Home › Personal Injury Laws by State › South Carolina Personal Injury Laws

South Carolina generally requires most personal injury lawsuits based on negligence to be filed within three years after the claim accrues. Shorter periods and additional requirements apply to some kinds of claims, including claims against governmental entities. This page cannot determine which deadline applies to any particular situation; only a licensed South Carolina attorney reviewing the facts can do that.

South Carolina generally follows an at-fault system for motor-vehicle injury claims. Liability ordinarily depends on who caused the collision. The compensation available in any particular matter generally depends on the injuries or losses involved and the insurance coverage that applies. How these rules apply in any individual situation depends on its facts, and if the parties involved cannot agree on liability, the court process may be necessary to resolve it.

South Carolina follows a modified comparative-fault rule. In general terms, compensation may be reduced according to an injured person's share of fault, and recovery is generally barred when that person's share of the fault is greater than half of the total fault involved. Whether and how fault is attributed in any particular matter depends on its facts and may have to be determined by a court of law.

South Carolina generally requires vehicle owners to maintain liability insurance that meets minimum requirements established by state law. South Carolina policies generally must also include uninsured-motorist coverage, and insurers are generally required to offer underinsured-motorist coverage, which a policyholder may decline. The coverage available in any particular situation depends on the policies involved and current law.

South Carolina does not impose a general cap on compensatory damages in most personal injury cases, but state law does limit certain categories of damages in specific kinds of claims, including limits on non-economic damages in medical malpractice claims, with amounts adjusted over time, and limits on punitive damages in many cases. Limits also apply to claims against governmental entities. Because these provisions and amounts may change, this page does not state a dollar figure or determine whether any limit applies to a particular matter.

South Carolina personal injury lawsuits may be filed in the state's circuit courts, which have general civil jurisdiction, with magistrate courts handling some more limited civil matters. Many injury claims are resolved through insurance processes or negotiation without a lawsuit being filed. Which court, if any, would be appropriate depends on the nature of the claim, the relief involved, and other facts that a licensed South Carolina attorney can evaluate.

A licensed South Carolina attorney can explain how rules involving deadlines, fault, insurance, damages, and procedure may apply to a specific situation—something a general reference page cannot do. This platform helps injured people seek connections with participating local personal injury attorney offices in the South Carolina communities listed below, based on availability. Requesting a connection is free and carries no obligation to hire an attorney.