Charleston Personal Injury Protection Lawyer

When your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance coverage isn’t enough to cover your losses in Charleston, a lawyer can help you seek other coverage.

An automotive accident can cause significant injury, either to you or a loved one. South Carolina laws require you to maintain a certain amount of insurance coverage for personal injuries caused by an accident. However, your insurance coverage may not be enough to pay for the total cost of your injuries. In this case, a Charleston personal injury protection (PIP) lawyer will help you seek compensation from liable individuals.

Call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation about how we will help you pursue compensation.

South Carolina Requires Personal Injury Protection

The South Carolina Department of Insurance (SC DOI) details the insurance minimums that all motorists in South Carolina are required to maintain. Those minimums include:

• $25,000 for any property damage caused by your accident
• Uninsured motorist coverage equal to property damage and personal liability protection coverage minimums
• $25,000 per person for personal injury protection up to a limit of $50,000 per accident

The SCDOI adds that expenses covered under personal injury protection generally include medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost income related to your injuries. If your $25,000 minimum insurance coverage for personal injury protection covers such losses, then you may not have a clear need to seek further compensation through an insurance claim or lawsuit.

When You May Seek Compensation Beyond Your Insurance Coverage

You may generally not face any penalty for accessing your PIP coverage. If you are injured as the result of a motor vehicle accident, then you may use the PIP coverage that you have paid for to account for your accident-related losses. If your coverage does not provide for all of your losses, however, then you may turn to those responsible for your accident to pay for uncovered losses.

You may generally pursue compensation from at-fault parties by:

• Filing an insurance claim
• Initiating a lawsuit, if necessary

Charleston Personal Injury Protection Lawyer Near Me843-628-0100

How Can a Lawyer Help You with PIP Coverage Issues

A lawyer can explain in more detail when a lawsuit could be necessary to seek compensation from an at-fault party. If you have $25,000 in personal injury protection (PIP) – as is legally required in South Carolina – then you may consider filing an insurance claim or lawsuit once your losses exceed $25,000.

It can be difficult to know precisely what your accident-related losses will be until months or years after your accident, but you may not have the leeway to wait so long before taking legal action. Contacting the team for a lawyer shortly after your accident may:

• Make you aware of critical reporting deadlines for your accident and injuries
• Allow you to take steps necessary to preserve your options for compensation
• Help you jump-start your pursuit of compensation
• Protect your rights

A Charleston personal injury protection attorney will deal with insurance companies on your behalf so that you do not make any detrimental statements or accept a settlement that may be less than you could collect otherwise. Call George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today for more details about how a lawyer can help you.

Post-Accident Costs Can Mount Quickly

The number and type of losses that you experience because of a motor vehicle accident may depend on the nature of the accident itself. Some possible determinants of your injuries include:

• The speed at which your vehicle and others involved in your accident were traveling, at the time of impact
• The size and weight of your vehicle (and others involved in your accident)
• Whether the driver who caused your accident engaged in avoidance maneuvers before striking you
• The specific angle at which your vehicle was struck

If the Costs of Your Accident Exceed $25,000

If your accident resulted in serious injuries to you or a loved one, then you may find the cost of your accident easily exceeding $25,000. Some injuries that could cause significant direct and secondary costs include:

• Spinal cord injury, which the Mayo Clinic notes may include various forms of paralysis
• Traumatic brain injury, which could require an extended period of hospitalization
• Broken bones
• Damage to internal organs, which may be life-threatening
• Severe burns

Injuries can cause you to incur direct costs, such as your out-of-pocket responsibility for the diagnosis and treatment of your injury. If your accident was serious, this could include emergency treatment, a form of care that USA Today states has become substantially more expensive in recent years. In addition to direct costs, your injuries may:

• Prevent you from working temporarily
• Cause you to be permanently disabled, which may affect your earning power forever
• Limit your independence
• Restrict you physically
• Harm your mental health

A severe injury can be costly – beyond what you would ever imagine – before being in a serious accident. A personal injury protection lawyer in Charleston will fight for you if another person caused your losses.

A Lawyer Will Help You Fight for Compensation

Injuries that prevent you from working and living life as you know it may also prevent you from bringing an insurance claim or lawsuit on your own. Hiring a lawyer could be the answer to this problem, as they will handle your claim or lawsuit from start to finish. Some of the duties that a lawyer will perform include:

• Collecting and organizing all evidence related to your accident
• Calculating all of the losses you have suffered because of your accident
• Determining whether an insurance claim or lawsuit will be necessary in light of your losses
• Filing your claim or lawsuit
• Handling correspondence with insurance companies, attorneys, and others instrumental to completing your case for compensation
• Negotiating for compensation on your behalf
• Protecting your rights

You may be more than occupied with your own recovery. A lawyer will ensure that you are not subject to unnecessary stress as the result of your insurance claim or lawsuit.

Call the Attorneys at George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers Today

A personal injury protection attorney in Charleston can help you complete an insurance claim or lawsuit seeking compensation from those responsible for your losses. Contact George Sink, P.A. Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation. Just focus on getting better and leave the rest to us.