Abbeville Car Accident Lawyers

A car accident can disrupt your life in a matter of seconds, but dealing with the aftermath can take much longer. You may be trying to recover from your injuries while missing work, arranging transportation, handling medical bills, and wondering what the insurance company will actually cover. When someone else caused the crash, you should not have to figure out the legal side of your recovery on your own.

At Hite Law Firm, we understand that there is a person and a family behind every car accident claim. We take the time to listen to what you are dealing with, answer your questions, and help take some of the legal burden off your shoulders while you focus on recovering. Our Abbeville car accident lawyers can investigate what happened and help you pursue the compensation you may be entitled to under South Carolina law, starting with a free consultation.

Not Sure What to Do After Your Accident?

You do not need to have everything figured out before you call us. Tell Hite Law Firm what happened, and our Abbeville car accident lawyers can help you understand your options and what to do next.

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Types of Car Accident Claims We Handle

Every collision has its own set of facts, and the type of crash can help determine what evidence matters when establishing fault. A rear-end collision may involve questions about following distance, speed, and driver attention. A T-bone crash at an intersection may require determining who had the right of way and whether either driver disregarded a traffic signal or stop sign. Car accident claims may involve:

• Head-on collisions and rear-end accidents
• Side-swipe, T-bone, and rollover crashes
• Distracted driving accidents and drunk driving crashes
• Single-vehicle and multi-vehicle wrecks
• Crashes involving commercial trucks or delivery vehicles
• Wrecks tied to a defective vehicle part or a poorly maintained vehicle

When a crash causes a catastrophic injury, evaluating the claim may require looking well beyond current medical bills. Future treatment, lost earning capacity, long-term assistance, and other anticipated needs may become important parts of determining the full extent of the damages.

Additional procedural requirements can also apply when a child is injured in a crash. Depending on the circumstances and the terms of the settlement, court approval or other procedures may be required before a settlement involving a minor becomes final.

Common Injuries From Auto Accidents

Car accidents can cause injuries ranging from temporary strains to permanent disabilities. The type and severity of an injury depend on factors such as the direction of impact, the force of the collision, and how the body moves during the crash. Some injuries are immediately apparent, while symptoms of others may become more noticeable in the hours or days afterward.

Common car accident injuries include:

• Whiplash and other neck injuries: A sudden movement of the head and neck can injure muscles, ligaments, and other soft tissues.
• Back injuries: Car crashes can cause muscle and ligament injuries, herniated or damaged discs, fractures, and other injuries affecting the back.
• Broken bones: The force of a collision can fracture the arms, legs, ribs, wrists, ankles, hips, and other bones.
• Shoulder and knee injuries: Bracing for impact or striking the interior of a vehicle can damage joints, ligaments, tendons, and surrounding tissues.
• Traumatic brain injuries: A blow to the head or rapid movement of the brain within the skull can cause a concussion or more serious brain injury.
• Spinal cord injuries: Damage to the spinal cord can cause changes in strength, sensation, mobility, and other bodily functions. Severe injuries can result in paralysis.
• Internal injuries: Trauma to the chest or abdomen can damage organs or cause internal bleeding that may require emergency treatment.
• Cuts, burns, and scarring: Broken glass, vehicle components, airbags, and other crash-related hazards can cause injuries that result in permanent scarring or disfigurement.
• Catastrophic injuries: The most serious collisions can cause permanent neurological impairment, loss of function, or other disabilities requiring long-term medical care and assistance.

The seriousness of an injury is not always clear at the accident scene. Medical evaluation can help identify injuries that require treatment and document symptoms as they develop. When an injury results in ongoing treatment, permanent limitations, or an inability to return to work, those long-term effects can also become an important part of the car accident claim.

Family Members Can Also Sustain Injuries In Car Collisions

A single crash can injure a driver and several passengers at the same time. Each injured person may have their own claim based on their individual injuries, medical expenses, lost income, and other damages.

Multiple claims can become particularly complicated when the available insurance coverage is not enough to fully compensate everyone who was injured. Per-person and per-accident policy limits may restrict the amount of liability coverage available, making it important to identify all potentially applicable insurance policies and other sources of recovery.

When a Government Vehicle or Employee Is Involved In Your Car Accident

A crash involving a government employee can follow different rules from a claim against a private driver. When the South Carolina Tort Claims Act applies, the claim is generally brought against the government entity rather than the individual employee, provided the employee was acting within the scope of their official duties.

Under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, recovery is generally limited to $300,000 for one person’s loss arising from a single occurrence and $600,000 in total for a single occurrence. Punitive damages are also unavailable under the Act.

The Act also has its own filing procedures and deadlines. A claimant may file a verified claim with the appropriate government entity, and doing so can affect the time available to bring a lawsuit. Generally, an action must be brought within two years after the loss was or should have been discovered, although filing a qualifying claim can extend that period to three years.

These rules may apply to crashes involving government vehicles or employees, including law enforcement, school transportation, or public works vehicles, depending on the circumstances. Because the applicable defendant, procedures, and filing deadline differ from an ordinary car accident claim, identifying government involvement early can be important.

How Fault Is Determined in Your Car Accident Case

South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule. You may generally recover damages when your share of fault is not greater than the combined fault of the defendant or defendants. Your compensation is reduced according to your percentage of responsibility. If your share of fault is greater, you may be barred from recovering damages.

Evidence used to establish fault may include the police report, photographs or video from the scene, witness statements, vehicle damage, electronic data, and other available information. When the circumstances of a serious collision are disputed, accident reconstruction or other expert analysis may also help determine how the crash occurred.

Why Minimum Insurance Coverage May Not Cover a Serious Car Accident Injury

South Carolina requires drivers to carry minimum liability insurance and uninsured motorist coverage. Under S.C. Code § 38-77-140, the minimum bodily injury liability limits are $25,000 for one person and $50,000 for two or more people injured in a single accident. South Carolina also requires uninsured motorist coverage, while insurers must offer drivers the option to purchase underinsured motorist coverage.

Those limits may be inadequate when a crash causes a serious injury involving hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, lost income, or long-term medical care. When the at-fault driver’s liability coverage does not fully cover the losses, uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may provide another potential source of compensation, depending on the circumstances and the injured person’s policy.

South Carolina also permits stacking of certain UM or UIM coverage in some circumstances, but whether coverage can be combined depends on factors such as the policies involved, the vehicles insured, and the injured person’s relationship to the policy. Reviewing all potentially applicable insurance policies can help determine how much coverage may actually be available.

Your Recovery Is About More Than the Damage to Your Car

Medical care, missed work, and ongoing pain can affect your life long after the accident scene is cleared. We can look at the full impact of your injuries and help you pursue the compensation you may be entitled to.

Talk to Our Abbeville Car Accident Lawyers

Car Accidents Around Abbeville County

Drivers in Abbeville County travel a mix of state highways, two-lane rural roads, and streets running through smaller communities such as Abbeville, Calhoun Falls, Due West, and Donalds. Major routes through the area include SC 72, US 178, and SC 28.

Crashes on these roads can involve very different circumstances. Higher-speed highway collisions may result in serious injuries, while intersections and local roads can present questions involving right of way, visibility, turning vehicles, and driver attention. Rural crashes can also create practical challenges when accident scenes cover larger areas or witnesses are difficult to identify later.

The South Carolina Department of Public Safety tracks traffic fatalities and other collision data throughout the state. Statewide statistics provide useful context, but determining responsibility for an individual Abbeville County crash still requires looking at the specific roadway, vehicles, drivers, and evidence involved.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Abbeville

What you do after a crash can affect both your recovery and your ability to document what happened. A few steps can help protect your health and preserve important evidence:

1. Seek medical care promptly, particularly if you are experiencing pain or other symptoms
2. Keep copies of the police report, medical records, bills, and any photos or videos from the scene
3. Be cautious about giving a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company before understanding your rights
4. Preserve photos of the vehicle damage and, when practical, avoid disposing of a severely damaged vehicle before important evidence has been documented
5. Keep records of missed work, out-of-pocket expenses, and other ways the accident has affected your daily life

The days and weeks after a crash can produce important evidence about your injuries and losses. Medical records, photographs, repair estimates, employment records, and other documentation may all become relevant when establishing what the accident has cost you.

Why Prompt and Consistent Medical Care Matters

Some car accident injuries are immediately apparent, while others become more noticeable after the initial shock of the collision has passed. Seeking appropriate medical care helps identify injuries that need treatment and creates a record of your symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

Unexplained delays or significant gaps in medical treatment can also create questions about whether an injury was caused by the crash or how seriously it affected you. Following your healthcare provider’s recommendations and attending appropriate follow-up appointments can help document how your condition develops over time.

What Compensation Covers After a Car Accident

A car accident claim can account for more than vehicle repairs and initial medical bills. Depending on the circumstances and the injuries involved, compensation may include:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Lost income and reduced future earning capacity
• Property damage to your vehicle and other personal property
• Pain, suffering, and the disruption to your daily life
• A spouse’s loss-of-consortium damages, when applicable

The value of an auto accident claim depends on the full extent of the injuries and losses involved. When the long-term medical picture is still developing, resolving a claim too early can create a risk that future treatment or other needs are not adequately accounted for.

A settlement is generally intended to resolve the covered claim permanently. If additional treatment becomes necessary afterward, you typically cannot return to the at-fault party or insurer and request additional compensation for the same settled claim. That makes understanding your prognosis and reasonably anticipated future medical needs important before agreeing to a final settlement.

The Deadline to File Your Car Accident Claim

South Carolina generally gives you three years from the date of a car accident to file a personal injury lawsuit under S.C. Code § 15-3-530. Different deadlines can apply in certain circumstances, including claims involving government entities, so the filing deadline should be evaluated based on the specific facts of the case.

Waiting can create problems even when the statute of limitations has not expired. Surveillance footage may be erased, vehicles may be repaired or destroyed, physical evidence can disappear, and witnesses may become more difficult to locate. Investigating a serious car crash early can help preserve evidence that may later be important in establishing fault.

If a crash proves fatal, different legal considerations apply, and our team can help surviving family members understand whether they may have a wrongful death claim against the responsible party.

Children and Families Represented

Our Abbeville, SC, auto accident lawyers are proud to represent the most vulnerable in our community. We represent children who are car accident victims. Representing young people is a responsibility that we take seriously. If your child has been injured, we invite you to contact us.

Car Accident Lawyer FAQs

Location and Directions

We are located at 100 E Pickens St., Abbeville, SC 29620. Our firm also has law offices elsewhere in South Carolina at locations convenient to you. We can meet at our offices, the hospital, your home, or anywhere that is convenient for you. We handle cases throughout the entire State of South Carolina.

Meet the Lawyers

Attorneys Heather Hite, Thomas (Tombo) E. Hite, III, and Anne Marie Hempy are a dedicated team representing car accident and injury victims. It is our hope to be your guiding light in times of need. Our lawyers are admitted to practice law before both South Carolina and United States District Courts.

Together, the Hite Law Firm legal team creates an action plan that suits your needs. It is our passion to seek justice and financial and emotional healing for car accident victims.

Representing the Abbeville, SC, community for over four decades

Since our founding in 1981, Hite Law Firm has been advocating for the Abbeville community.

The benefits of working with our legal team include:

• Committed professionals who are dedicated to your needs
• Five decades of collective experience
• Resources and skills to maximize your compensation
• Lawyers who are AV® rated by Martindale-Hubbell® for the highest legal ability and ethics
• Admissions in South Carolina, United States District Court, United States Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court
• Convenient location in the Abbeville historic district near the Abbeville County Courthouse
• Convenient office locations throughout South Carolina
• Family-oriented representation, knowing you and your story so that we can advocate for your best interests
• Constant communication and an open-door policy

Our personalized and compassionate approach has led to successful settlements and jury trial verdicts. We are here to advocate for the afflicted and for the benefit of the entire community.

Talk to our car accident lawyers at Hite Law Firm in Abbeville today. Reach out however you’re comfortable and talk to our team. Get answers to your questions and see how we can help you.

You Don’t Have to Handle the Aftermath of a Car Accident Alone

After a car crash, you may have questions you never expected to be asking. Who pays the medical bills? What happens if you cannot work? Should you be talking to the insurance company? You do not need to have your records organized, know what your case is worth, or have everything figured out before you call us.

At Hite Law Firm, we want to understand what happened to you and how the accident is affecting your life. Our Abbeville car accident lawyers can answer your questions, investigate the crash, handle the legal and insurance issues, and help you determine the best way forward.

If you were injured in a car accident in Abbeville County, contact our law firm for a free, no-obligation consultation. Tell us what happened, and we’ll take it from there.

Let Us Help Carry the Legal Burden

You focus on recovering and taking care of yourself and your family. Hite Law Firm can handle the investigation, insurance issues, and legal details while keeping you informed along the way.

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