but if an officer responds to the scene, they’ll impartially capture the accident details, which avoids misinformation or a distortion of facts later. If you decide to seek compensation for another driver’s negligence, your car accident lawyer will obtain a copy of the police report for your case file.
It will objectively lay out:
- Accident date, time, and location
- Road and weather conditions
- Readily apparent damage
- Injuries and fatalities
- Points of impact
- Vehicle make and model
The police report will also contain contact information for the at-fault driver, their insurance provider, and any witnesses who came forward. Finally, it will contain police-generated photos of both involved vehicles and the accident scene.
Additional Evidence that Supports a Personal Injury Claim
The police report is only one piece—although a critical one—of evidence your lawyer will accumulate after a car wreck. Additional supportive evidence includes:
- Medical records that describe your injuries
- Accident reconstruction report
- Dashcam, traffic cam, and smartphone footage
- Lay and expert witness statements
- Proof of income and receipts for car repairs
- Estimates for replacing a car deemed a total loss
Your lawyer will also ask for information about any passengers in your car, their age, and any property (other than your vehicle) that was damaged or destroyed in the collision. They will also collect the evidence you need, so you can focus on getting better or helping an injured loved one through their recovery.
Financial Compensation for Car Accident Victims in South Carolina
The average car accident settlement combines economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages are expenses that have a tangible value, such as:
- Past and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation and therapy
- Past and future lost income
- Lost future earning capacity
- Property damage or total loss
- Diminished property value
Noneconomic damages are intangible and can be more challenging to assess and document without help. They typically include:
- Disability and disfigurement
- Physical pain and suffering
- Mental and emotional anxiety
- Loss of enjoyment of life
In addition, your family could recover wrongful death damages for the loss of a loved one. You could recover the costs of their funeral and burial plus compensation for your loss of financial support, household contributions, companionship, and consortium.
A Police Report Can Also Support the South Carolina Statute of Limitations
The state limits how much time you have to file a civil lawsuit. In general, S.C. Ann § 15-3-530 gives you three years to file your personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. If the statute of limitations expires:
- The court could bar you from filing your lawsuit
- The court could dismiss your lawsuit out of hand
- The insurance company could stop negotiating
These consequences could leave you with no legal recourse to compel compensation from the at-fault driver. However, you don’t have to risk a missed, misunderstood, or miscalculated statute of limitations. A car accident attorney can assess your injury claim and file your lawsuit on time.
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The Benefits of a South Carolina Car Crash Lawyer as Your Advocate
Building a case and recovering damages after a car wreck can be a complicated legal process. It does not have to be one you navigate on your own. A car accident lawyer can handle these tasks:
- Obtaining your police report
- Requesting your medical records
- Investigating your wreck
- Drafting and filing your case
- Managing all communication
- Consulting expert witnesses
- Interviewing lay witnesses
- Negotiating a favorable settlement
Your attorney will also provide regular and timely updates and progress reports. They can keep you informed each step of the way and ensure you are not left wondering about the timeline or outcome of your case.
You Could Pay Nothing Upfront to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer
The cost of a car accident lawyer does not have to come out of your pocket. Most will accept your case on a contingency fee basis, meaning:
- You will pay nothing upfront or out of pocket
- The law firm will cover all the costs of preparing your claim
- The lawyer only receives compensation if you do
If you do not receive compensation from the at-fault driver, you will not owe the law firm anything. That makes hiring a lawyer risk-free and means you do not have to tackle a huge insurance company without legal support.
Get Help Obtaining a Copy of Your South Carolina Car Accident Report
If you or a loved one were in a recent wreck, you might need to report the car wreck in South Carolina. An official police report can help you build a solid case for financial recovery against a negligent driver.
The car accident team at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, will obtain a copy of your report and additional supportive evidence. Learn more about our goal of excellence in legal representation for every client. Contact our consultation team today to get started.
