What Is a Maritime Injury Case in Myrtle Beach, SC?

Roden Law represents people injured on the water along the Grand Strand — Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Conway, Surfside Beach, Pawleys Island, and Georgetown. The coast and the Intracoastal Waterway see heavy recreational boating, and on-the-water injuries can fall under ordinary South Carolina negligence law or federal maritime law depending on the vessel and the […]

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

Key Takeaways

If you were injured in a maritime injury in Myrtle Beach, 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 Myrtle Beach injury victims on a contingency fee: the consultation is free and there is no fee unless we win.

Roden Law represents people injured on the water along the Grand Strand — Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Conway, Surfside Beach, Pawleys Island, and Georgetown. The coast and the Intracoastal Waterway see heavy recreational boating, and on-the-water injuries can fall under ordinary South Carolina negligence law or federal maritime law depending on the vessel and the water — and the two carry different rules and deadlines. We handle every claim 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) 612-1980 for a free, confidential case review.

Why Choose Roden Law for a Grand Strand On-the-Water Injury Claim

On-the-water injury cases turn on which body of law applies — ordinary South Carolina negligence for most recreational boating, or federal maritime law for commercial vessels and crew — and that choice controls the deadline and what you can recover. What separates Roden Law is sorting that out early and building the claim the right way. We serve boaters, passengers, and crew throughout Horry and Georgetown counties, with Grand Strand cases heard in the Horry County court in Conway.

  • No fee unless we win — free consultation and no out-of-pocket cost to pursue your claim.
  • We apply the right law — South Carolina boating negligence or federal maritime law, whichever fits the facts.
  • Direct attorney involvement — you work with your attorney, not a rotating desk of case managers.

Where Grand Strand Water Injuries Happen

The Intracoastal Waterway, coastal inlets, and offshore waters draw heavy traffic year-round, and the cases our attorneys handle most include:

  • Intracoastal Waterway collisions — crashes between powerboats, personal watercraft, and larger vessels in a busy, narrow channel.
  • Charter, tour, and passenger-vessel injuries — falls and crashes aboard dolphin cruises, fishing charters, and sightseeing boats.
  • Boating-under-the-influence (BUI) crashes — alcohol remains a major factor on the water.
  • Inlet and coastal-water injuries around Murrells Inlet and Georgetown.

The Law That Applies to Your Grand Strand Water Injury

Many recreational boating injuries on Grand Strand waters are handled under ordinary South Carolina negligence law: the deadline to file is generally three years from the date of injury under S.C. Code § 15-3-530, South Carolina’s 51% modified comparative-fault rule lets you recover as long as you are not more than 50% at fault, and there is no cap on compensatory damages in ordinary injury cases. Boating on South Carolina waters is regulated by the S.C. Department of Natural Resources, and boating under the influence is illegal. But because Grand Strand injuries can happen on navigable coastal waters or aboard commercial vessels, federal maritime law may apply instead — the Jones Act for crew, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act for harbor workers, or general maritime remedies like maintenance and cure — each with different deadlines, so it is important to call promptly. Learn more from our South Carolina comparative negligence guide.

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What to Do After a Maritime Injury in Myrtle Beach, SC

  1. Report the injury and make sure it is entered in the log. Tell the captain or your supervisor, confirm it was logged, and ask for a copy. An unlogged injury becomes an injury that allegedly happened ashore.
  2. Get medical care, and know your employer may owe it regardless of fault. A seaman injured in the service of a vessel is generally entitled to maintenance and cure — medical treatment and basic living costs — without proving anyone did anything wrong.
  3. Read the company accident form before you sign it. You will often be handed a statement written by someone else describing an incident you were present for. Correct it or decline to sign until you have advice.
  4. Photograph the conditions and note who saw it. Deck condition, gear, lighting, weather, and staffing. Crews rotate off and become very hard to find.
  5. Find out which law covers you — it changes everything. Crew members generally fall under the Jones Act, with the right to sue the employer directly. Longshore, dock, and terminal workers generally fall under the federal LHWCA. Shoreside workers fall under state workers' compensation. The three pay very differently.
  6. Do not give a recorded statement to a company representative or insurer. They are gathering a defense, not helping you. You are generally not required to provide one before speaking with an attorney.
  7. Move quickly — maritime deadlines are short and vary by system. An LHWCA claim generally requires notice within 30 days and filing within one year (33 U.S.C. § 913). Roden Law offers free consultations.

South Carolina Maritime 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 Myrtle Beach

Filing a personal injury case in the Myrtle Beach market means filing in Horry County Court of Common Pleas at 1301 Second Avenue in Conway, where civil complaints are submitted through South Carolina’s mandatory Tyler Odyssey e-filing system and most cases are routed to mediation before trial under SC ADR Rule 3.

The Grand Strand draws roughly 17–20 million visitors a year, and that seasonal surge reshapes the local crash picture: US-17 Business and Ocean Boulevard see heavy pedestrian and golf-cart traffic, while drivers choose between the slower, congested US-501 and the faster but higher-severity SC-22 Conway Bypass to reach the beach. Golf carts add a wrinkle unique to coastal SC — under S.C. Code § 56-2-100, a permitted cart may only operate in daylight, within four miles of the owner’s address, on roads posted 35 mph or less, by a licensed driver. Crashes outside those limits open the door to negligence-per-se and rental-property claims. Severe-injury victims are routed to Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach or stabilized at Tidelands Waccamaw in Murrells Inlet.

South Carolina applies a three-year statute of limitations under S.C. Code § 15-3-530, a 51% modified-comparative-fault bar, and allows stacking of UM/UIM coverage — often the largest recovery source when an out-of-state tourist is hit by a minimum-limits driver.

Do I Have a Maritime Injury Case in Myrtle Beach?

Maritime injuries are governed primarily by federal admiralty law, which preempts most state tort doctrines. The applicable framework depends on the worker’s status: seamen (members of a vessel’s crew) sue under the Jones Act, 46 U.S.C. § 30104, which incorporates FELA’s “featherweight” causation standard plus general maritime claims for unseaworthiness and maintenance and cure. Longshore and harbor workers are covered by the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), 33 U.S.C. § 901 et seq., with § 905(b) third-party negligence claims against vessel owners. Recreational and passenger claims fall under general maritime negligence. Coastal South Carolina ports — Savannah, Brunswick, Charleston, Georgetown — generate substantial maritime caseloads.

Types of Compensation in South Carolina Maritime Injury Cases

Jones Act seamen recover lost wages, past and future medical care, pain and suffering, and (in death cases under DOHSA, 46 U.S.C. § 30301) pecuniary losses to dependents. DOHSA bars recovery for loss of society in death cases per *Mobil Oil Corp. v. Higginbotham*, 436 U.S. 618 (1978) — a major trap that often makes plaintiffs prefer state-court wrongful-death claims when jurisdiction permits. LHWCA benefits are scheduled compensation similar to state workers’ comp. Maintenance and cure is a no-fault daily stipend plus medical treatment continuing until the seaman reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI), regardless of fault for the injury.

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Roden Law Maritime Injury Lawyers in Myrtle Beach, 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 August 2026.

Our Myrtle Beach Attorneys

Recent Case Results

Settlement $27,000,000 $27,000,000 Settlement | Truck Accident
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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 Myrtle Beach Office Today

If you were injured in Myrtle Beach and believe another party is at fault, contact us for a free, no-obligation review. Call (843) 612-1980 — no upfront cost.