What To Do After A Devastating Hit-and-Run Accident in South Carolina

[Transcript]

What should you do if you are injured in a hit-and-run accident? My name's Kenneth Berger, and I practice law here in Columbia, South Carolina, and we help injured people across the state. The question about hit-and-runs is one we hear a lot, so I wanted to make a video to answer it. There are a few things that you should know if you've been hurt in a hit-and-run accident. The first is that we may very well be able to find the unknown driver. We can talk with witnesses, we can gather information about the at-fault driver's car, and a lot of times, there will end up being video footage captured by nearby security cameras. Now, what about if we're not able to just outright identify the other driver? It doesn't mean you're left to face the financial burden by yourself. In South Carolina, every car insurance policy comes with what's known as uninsured motorist coverage, so if you don't know who that faulty driver was and we can't identify them, there's still a way to recover what's known as uninsured motorist funds that do have to go through either your insurance or the insurance of the car that you are in. If it belonged to someone else, at least you know that there can be some form of recovery lawyers, including myself, who handle these cases pretty frequently, so whether or not it's a matter of going through hours of camera footage identifying witnesses working with private investigators to get witnesses and then dealing with insurance companies a lot of the challenges that come with dealing with insurance companies we're used to it. We've done it for a long time, and we continue to do it day in and day out. If you have any questions about a hit-and-run case in South Carolina, we're here to help you. You can request free copies of my books on the website, you can use our live chat feature, or you can simply call our office and schedule a free visitation; bottom line, know that you don't have to do this by yourself and know that we're here.

What to Know About a Hit-and-Run

1. We often find the hit-and-run driver. Providing law enforcement with as much information as possible is key in ensuring the at-fault driver who fled the scene is caught. Information 

2. Your insurance company has a duty to pay your property damage and injury claim if the hit-and-run offender is never caught. Two types of insurance that are especially helpful in these scenarios are uninsured motorist and medical payment coverage. They include: 
   
   Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage - which South Carolina law mandates come with every insurance policy - helps protect you against uninsured drivers or, in the case of a hit-and-run collision, an unidentified at-fault driver.
   Medical Payment (medpay) coverage - is designed to cover your out of pocket expenses even before you settle your UM claim. If you have medical payment coverage, you simply submit your initial bills to your insurance company, and they should issue you a check based on your coverage limits.

3. You should be reimbursed any deductible if the at-fault driver is found. Should the hit-and-run driver be identified after you were charged a deductible for your property damage, you must be repaid. Your insurance company will also seek to be reimbursed by the negligent driver’s carrier in a legal process called subrogation.

4. A lawyer can help navigate the legal path after a hit-and-run accident. an experienced lawyer can lead you from confusion to certainty and prevent the even greater injustice that comes with having the financial burden of a hit-and-run fall on your shoulders. 

Whether working with private investigators, sifting through camera footage, tracking down potential witnesses, securing additional evidence, or effectively communicating with insurance companies, the right lawyer can make a big difference.

Seek Legal Help After a Hit-and-Run Accident in South Carolina

The issues you face after a hit-and-run accident are not as simple as some people would have you believe. From how medical bills get paid to how much you should be compensated, it is always better to receive a free consultation from a Myrtle Beach car accident lawyer than to rely on an insurance company that increases profits by paying you less.