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Hurt in a crash in South Carolina? What claims cost, and the rules that decide it.

Bills, missed work, an insurer already calling? Here are South Carolina's claim numbers, your deadline and the fault rule. Asking for a call is free, and you can say no.

General information, not legal advice. Updated November 10, 2026. Attorney review pending

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On this page
  1. What injury claims cost insurers in South Carolina
  2. Real results from the Columbia area
  3. Unpaid medical bills and uninsured drivers in South Carolina
  4. Three years, counted from when you knew.
  5. Fault follows the Nelson rule.
  6. Minimum car insurance and uninsured drivers.
  7. Who you have to tell, and when.
  8. Columbia crash reports and data.
  9. Questions
  10. Sources

What claims cost

What injury claims cost insurers in South Carolina

No source we found reports what claims cost insurers inside any one city, so these numbers are for all of South Carolina. Each figure says what it is and where it comes from.

$1.03 billionin bodily injury liability losses insurers recorded for South Carolina crashes (Table 8B: $1,026,701,416 across 58,248 claims), accidents in 2022Incurred losses: money paid plus the insurers' own estimates for claims still open, plus adjustment expenses. Private passenger auto, separate-limit bodily injury coverage only, so the true total is higher. This is what these claims cost insurers, not what injured people received.Source: NAIC (Table 8B, Bodily Injury Liability 2020-2022, Total Business, printed p. 42).
$17,626average insurer loss per bodily injury liability claim in South Carolina ($17,626.38 exactly), accidents in 2022Incurred losses divided by incurred claims, so it is what a claim cost insurers on average, not what an injured person received. The countrywide figure in the same table is $28,918.86.Source: NAIC (Table 8D, Bodily Injury Liability 2020-2022, Total Business, printed p. 44).
$28,278Many claims are smallerwhat the average bodily injury liability claim cost insurers, 2024Private passenger auto, excluding Massachusetts and most no-fault states; some claims are far larger and many are smaller. It includes insurers' claim-handling costs, so injured people received less than this on average.Source: Triple-I / ISO.
$6.27 billionestimated total economic cost of motor vehicle crashes in South Carolina (about $1,218 per person), 2019A cost estimate for the whole state, whoever paid. Not money paid to injured people. The national average was $1,035 per person.Source: NHTSA (Table 6-1, p. 100).
About these numbers
  • $1.03 billion Incurred losses: money paid plus the insurers' own estimates for claims still open, plus adjustment expenses. Private passenger auto, separate-limit bodily injury coverage only, so the true total is higher. This is what these claims cost insurers, not what injured people received.
  • $17,626 Incurred losses divided by incurred claims, so it is what a claim cost insurers on average, not what an injured person received. The countrywide figure in the same table is $28,918.86.
  • $28,278 Private passenger auto, excluding Massachusetts and most no-fault states; some claims are far larger and many are smaller. It includes insurers' claim-handling costs, so injured people received less than this on average.
  • $6.27 billion A cost estimate for the whole state, whoever paid. Not money paid to injured people. The national average was $1,035 per person.

These are averages and totals across many claims. They describe what insurers and courts have done, not what any one claim is worth. Every case is different, and most claims end in a settlement, which is often far less than a headline verdict. CrashFirst is not a law firm and cannot tell you what your claim is worth.

Real examples

Real results from the Columbia area

Past results do not predict yours.These are real, public results, picked to show a range rather than the biggest numbers. Each turned on its own facts. CrashFirst has no results of its own and does not say you would get anything like them.

The problems here

Unpaid medical bills and uninsured drivers in South Carolina

When the other side has no insurance, or the bills keep coming before anything is settled, the money problem is real. These are the state numbers we could source.

5.2%of South Carolina people with a credit record had medical debt in collections (median $1,405), Aug. 2026Only counts medical debt that reached collections and sits on a credit file. The national share was 3.0%.Source: Urban Institute (South Carolina row, medcoll = .0523355; medcollpos_p50 = 1405).
10.3%of South Carolina drivers estimated to be uninsured, 2023The Insurance Research Council estimates this from insurance claims, not from a count of cars. The national estimate was 15.4%.Source: Triple-I / IRC (Estimated Percentage of Uninsured Motorists by State, 2023).
About these numbers
  • 5.2% Only counts medical debt that reached collections and sits on a credit file. The national share was 3.0%.
  • 10.3% The Insurance Research Council estimates this from insurance claims, not from a count of cars. The national estimate was 15.4%.
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Deadline

Three years, counted from when you knew.

In most South Carolina injury cases a lawsuit has to be started within three years (S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530(5)), counted from when the person knew or should have known of the cause of action (§ 15-3-535). Wrongful death is three years from the death, and claims against a government have their own rules. The full rule, the statute text and the exceptions are on the South Carolina statute of limitations page.

Fault

Fault follows the Nelson rule.

The Supreme Court wrote that a plaintiff may recover if their negligence is not greater than the defendant's, with the recovery reduced in proportion. What the court said, with percentage examples and the 2026 change to joint liability. Tennessee and Alabama work differently; see Tennessee fault rules and Alabama contributory negligence.

Insurance

Minimum car insurance and uninsured drivers.

What the minimum limits are, why uninsured motorist coverage is built into every policy and what happens if you drive uninsured: South Carolina minimum car insurance.

Reporting

Who you have to tell, and when.

Notice to the police if anyone is hurt, and a written report to the DMV within 15 days in some crashes: South Carolina accident reporting requirements.

Crash reports

Columbia crash reports and data.

For the Columbia Police Department and SCDMV routes see how to get a Columbia police crash report. Where fatal crashes happen in Richland and Lexington counties: the Columbia, SC Crash Report 2026.

More in South Carolina

Keep reading

Sources

Page last updated November 10, 2026. Attorney review pending. General information, not legal advice. Fees, hours and rules change; confirm on the official page. How we source.

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a car accident in South Carolina?

Generally three years for an injury to a person. Section 15-3-530(5) covers "an action for assault, battery, or any injury to the person or rights of another, not arising on contract and not enumerated by law," [1] and § 15-3-535 says such actions "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." [1] Claims against a government have their own rules, so ask an attorney about your situation.

Is South Carolina a comparative fault state?

Yes, modified comparative negligence. The Supreme Court wrote that "a plaintiff in a negligence action may recover damages if his or her negligence is not greater than that of the defendant" [2] and that the recovery "shall be reduced in proportion to the amount of his or her negligence" [2] (Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co., 1991). An attorney can tell you how it applies to a crash.

What is the minimum car insurance in South Carolina?

$25,000 because of bodily injury to one person in any one accident, $50,000 because of bodily injury to two or more persons in any one accident, and $25,000 for injury to or destruction of property of others (S.C. Code Ann. § 38-77-140(A)). Every auto policy must also contain uninsured motorist coverage (§ 38-77-150). The first figure is written in the Code as "twenty-five thousand dollars because of bodily injury to one person in any one accident." [3]

Do I have to call the police after a crash in South Carolina?

If anyone is injured or killed, the driver must give notice "immediately by the quickest means of communication, whether oral or written" [4] 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" [4] (§ 56-5-1260). A written report to the DMV is also due within 15 days in some crashes; see the reporting rules.

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