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CARS, TRUCKS, AND MOTORYCLES; ACCIDENTS, WRECKS, AND COLLISIONS. |
Accidents, Wrecks & Collisions. All motor vehicle accidents, whether involving automobiles, bicycles, cars, mopeds, motorcycles, pedestrians, pickups, scooters, SUVs, trucks, tractor-trailers, etc., are considered personal injury cases. They fall under the law of negligence. Violation of a traffic statute or one of the common law rules of the road is considered to be negligence. Personal Injury Damages. If you are injured in a car wreck - auto accident caused by someone else's negligence you (or your survivors) are entitled to be compensated for: --Medical Expenses (doctor bills, chiropractor bills, physical therapy bills, medication expenses, etc.) --Lost Income. (If any). --Pain & Suffering. --Permanent Impairment/Disability. (If any). --Scarring/Disfigurement. (If any). --Death. (If applicable). You are entitled to compensation for past losses that you have incurred, and for additional losses that you can prove will probably happen in the future. In some cases, if your injury is severe enough, your spouse may also have a claim for loss of consortium (marital services). Automobile Insurance. The primary claim in a car wreck - automobile accident case is against the negligent driver's Liability Insurance. However, there are other types of personal insurance that frequently come into play. These include: --Personal Injury Protection (PIP) on the vehicle you were in. --Medical Payments Coverage (Med Pay) on the vehicle you were in. --Uninsured Motorists Coverage (UM) on the vehicle you were in. --Underinsured Motorists Coverage (UIM) on the vehicle you were in. --Uninsured Motorists Coverage (UM) on your personal vehicles. --Underinsured Motorists coverage (UIM) on your personal vehicles. The insurance on your personal vehicles may come into play even if they were not involved in the accident. In South Carolina the law only requires $25,000 in liability insurance. This is referred to as the "minimum limits." (Up until a few years ago the law only required $15,000 in coverage.) With the costs of medical treatment increasing every year, it does not take long for medical bills to exceed the minimum limits. We have seen MANY cases involving severe, crippling injuries, but the injured person could only get $15,000 or $25,000 because that was all the coverage the negligent driver had! This is why it is important to protect yourself by purchasing Underinsured Motorist Coverage and Uninsured Motorist Coverage. UNDERinsured coverage protects you if the other guy does not have enough coverage. UNinsured coverage protects you if the other guy has NO insurance at all. Property Damage. If your vehicle is damaged in an automobile accident you are entitled to compensation for: --Loss of use of your vehicle. This usually means the cost of a rental car. --Cost of repairs OR fair market value, whichever is LESS. --Depreciation (in some cases). Insurance companies are not required to get you a rental car. However, many of them do because it saves them money. (The rental car companies give them a lower rate than they do you and me). If You Are In An Accident. Click the Accident & Injury Tips button for a list of helpful tips. |
CALL ME TODAY! |
M. Terry Haselden Lawyer; Attorney P.O. Box 727 389 East Henry Street, Suite 105 Spartanburg, S.C. 29304 Office: 864-585-1045 Fax: 864-585-1046 E-Mail: terry@haseldenlaw.com |
Office located in Spartanburg, S.C. Serving all of Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina (Social Security Only) including: Anderson, Boiling Springs, Chesnee, Chester, Clinton, Columbus, Cowpens, Duncan, Forest City, Gaffney, Gastonia, Greenville, Greer, Hendersonville, Inman, Kings Mountain, Landrum, Laurens, Lyman, Rock Hill, Rutherfordton, Saluda, Shelby, Spartanburg, Spindale, Tryon, Union, Wellford, Whitmire, Woodruff. |