Local details last verified November 9, 2026. General information, not legal advice or medical advice.
At the scene
- Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt, unresponsive, or you are unsure. Do not move someone with a possible neck or back injury unless there is immediate danger.
- Stay, and exchange information. South Carolina law requires a driver in a crash with injury or death to stop and remain at the scene until the required information and aid are given (§ 56-5-1210), and to give "his name, address and the registration number of the vehicle he is driving" [3] and "reasonable assistance" to anyone injured (§ 56-5-1230).
- Get to safety. If vehicles can move and it is safe, move them. Section 56-5-1220(B) says a driver in a damage-only crash must make "every reasonable effort to move any vehicle that is capable of being driven safely off the roadway," [3] and that a person who moves a vehicle to keep traffic flowing before police arrive "shall not be considered liable or at fault regarding the cause of the accident solely by reason of moving the vehicle." [3]
- Make sure a report is made. In Columbia the non-emergency dispatch number is (803) 252-2911, the number the Columbia Police Department (CPD) gives on its collision-reporting page; Richland County Sheriff's Department lists the same number [1] [2]. For a crash on private property, CPD's page says an officer responds if the incident involves personal injury, death, hit-and-run, impaired driving, or a disturbance between the people involved [1].
- Write down who responded. Note the officer's name, badge number and agency (CPD, South Carolina Highway Patrol, or a county sheriff), and ask for the report number and how to get a copy.
- Collect information with your phone: the other driver's name, phone, address, license and plate; insurance company and policy number (photograph the card); make, model and color of each vehicle; passengers and witnesses.
- Take photos: all vehicles from several angles, damage, plates, the whole scene, signals and signs, skid marks, debris, weather and lighting.
- If your vehicle is towed, ask the officer which company is taking it and where, and write it down.
Medical care in the Columbia area
Get checked by a medical professional even if you feel okay; some injuries show up hours or days later. If someone is seriously hurt, emergency crews decide where to take them. For reference, two hospitals' official pages:
- Prisma Health Richland Hospital, 5 Richland Medical Park Drive, Columbia, SC 29203, 803-434-7000 [6]. Its page says the hospital is "home to a 24-hour Level I trauma center, along with the area's only pediatric trauma center," [6] (the hospital's own description).
- Lexington Medical Center Emergency Room, 2720 Sunset Boulevard, West Columbia, SC 29169, (803) 791-2350. Its page says "Call 911 for emergencies" [7] and that the center "offers 24-hour emergency care." [7]
The first 72 hours
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| Same day | See a medical professional. Tell your own insurer about the crash as your policy requires. Write down what happened while it is fresh. Start one folder for every bill, receipt and record. |
| Day 1 | Find the report number. Ask the agency how and when you can get the report. Photograph visible injuries and keep photographing them over the next days. |
| Days 2 to 3 | Follow medical advice and keep appointments. Start a simple symptom and pain journal. Note missed work and extra costs (rides, prescriptions, repairs). Save the claim number and each adjuster's name and the date of each call. Be careful what you post about the crash online. |
| Within 15 days | South Carolina may require a written report and proof of insurance to the DMV if the crash involved injury, death, or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more and no officer investigated it (§ 56-5-1270) [3]. See crash reports and reporting rules. |
Free printable: After-a-crash first-hour checklist, crash journal and medical bills organizer and talking to the insurer card.
Get your Columbia crash report
Request it from the agency that investigated. The CPD Records Unit is at 1 Justice Square (corner of Lincoln and Washington Streets), Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., 803-545-3577; accident reports are $3.00 each [4] [4]. If the Highway Patrol responded, request the collision report from the SCDMV online, at a branch, or by mail with Form FR-50 [5]. Full steps, fees and addresses are on How to get a Columbia police crash report.
Know the South Carolina rules that affect timing
- Deadline: South Carolina injury claims generally have a three-year filing period, counted from when the person knew or should have known of the cause of action [8] [8]. See South Carolina deadlines.
- Fault: South Carolina uses modified comparative negligence; on our reading of the court's words, a person whose negligence is greater than the defendant's cannot recover [9]. See South Carolina fault rules.
- Insurance: minimum liability limits are $25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000, and every auto policy must include uninsured motorist coverage [10] [10]. See South Carolina minimum car insurance.
Where crashes happen in the Columbia area
The roads with the most fatal crashes in Richland and Lexington counties from 2015 to 2024 were I-20 (78), US-1 (72) and I-26 (65), and 43% of fatal crashes were between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. (NHTSA FARS) [11]. See the corridor data.
Sources
- Columbia Police Department: Private Property Collision Reporting (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Call the City of Columbia's Non-Emergency Dispatch Center at (803) 252-2911”“A CPD officer will respond to a private property collision if the incident involves: Personal injury Death Hit-and-run Impaired driving Disturbance between persons involved in a collision”
- Richland County Sheriff's Department (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“NON-EMERGENCY NUMBER: 803-252-2911”
- S.C. Code of Laws, Title 56, Chapter 5 (§§ 56-5-1210, 56-5-1220, 56-5-1230, 56-5-1260, 56-5-1270), South Carolina Legislature (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“his name, address and the registration number of the vehicle he is driving”“every reasonable effort to move any vehicle that is capable of being driven safely off the roadway”“shall not be considered liable or at fault regarding the cause of the accident solely by reason of moving the vehicle”“within fifteen days after the accident, shall forward a written report and verification of liability insurance coverage of the accident to the Department of Motor Vehicles”“immediately by the quickest means of communication, whether oral or written”“otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the South Carolina Highway Patrol”
- Columbia Police Department: Records Unit (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Accident Reports $3.00 per report (Regardless of Involvement)”“Main Numbers: 803-545-3577”
- South Carolina DMV: Collision Reports (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“If you were involved in a collision, you may request a copy of the collision report”
- Prisma Health Richland Hospital (hospital page) (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“5 Richland Medical Park Drive”“home to a 24-hour Level I trauma center, along with the area's only pediatric trauma center”
- Lexington Medical Center: Emergency Room (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“Call 911 for emergencies”“offers 24-hour emergency care”
- S.C. Code of Laws, Title 15, Chapter 3 (§§ 15-3-530, 15-3-535), South Carolina Legislature (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“an action for assault, battery, or any injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract and not enumerated by law”“must be commenced within three years after the person knew or by the exercise of reasonable diligence should have known that he had a cause of action”
- Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 303 S.C. 243, 399 S.E.2d 783 (1991), Harvard CAP case text (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“a plaintiff in a negligence action may recover damages if his or her negligence is not greater than that of the defendant”
- S.C. Code of Laws, Title 38, Chapter 77 (§ 38-77-140, § 38-77-150), South Carolina Legislature (checked November 9, 2026)Official source“twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to one person in any one accident”“undertaking to pay the insured all sums which he is legally entitled to recover as damages from the owner or operator of an uninsured motor vehicle”
- NHTSA, Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) (checked November 9, 2026)Where: FARS annual national CSV files 2015-2024, South Carolina (STATE 45), Richland and Lexington counties (COUNTY 079, 063), our analysis
Page last updated November 9, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.
Questions
What number do I call after a minor crash in Columbia?
Call 911 for any injury or danger. City of Columbia non-emergency dispatch is (803) 252-2911, the number CPD gives on its collision-reporting page.
Do I have to call the police?
If anyone is injured or killed, yes: the driver must give notice "immediately by the quickest means of communication, whether oral or written" [3] to the local police department if the crash is inside a municipality, "otherwise to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the South Carolina Highway Patrol" [3] (§ 56-5-1260). The driver must also stop, stay, give name, address and vehicle registration number and render reasonable aid (§§ 56-5-1210 and 56-5-1230). A written report to the DMV is due within 15 days if there was injury, death or $1,000 of apparent damage and no officer investigated (§ 56-5-1270). See the full reporting rules.
Where do I get my Columbia accident report?
CPD Records at 1 Justice Square, or the SCDMV if the Highway Patrol responded. See the full guide.
Should I see a doctor if I feel fine?
Medical professionals recommend being checked, since some injuries appear later.
How long do I have to file a claim?
Generally three years for injuries in South Carolina, counted from when the person knew or should have known of the cause of action. See the deadline guide; an attorney can confirm your date.
The state rules
Deadlines, fault and reports for all of South Carolina are in the South Carolina reference.
Keep reading
- City guide
How to get a Columbia, SC police crash report
How to get a Columbia, South Carolina police or Highway Patrol crash report: CPD Records ($3.00), SCDMV online, branch or mail (FR-50). Checked Nov 2026.
Open - City guide
Most dangerous roads in Columbia, SC: where fatal crashes happen
Which Columbia-area roads had the most fatal crashes 2015-2024: I-20, US-1, I-26 and more. Times, pedestrians, charts and a free CSV from NHTSA data.
Open - State reference
South Carolina statute of limitations for car accident injury claims
South Carolina gives three years for most injury claims after a crash, counted from when you knew of the claim. Exact statute text, wrongful death and government claims.
Open - State reference
Is South Carolina a comparative fault state?
South Carolina uses modified comparative negligence: recover if your fault is not greater than the other side's, reduced in proportion. Nelson v. Concrete Supply explained.
Open - State reference
South Carolina minimum car insurance and uninsured motorist rules
South Carolina requires $25,000 / $50,000 / $25,000 liability and builds in uninsured motorist coverage. Statute text, no mandatory PIP and the penalty for driving uninsured.
Open - Free download
Your first-hour checklist, ready to print.
A one-page printable first-hour checklist for after a crash: safety, police, photos, doctor, insurer. Free PDF, no sign-up.
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