Car Wrecks, Auto Accidents in Upstate South Carolina, Spartanbug, Gaffney, Union, S.C.

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.