Auto Accident Lawyers in Columbia South Carolina

Call 803-653-6449 for a free consultation, if you were hurt in a car accident. McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates is here to step in with a proven plan. McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates knows the Columbia courts and insurers well. With offices across South Carolina, our car accident lawyers move quickly to protect your rights and position your car accident claim for maximum compensation.

With a deep bench and decades of trial experience, our legal team builds leverage with facts, medicine, and insurance policy analysis. With offices in Columbia, Lexington, Orangeburg, Camden, Sumter, Aiken, and Newberry, our firm meets you where you are and coordinates medical treatment right away.

Find out more about auto accidents and how our personal injury lawyers can help:

• What if I am at Fault
• What can I do to protect my rights after a car accident

Columbia Car Accident Attorney: What We do in the first 72 hours

Act fast, if you want the strongest case. Do this, first. Get medical assistance and follow the doctor’s orders. Do this, second. Secure the police report and your FR-50/FR-10 paperwork. Do this, third. Call a Columbia car accident attorney to stop the insurance company from steering the narrative.

Why it matters. Early steps preserve vital evidence like scene photos, vehicle data, and medical records, because memories fade and cars get repaired. Early counsel also controls recorded statements, because an insurance company will push for admissions that reduce value.

We handle the calls and the claims process, while you focus on medical treatment. We contact every insurance company involved, we open all lines of coverage (liability, uninsured motorist coverage, underinsured motorist, MedPay), and we protect you from adjuster tactics.

Car Accident Lawyers In South Carolina: Fault, Deadlines, And The Rules That Decide Your Case

South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence. You can seek compensation as long as you are not more than 50% at fault. You recover less, if you share fault. You can still recover damages, if your fault is 50% or less.

Deadlines. You generally have three years to file most personal injury claims in South Carolina for car accident cases, under S.C. Code §15-3-530.
You have two years against a government entity (with specific notice rules) under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, S.C. Code §15-78-110.

Car Accident Attorney in Columbia: What Insurance Actually Pays

We pursue the at fault driver and the at fault driver’s insurance first. We then force your own uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured coverage to pay the rest, if the at fault driver is an uninsured or underinsured driver.

South Carolina requires UM. State law mandates uninsured motorist coverage at minimum 25/50/25 limits, with a standard deductible, per the South Carolina Department of Insurance. UM is automatic in South Carolina, and we make sure it pays when liability limits are too low.

Car Accident Attorneys in Columbia: Common Causes And How We Prove Them

• Careless drivers texting, eating, or adjusting apps cause distraction-affected collisions, such as rear-end impacts and side-swipes.
• Careless drivers speeding or tailgating cause chain-reaction crashes during rush hour.
• Careless drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs cause lane departures and rollovers.
• Careless drivers engaging in aggressive driving, excessive speeding, or traffic signal violations cause reckless-driving crashes with serious injuries.

We prove negligence with photos, event data recorders, scene measurements, and witness interviews. We also use weather logs and road-design records, if a defective roadway or signage played a role.

Auto Accident Lawyers: Injuries That Change Your Life And How Value Is Calculated

We often see serious injuries like fractures, herniated discs, concussions, and burns. We also see serious injuries such as spinal cord trauma with permanent disability and mild-to-moderate traumatic brain injury. We also see serious injuries that begin as minor injuries but evolve once swelling subsides.

Value rests on:

• Medical expenses already billed and still owed.
  
• Future medical care projected by your providers.
  
• Lost wages and loss of future earning capacity.
  
• Property damage valuations and diminished value.
  
• Pain and suffering supported by diaries and medical records.

Obtain skilled legal representation by a personal injury attorney; in most car accident cases, this will be in your best interest.

Auto Accident Attorneys: The 7 Main Components Of Car Accident Settlements

There are 7 main drivers of car accident settlements, and there are other minor factors too. These are the seven core levers we push to reach a fair settlement.

1. Proving liability clearly to the insurance company.
   
2. Demonstrating the full scope of medical expenses with bills and medical records.
   
3. Documenting future medical care with physician opinions.
   
4. Substantiating lost wages with employer statements and tax returns.
   
5. Quantifying property damage and loss of use.
   
6. Identifying all coverages, including uninsured motorist coverage and underinsured options.
   
7. Showing human loss with day-in-the-life evidence, to increase fair compensation.

Result: Stronger car accident settlements happen when the insurance company sees trial risk. We negotiate harder during the claims process, and we file legal action to unlock policy limits, if the offer is not a fair settlement.

Lawyer For Car Accidents: What To Do Today in Columbia

First, get medical treatment and follow up. Second, request your police report and keep copies of every receipt. Third, call a car accident lawyer before you talk to any insurance company.

Car Wreck Attorneys: Questions We Answer On Every Case

• “Do I have a case?” Yes, if we can show duty, breach, causation, and damages under South Carolina personal injury law.
• “How much is it worth?” Value depends on liability, medical expenses, lost wages, and permanency of injuries.
• “Will this go to trial?” If the insurance company refuses fair compensation, we will file suit to make sure you get what you deserve.

Motor Vehicle Accident Lawyers: How We Maximize Value In Car Accident Cases

• Investigate the scene efficiently and preserve footage from nearby businesses to prove the car collision.
  
• Calculate precisely the damages using bills, liens, medical records, and life-care plans.
  
• Coordinate tightly the medical treatment with specialists to document serious injuries and avoid gaps.
  
• Negotiate relentlessly the claim with every insurance company on the file, including the at fault driver’s insurance and your uninsured motorist coverage.
  
• Prepare thoroughly the lawsuit to position for maximum compensation, if settlement talks stall.

You pay nothing up front, and we charge a contingency fee, if and only if we recover damages.

Attorneys For Car Wrecks: Practical Examples Of How Coverage Works

• You were rear-ended by an uninsured or underinsured driver. We collect from your UM/UIM and pursue the driver personally, if assets exist.
  
• You face permanent disability after surgery. We use economists and a life-care planner to recover damages for future medical care, lost wages, and household services.

Evaluating Car Accident Cases: 6 Primary Factors And 4 Secondary Factors

Primary (6):

1. Liability
2. Injury (minor injuries, moderate, or serious injuries with permanent disability).
3. Total medical expenses and future medical care.
4. Economic loss, including lost wages.
5. Scope of property damage and diminished value.
6. Available limits, including uninsured motorist coverage and umbrellas.

Secondary (4):

• Pre-existing conditions and recovery course.
  
• Venue tendencies.
  
• Comparative fault percentages.
  

Columbia Car Accident Attorney: Getting The Documents

Get the report, if an officer responded. Keep the bills, because every receipt supports fair compensation.
Car Accident Attorney Fees And Timing

You owe no fee unless we recover damages. We move quickly to present a demand within a reasonable window, and we file suit to secure maximum compensation, if the insurance company delays or disputes.

Contact Our Car Accident Lawyers in South Carolina

Call 803-653-6449 for a free case evaluation, if you were injured in a car accident in Columbia or anywhere in South Carolina. McWhirter, Bellinger & Associates is ready to fight for fair compensation and maximum compensation through trial-ready advocacy. Bring us your police report, your medical records, and your correspondence with any insurance company. We take over the burden so you can heal.

Offices statewide:

• Columbia – 1807 Hampton Street, Columbia, SC 29201
  
• Lexington – 119 East Main Street, Lexington, SC 29072
  
• Orangeburg – 104 Office Park Drive, Orangeburg, SC 29118
  
• Camden – 919 Broad Street, Camden, SC 29020
  
• Sumter – 485 N. Lafayette Drive, Sumter, SC 29150
  
• Aiken – 231 Pendleton Street NW, Aiken, SC 29801
  
• Newberry – 2203 Wilson Road, Newberry, SC 29108