Auto Accident Attorney Ravenel, SC

Quick Answer: After a car accident in Ravenel, you generally make a claim against the at-fault driver’s liability insurer, plus any employer’s commercial policy if a work vehicle was involved, and your own underinsured motorist coverage may add to the recovery. Crashes on U.S. 17 and state highways near Ravenel are typically investigated by the South Carolina Highway Patrol. You generally have three years to file suit, and you can recover as long as you were not more at fault than the other driver.

On this page:

• Why are U.S. 17 crashes near Ravenel so serious?
• What causes head-on crashes on two-lane roads?
• What if a logging truck or tractor-trailer was involved?
• What about collisions with farm equipment?
• What if you swerved to avoid an animal?
• Who investigates a Ravenel crash?
• What coverage pays?
• Why does underinsured motorist coverage matter so much here?
• What injuries do rural crashes cause?
• What should you do after a crash?
• How long do you have to file?

Why Are U.S. 17 Crashes Near Ravenel So Serious?

U.S. 17 through Ravenel is a divided highway with high speeds, but it also has driveways, crossroads and median crossovers where vehicles enter, cross and turn. Crashes at those crossing points, rear-end collisions with vehicles slowing to turn, and lane-change crashes involving trucks tend to happen at speeds that cause serious injuries. Weekend and holiday traffic toward the coast adds congestion and unfamiliar drivers.

What Causes Head-On Crashes on Two-Lane Roads?

On Highway 165, Highway 162 and other rural two-lane roads, head-on and sideswipe crashes often result from unsafe passing, drivers crossing the center line on curves, distraction, fatigue and impairment. These crashes are among the most dangerous on the road. Evidence such as gouge marks, final rest positions and vehicle data can show which vehicle crossed the line, so documenting the scene quickly matters.

What If a Logging Truck or Tractor-Trailer Was Involved?

Logging trucks and other heavy trucks are common on the roads around Ravenel. Responsibility may extend beyond the driver to the trucking company, the company that loaded the logs and the company that maintained the truck. Unsecured or shifting loads, overweight trucks, worn brakes and driver fatigue are frequent issues. Interstate carriers must follow federal safety rules and generally carry higher insurance limits, and trucks may record electronic data that must be preserved quickly.

What About Collisions With Farm Equipment?

Tractors and other farm equipment move slowly on public roads, and collisions often happen when a faster vehicle approaches from behind or when equipment turns into a field. Farm equipment on public roads generally must display a slow-moving vehicle emblem and appropriate lighting. Fault may rest with the equipment operator, the farm, the other driver or several of them. The farm’s commercial or farm liability policy may provide coverage.

What If You Swerved to Avoid an Animal?

Deer and livestock on rural roads are a real hazard. If you hit an animal without another vehicle involved, the claim usually goes to your own collision or comprehensive coverage. If you swerved and collided with another vehicle, fault depends on how each driver reacted. If livestock escaped through a poorly maintained fence, the owner may share responsibility.

Who Investigates a Ravenel Car Accident?

Under S.C. Code Section 56-5-1260, a driver in a crash with injury or death must notify law enforcement immediately.

What Insurance Coverage Pays After a Ravenel Crash?

South Carolina requires at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage, plus uninsured motorist coverage at the same limits. Insurers must also offer underinsured motorist coverage. If a commercial or farm vehicle was involved, the business’s policy usually provides more coverage. Health insurance or medical payments coverage typically pays medical bills while the claim is pending.

Why Does Underinsured Motorist Coverage Matter So Much Here?

Because rural highway crashes so often cause serious injuries, the at-fault driver’s minimum policy is frequently exhausted quickly. Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy, and in some cases on other policies in your household, can make up much of the difference. Review your declarations page, and let us check every policy that may apply.

What Injuries Do Rural Crashes Cause?

High-speed and head-on crashes can cause fractures, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, internal injuries and severe lacerations. Injured people from the Ravenel area are often transported to trauma care in Charleston. Recovery can involve surgery, rehabilitation and long periods away from work.

What Should You Do After a Crash in Ravenel?

• Call 911 and get medical care;
• Photograph vehicles, road markings and debris;
• Note any company names or truck numbers;
• Get witness names and phone numbers;
• Notify your own insurer; and
• Avoid recorded statements to the other driver’s insurer before talking with a lawyer.

How Long Do You Have to File?

Generally three years from the crash under S.C. Code Section 15-3-530, and generally two years for claims against government entities, such as those involving a public vehicle or road defect. Under South Carolina’s modified comparative negligence rule from Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 303 S.C. 243, 399 S.E.2d 783 (1991), you can recover as long as you were not more at fault than the other driver, with your recovery reduced by your share of fault. If a crash was fatal, see our Ravenel wrongful death lawyer page.

What If an Impaired Driver Caused the Crash?

Impaired driving is a factor in many serious rural crashes, especially at night and on weekends. A driver who causes a crash while under the influence can face criminal charges, and the injured person may pursue a civil claim regardless of how the criminal case turns out. Because driving under the influence is considered reckless, punitive damages may be available in addition to compensation for your injuries, and South Carolina’s general limits on punitive damages contain exceptions for some impaired-driving cases. In some situations, a business that served alcohol to a visibly intoxicated driver may also share responsibility. The criminal file, including blood or breath test results and video, can be important evidence in the civil case.

How Do Insurers Handle Rural Crash Claims?

Adjusters may argue that injuries were caused by something other than the crash, point to gaps in treatment, or suggest you were speeding or should have avoided the collision. Out-of-town drivers and commercial carriers may have insurers that move slowly. You are not required to give the other driver’s insurer a recorded statement, and signing a release ends the claim. A lawyer can gather the evidence and handle the negotiations so that you can focus on recovery.

What About Your Damaged Vehicle?

The at-fault driver’s insurer is generally responsible for repairs or, for a total loss, the fair market value of your vehicle, plus a rental or loss-of-use for a reasonable period. Compare any total-loss offer with similar vehicles for sale locally before accepting it.

Related pages: Our main North Charleston car accident lawyer and Charleston car accident lawyer pages explain this practice area in more depth. Clients in Ravenel also turn to our Ravenel personal injury lawyer, Ravenel workplace injury lawyer, Ravenel medical malpractice lawyer, Ravenel wrongful death lawyer and Ravenel criminal defense lawyer pages, and we handle the same kinds of cases for clients who need a car accident lawyer in Hollywood or a car accident lawyer in Walterboro.

If you were hurt in a car or truck crash in Ravenel, SC, our Ravenel car accident lawyers at Clekis Law Firm can explain your options. Call 843-900-0000 or contact us to schedule a consultation. We meet clients by appointment at our Charleston office at 171 Church Street, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and at our North Charleston office on Ashley Phosphate Road, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We can also meet by phone or video call.

Attorney responsible for this page: Nicholas J. Clekis, Clekis Law Firm, 2850 Ashley Phosphate Road, North Charleston, SC 29418.