What Is a Golf Cart Accident Lawyers in Charleston, SC Case?

Roden Law represents golf-cart crash victims across Charleston, South Carolina and the Lowcountry — Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Kiawah, and the surrounding coastal communities. Golf carts have no seatbelts, doors, or airbags, so ejections and passenger injuries — including to children — are common, and crashes with cars are often severe. We […]

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

Key Takeaways

If you were injured in a golf cart 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 golf-cart crash victims across Charleston, South Carolina and the Lowcountry — Mount Pleasant, Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Kiawah, and the surrounding coastal communities. Golf carts have no seatbelts, doors, or airbags, so ejections and passenger injuries — including to children — are common, and crashes with cars are often severe. We handle every case on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing unless we win. Roden Law has recovered more than $300 million for injured clients across Georgia and South Carolina and holds a 4.9-star average from hundreds of client reviews. Call (843) 790-8999 for a free, confidential case review.

Why Choose Roden Law for a Charleston Golf-Cart Claim

Golf-cart cases raise coverage questions that ordinary car crashes do not — a cart may not be covered by standard auto insurance, and homeowner’s or a driver’s auto policy may come into play depending on how and where the crash happened. What separates Roden Law is the investigation needed to find every source of coverage. Our Charleston office at 127 King Street, Suite 200 sits on the peninsula minutes from the Charleston County Circuit Court.

  • No fee unless we win — free consultation and no out-of-pocket cost to pursue your claim.
  • We find the coverage — auto, homeowner’s, and a cart owner’s policies can each apply, and we identify all of them.
  • Full-value focus — golf-cart ejections often cause head and orthopedic injuries, and we account for all of it before any settlement.

Golf Carts in the Charleston Beach Communities

Golf carts are a fixture on the Charleston-area barrier islands — Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, and Kiawah — and in coastal neighborhoods where residents and visitors use them to get around. On these low-speed streets, carts share the road with cars, cyclists, and pedestrians, and a collision with a vehicle, a sharp turn, or an inattentive driver can eject an unbelted passenger. Children riding on the sides or standing are especially vulnerable in a crash.

South Carolina Golf-Cart Law You Should Know

South Carolina’s permitted-golf-cart law (S.C. Code § 56-2-100) allows registered and permitted carts to operate only under limited conditions — generally on roads with a posted speed limit at or below a set threshold, during daylight hours, and within a set distance of the owner’s address. Operating a cart outside those limits can be relevant to fault. When a defect in the cart contributes to a crash, the claim can also sound in product liability under South Carolina’s strict-liability rule, S.C. Code § 15-73-10. The general deadline to file is three years from the date of injury under S.C. Code § 15-3-530, South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence (you can recover as long as you are 50% or less at fault), and there is no cap on compensatory damages in ordinary injury cases. Learn more on our South Carolina comparative negligence guide.

Free Case Review — No Fees Unless We Win Available 24/7 · Georgia & South Carolina
844-RESULTS

What to Do After A golf cart 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 Golf cart accident Case in Charleston?

South Carolina treats golf carts as “permitted vehicles” under S.C. Code § 56-2-100 to -130, allowing on-road use within four miles of registered address, during daylight only, on roads ≤35 mph, by a licensed driver. A cart driven outside these limits is operating illegally in South Carolina, which can support a negligence-per-se argument against the operator. Defendants commonly include the operator, the cart owner, the host community/HOA, the resort, and the manufacturer. Filing deadline: 3 years under S.C. Code § 15-3-530.

Types of Compensation in South Carolina Golf cart accident Cases

Common golf-cart injuries are ejection-related — TBI from falls, fractures from rollovers — because golf carts lack seatbelts, doors, and meaningful crash protection. Insurance coverage is a frequent gap: standard auto policies often exclude golf carts, while homeowners’ policies cover golf-cart use only in limited circumstances (typically on the insured’s premises or on a golf course). South Carolina requires liability insurance on a permitted golf cart, but compliance is uneven. Plaintiffs frequently rely on host-resort, HOA, or short-term-rental property general-liability policies, especially in Grand Strand and beach-community cases involving rented carts provided to guests.

Free Case Review — No Fees Unless We Win Available 24/7 · Georgia & South Carolina
844-RESULTS

Roden Law Golf Cart 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$27,000,000Truck Accident

Client paralyzed in collision with commercial semi-truck.

Verdict$10,860,000Product Liability

Defective product caused catastrophic injury.

Recovery$9,800,000Premises Liability

Client suffered severe injury due to negligent property maintenance.

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.