Years ago, the unwritten rule in South Carolina was that an insurance company would pay three times your medical expenses. The thinking was that 1/3 would go to the doctors, 1/3 to the injury lawyer, and 1/3 to the person who was injured in the accident. That is no longer the standard, however. After years of "tort reform" and multi-million dollar insurance campaigns aimed at demonizing lawyers and the people they represent, the pre-litigation value of accident claims has decreased. In fact, many insurance carriers have begun offering unrepresented people less than 1.5 times the medical bills.
Looking Beyond Medical Bills for Case Value
So rather than focus on medical expenses alone as a measure for your case's value, I view it as just one of several variables that goes into determining how much compensation you should receive. In addition to your bills, I focus on the overall effect the accident has on your quality of life, your physical pain, and any permanent injury you have sustained. The defendant's conduct is another factor in assessing case value. For instance: Was the individual defendant texting? Did a corporate defendant put profits ahead of safety?
Instead of allowing an insurance company or non-lawyer to convince you that your case's value is tied almost exclusively to the medical bills, call us today at 803-790-2800 (Columbia, SC) / 843-427-2800 (Myrtle Beach, SC), or start a live chat 24/7. Our South Carolina personal injury attorney team will provide candid, factual, experience-based answers to your questions and help ensure you are treated fairly.
