What Is a Car Accident Lawyers in Charleston, SC Case?

Roden Law represents people injured in car accidents in Charleston, South Carolina and throughout the Lowcountry — Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, and Daniel Island. Every case is handled on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win. Roden Law has recovered more than $300 million for injured clients and […]

— Reviewed by Graeham C. Gillin, Partner, COO at Roden Law

Key Takeaways

If you were injured in a car accident in Charleston, South Carolina, you generally have 3 years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit (S.C. Code § 15-3-530). South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule — you can still recover as long as you are Modified — recover if less than 51% at fault, with your award reduced by your percentage of fault. There is no cap on compensatory damages in an ordinary South Carolina injury case. Roden Law represents Charleston injury victims on a contingency fee: the consultation is free and there is no fee unless we win.

Roden Law represents people injured in car accidents in Charleston, South Carolina and throughout the Lowcountry — Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, and Daniel Island. Every case is handled on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win. Roden Law has recovered more than $300 million for injured clients and holds a 4.9-star average from hundreds of client reviews. Our downtown office sits at 127 King Street, Suite 200, minutes from the Charleston County courthouse. Call (843) 790-8999 for a free, confidential case review.

Why Choose Roden Law for a Charleston Car Accident Claim

Charleston’s peninsula geography and heavy tourist traffic make its crashes uniquely complex, and the local insurance defense bar knows it. What sets Roden Law apart is direct attorney involvement: you work with your attorney — not a rotating desk of case managers — from intake through settlement or verdict. Our King Street office is steps from the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas, so filings, hearings, and client meetings happen without delay.

  • No fee unless we win — free consultation and no upfront cost to start your claim.
  • Local Lowcountry knowledge — we know the peninsula corridors, the bridges, and the out-of-state-driver dynamics that drive Charleston crashes.
  • Trial-ready — we build every car accident case as if it will be tried, which is what moves insurers to pay full value.

Common Causes of Charleston Car Accidents

The collisions our Charleston attorneys handle most often involve:

  • Bridge and crosstown crashes on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge to Mount Pleasant and the US-17 Crosstown (Septima P. Clark Parkway).
  • Interstate merge and rear-end collisions on the I-26 and I-526 corridors, including the high-crash I-26/I-526 interchange.
  • Tourist-district and rideshare crashes around the King and Market Street grid, where out-of-state drivers, carriage tours, and rideshare drop-offs mix.
  • Pedestrian and bicycle collisions in the dense downtown peninsula and on Savannah Highway (US-17).
  • Uninsured and underinsured drivers — a frequent problem in claims that exceed South Carolina’s 25/50/25 minimum policy limits.

South Carolina Car Accident Law: What Charleston Drivers Need to Know

You Have 3 Years to File

South Carolina’s statute of limitations for car accident injury claims is three years from the date of the crash under S.C. Code § 15-3-530. If a government entity such as SCDOT or the City of Charleston is a defendant, a much shorter Tort Claims Act notice deadline applies — another reason to talk to an attorney early.

The 51% Comparative-Fault Bar

South Carolina uses modified comparative fault: you can recover as long as you are less than 51% responsible, with your award reduced by your share of fault. Insurers routinely try to shift blame onto you — our attorneys anticipate and dismantle that tactic.

Stacking UM/UIM Coverage

When an at-fault driver carries only minimum limits, South Carolina lets you stack uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage across policies. On a serious bridge or interstate crash, stacked UM/UIM is frequently the largest available source of recovery.

Compensation in a Charleston Car Accident Case

  • Medical expenses — ambulance, ER, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and future care.
  • Lost wages and lost earning capacity — for time off work and any permanent limitation on your ability to earn.
  • Pain and suffering — non-economic damages, which South Carolina does not cap in standard car accident cases.
  • Property damage — repair or replacement of your vehicle.
  • Punitive damages — available where the at-fault driver’s conduct was reckless, such as drunk or extreme-speed driving.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Charleston

  1. Call 911 and get a police report — Charleston PD, the county sheriff, or SC Highway Patrol depending on where the crash occurred.
  2. Photograph the vehicles, the scene, road conditions, and any visible injuries before anything is moved.
  3. Collect the other driver’s insurance information and witness names and numbers.
  4. Seek medical care promptly — serious injuries from a bridge or interstate crash are often not obvious at the scene, and treatment gaps are used against you. Critical patients are routed to MUSC Health, the Lowcountry’s only Level I trauma center.
  5. Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault insurer before speaking with an attorney.
  6. Call Roden Law’s Charleston office at (843) 790-8999 for a free case evaluation.
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What to Do After A car accident in Charleston, SC

  1. Ensure safety and call 911. Move to a safe location if possible. Call emergency services to report the accident and request medical attention for anyone injured.
  2. Seek immediate medical attention. Even if injuries seem minor, get examined by a doctor. Some injuries — such as traumatic brain injuries or internal bleeding — may not show symptoms immediately.
  3. Document the scene. Take photos of all vehicles, injuries, road conditions, traffic signs, and any visible damage. Collect names and contact information from witnesses.
  4. Exchange information with all parties. Get the other driver's name, insurance information, license plate number, and driver's license number. Do not admit fault or apologize.
  5. Report the accident to police. South Carolina law requires accident reports when there are injuries or significant property damage. Request a copy of the police report.
  6. Notify your insurance company. Report the accident to your insurer promptly. Provide factual information only — do not speculate about fault or the extent of your injuries.
  7. Contact an experienced personal injury attorney. An attorney can protect your rights, handle communications with insurance companies, and help you pursue the full compensation you deserve. Roden Law offers free consultations — call today.

South Carolina Personal Injury Law

Statute of Limitations 3 years (S.C. Code § 15-3-530)
Comparative Fault Modified — recover if less than 51% at fault

Filing a Personal Injury Case in Charleston

Filing a personal injury case in downtown Charleston means filing in the Charleston County Court of Common Pleas at 100 Broad Street, on the Tyler Odyssey-based South Carolina E-Filing system. Most cases are sent to mandatory mediation under SC ADR rules before reaching the jury trial roster, and a typical contested case takes 18–30 months from complaint to verdict.

Charleston’s peninsula geography concentrates risk on a few well-known corridors: the Crosstown (US-17 / Septima P. Clark Parkway), the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge to Mount Pleasant, and the dense tourist grid around King and Market Streets, where rideshare drop-offs and carriage tours mix with out-of-state drivers. Charleston County logged more than 2,500 truck-related crashes in 2023, and the I-26/I-526 interchange just west of the peninsula recorded 354 collisions over a five-year period. Serious-injury patients from peninsula crashes are routed to MUSC Health (171 Ashley Ave) — the Lowcountry’s only Level I trauma center.

Under South Carolina law, you have 3 years to file under S.C. Code § 15-3-530, and you can recover only if you are less than 51% at fault. Shorter notice deadlines apply if SCDOT or the City of Charleston is a defendant under the SC Tort Claims Act.

Do I Have a Car accident Case in Charleston?

Most South Carolina car-accident cases are governed by ordinary negligence: you must prove the other driver owed a duty of care, breached it, caused your injuries, and that you suffered actual damages. Violating a Rule of the Road (SC-specific traffic statutes) supports a *negligence per se* theory and can be powerful evidence at trial. South Carolina’s comparative-fault rule bars recovery if you are 51% or more at fault, so insurers in Charleston routinely contest fault percentages. You have 3 years from the crash date to file (S.C. Code § 15-3-530) — missing the deadline forfeits your right to recover regardless of how strong the case is.

Types of Compensation in South Carolina Car accident Cases

Neither South Carolina nor any neighboring state operates a no-fault auto system — recovery flows through the at-fault driver’s liability policy, with uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) stacking as a critical secondary source when injuries exceed the at-fault driver’s minimum 25/50/25 limits. There is no statutory cap on noneconomic damages in ordinary auto cases in South Carolina, so pain-and-suffering, loss of enjoyment, and disfigurement recoveries are limited only by the evidence and the comparative-fault bar. Economic damages typically include past and future medicals, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and property damage.

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Roden Law Car Accident Lawyers in Charleston, SC Results at a Glance

$300M+ Recovered for injured clients across Georgia and South Carolina
4.9 / 5.0 Average client rating across hundreds of verified Google reviews from our six offices
5,000+ Cases successfully handled since 2013
62 years Combined attorney experience across 5 office locations

Source: Roden Law firm records and verified Google Business Profile reviews, updated July 2026.

Recent Case Results

Settlement $27,000,000 $27,000,000 Settlement | Truck Accident
Verdict $10,860,000 $10,860,000 Verdict | Product Liability
Recovery $9,800,000 $9,800,000 Recovery | Premises Liability

Results shown are gross settlement/verdict amounts before fees and costs. Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

About the Author

Graeham C. Gillin, Partner, COO at Roden Law

Graeham C. Gillin

Partner, COO

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact Our Charleston Office Today

If you were injured in Charleston and believe another party is at fault, contact us for a free, no-obligation review. Call (843) 790-8999 — no upfront cost.