State law requires all drivers to be insured, but surprisingly an estimated one in ten motorists on South Carolina roads don’t have any coverage, according to a study by the Insurance Research Council.
Even if South Carolina drivers carry the minimum required liability insurance — state law requires only $25,000 coverage per injured person up to a total of $50,000 per accident — that coverage often isn’t enough to pay for all of your injuries and damages following a serious car accident.
However, even if the at-fault driver who injured you had no insurance or too little, you might be able to recover under your own policy for uninsured motorist (UM) or underinsured motorist (UIM) benefits.
Help from Our S.C. Auto Insurance Lawyers
If you were seriously injured in a South Carolina auto accident and the other driver was either uninsured or underinsured, our personal injury lawyers at Joye Law Firm are ready to help you. We can work to make sure you are able to recover the benefits you deserve from every source. We treat each and every client with courtesy and respect, and it is one of our law firm’s client commitments that we return all phone calls within 24 hours or one business day.
Call Joye Law Firm. You can reach us at (888) 324-3100 or fill out an online consultation form today.
We have offices in Myrtle Beach, Clinton and Charleston, and Joye Law Firm’s UM/UIM insurance lawyers are ready to handle your case anywhere in South Carolina. We represent people like you all over our state, including Florence, Richland County, Orangeburg, Columbia, Horry County (including Conway and North Myrtle Beach), North Charleston, Mount Pleasant and Summerville.
Experience Counts
With more nearly 250 years of combined experience, our South Carolina car accident attorneys at Joye Law Firm have received an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and several have been recognized as Super Lawyers.
Results we have achieved for previous clients include a $5.9 million settlement for a client who suffered brain injuries in a wreck, a $1.15 million settlement for the family of a man killed in a car accident and a $500,000 verdict for a man whose back was injured in a collision.
While every case is different, and past results are in no way intended to guarantee that a similar result can be obtained in another case, past results obtained by a law firm are an indication of the firm’s experience when it comes to serious injury and wrongful death cases. For more details about the results obtained for previous Joye Law Firm clients, please click on the Results tab on our home page.
What is South Carolina UM/UIM Coverage?
Uninsured motorist coverage, also called “UM,” is a type of policy that pays you for your damages when an at-fault motorist doesn’t have any insurance. It can also payout under certain circumstances when you were injured by a hit-and-run driver.
Underinsured motorist coverage, or “UIM,” is insurance that helps make up the difference when an at-fault motorist had insurance, but the policy limits were too low to compensate you for all of your damages.
UM, coverage is automatically included as part of your coverage when you purchase liability coverage in South Carolina. UIM coverage is optional and is included in your policy if you chose to purchase it. Typically, UIM coverage is very affordable and we would urge any consumer to purchase the same since many South Carolinians carry nominal liability insurance coverage.
What are Some Common Issues With UM & UIM Policies?
Claims for UM or UIM coverage are special because you, the insured, are seeking benefits from your own insurance company even though you weren’t at fault. Your insurer owes you a duty to handle your claim for UM or UIM benefits fairly. Insurance companies are sometimes reluctant to pay the full benefits you are entitled to under UM or UIM policies.
Another issue stems from the existence of the coverage itself. South Carolina law requires insurance companies to make a meaningful offer of UIM coverage when you apply for a policy. If the company failed to make a meaningful offer, you can, under certain circumstances, force the insurer to “reform” the policy to include the optional coverage.
Policy reformation is possible even if your policy provided some level of UM/UIM coverage. If the insurer failed to make a meaningful offer of higher UM/UIM limits, the company could be required to pay out up to the maximum available coverage level.
Contact Our South Carolina UM/UIM Insurance Lawyers Today
If you or a family member was seriously injured in a South Carolina car crash and the at-fault driver was uninsured or your damages exceed the limits of the at-fault driver’s policy, you can trust our auto insurance lawyers at Joye Law Firm to work to seek out any additional coverage that might be available to you.
Call Joye Law Firm at (888) 324-3100 or fill out our free online case evaluation form.
