What Happens if the At-Fault Party Doesn’t Have Insurance in Rock Hill, SC?

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What Happens if the At-Fault Party Doesn’t Have Insurance in Rock Hill, SC?

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What happens if you are in a car accident and the other driver doesn’t have insurance? This is a question that many Rock Hill residents ask, and fortunately, there is an easy answer. If the other driver doesn’t have insurance, you may be able to file an insurance claim with your own insurance company.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, our Rock Hill car accident lawyers have years of experience helping car accident victims get the compensation they deserve. We will work with the insurance company to ensure that you are fairly compensated for your losses. Contact us today for a free consultation.

South Carolina Car Insurance Laws

When you apply for or renew a driver’s license in South Carolina, you must certify that you are insured by a car liability policy, that you do not own a vehicle or pay an annual fee of $600 if you do not wish to purchase insurance for some reason.

Liability Coverage

Liability car insurance protects you if you are at fault in an accident. It will pay for the other party’s medical bills, property damage, and legal expenses up to your policy limits.

South Carolina drivers are required to carry liability insurance that meets the following minimums:

Bodily Injury (BI) – $25,000 per person/ $50,000 per accident. BI pays for the other party’s medical bills, lost wages and other damages when you cause the accident. This policy also covers legal expenses if the other driver sues you.

Property Damage (PD) – $25,000 per accident. PD pays for damage to the other vehicle when you cause the accident. However, it will not pay for damage to your vehicle.  You need to have collision coverage for that and collision coverage is optional coverage. 

Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage in South Carolina

South Carolina drivers must also carry uninsured motorist coverage (UM). Drivers must carry a minimum UM bodily injury coverage of $25,000 per person. Your UM coverage will pay for the damages incurred by a driver who does not carry liability insurance or bodily injury incurred as a result of a hit and run. 

You may also have undersinsured motorist coverage (UIM).  UIM is optional coverage that will pay for damages if the at-fault party’s policy is exhausted.  

Car insurance form

Uninsured Motorist Coverage

If you are in an accident with an uninsured driver (UM), your UM insurance will cover the damages. This includes

  • Medical Expenses – Medical bills are the costs of treating injuries resulting from an accident. These expenses can include ambulance rides, hospital stays, and doctor’s visits.
  • Lost Wages – If you cannot work due to your injuries from an accident, you may be able to recover lost wages. This would be the amount of money you would have earned if you were physically able to work but for your injuries.
  • Pain and Suffering – Pain and suffering is the physical pain and emotional anguish you experience due to an accident. This can include things like anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

It is important to note that Uninsured Driver Insurance may not cover the damages to your car. You would need separate, additional collision or comprehensive coverage in those instances. In all of those instances you may have to pay a deductible.   

insurance claim form

What to Do After a Car Accident with an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver in Rock Hill, South Carolina

If you are in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, it is important to take the following steps:

  • Seek Medical Attention- If you are injured, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Do not wait to see if the injuries will go away on their own.
  • File a Police Report- File a police report as soon as possible. This will help document the accident and could be used in court if you need to file a lawsuit.
  • Contact an Attorney- Contact an attorney as soon as possible. An attorney can help you understand your rights and guide you through the legal process.
  • Keep Records of Expenses- Keep records of all medical expenses, property damage, and lost wages. This information can be helpful if you decide to file a lawsuit.

It is important to remember that car accidents can be complicated, and it is often best to speak with an attorney before making any decisions. If you have been in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, please contact the attorneys at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor for a free consultation.

insured and uninsured on a piece of paper with uninsured circled in red

Filing a Lawsuit in Car Accidents With an Uninsured Motorist

If you are in an accident where the at-fault driver is uninsured, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the driver. This type of lawsuit is called a negligence lawsuit or a personal injury lawsuit. To win your case, you will need to prove that the driver was negligent and that their negligence caused your injuries.

It is important to note that many factors go into a negligence lawsuit, and it is often best to speak with an attorney before filing a lawsuit.

Optional Coverage Options in South Carolina

If you are injured in a car accident in South Carolina, other coverage options may help cover damages sustained due to the car accident.

Collision Coverage

Collision coverage pays for damage to your vehicle when you collide with another car or object, regardless of fault. For example, if you hit a tree, the collision coverage on your policy will pay to repair the damage to your car. Collision coverage is important coverage to have as even if you think the other driver is at fault, the other driver’s insurance company may not accept liability right away.  

Comprehensive Coverage

Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your car that is not caused by a collision. This could include damage from a natural disaster, theft, or vandalism.

Medical Payments Coverage

Medical payments coverage, commonly referred to as Med Pay, pays for the medical bills of you and your passengers, regardless of who is at fault in the accident. This coverage does not have a deductible and is optional coverage. However, it is highly recommended to help pay for out-of -pocket expenses prior to an actual settlement.  

Rental Car Coverage

Rental car coverage pays for a rental car while your car is being repaired after an accident. This is optional coverage and not required in South Carolina. 

Rock HIll police

Legal Consequences of Driving Without Insurance in Rock Hill, South Carolina

If you are caught driving without insurance in Rock Hill, you will face several penalties, including:

  • Fines
  • Jail time
  • License suspension
  • Registration suspension

It is important to note that the penalties for driving without insurance vary from state to state. Make sure you are familiar with the laws in South Carolina before you hit the road.

The Statute of Limitations for Car Accident Claims in South Carolina

The statute of limitations is the amount of time you have to settle your claim or file a lawsuit to preserve the statute of limitations. In South Carolina, you typically have three years from the date of the accident to file a lawsuit. However, the statute of limitations in your particular case is something you should discuss with your lawyer early on. 

Why You Should Hire a Lawyer for an Uninsured Driver Car Accident

If you are in an accident with an uninsured driver, it is important to hire a lawyer. A lawyer can help you file a lawsuit, if necessary, and can often get you a better settlement than if you try to handle the case yourself.

When you are injured in a car accident, the last thing on your mind is dealing with insurance companies and lawsuits. That is where the attorneys at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor can help.

person driving a car

Contact a Rock Hill Car Accident Lawyer Today

Unfortunately, auto accidents are common, and even though South Carolina has specific auto insurance laws, not all drivers carry insurance. If you have been injured in a car accident caused by the negligence of another, you deserve fair compensation for your injuries.

Our auto accident attorneys are well versed in South Carolina law. We have experience with all personal injury cases, including car accidents. We are not afraid to take on insurance companies to help you obtain fair compensation. We value the attorney-client relationship and will work tirelessly to protect your rights.

Contact The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor today for your free initial consultation and learn more about what we can do to help you. We will answer your questions and explain all of your legal options.

1348 Ebenezer Rd #103
Rock Hill, SC 29732

Phone: (803) 980-5300
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

 

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Hickory, NC 28601

Phone: (828) 327-9004
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1348 Ebenezer Rd Suite 103
Rock Hill, SC 29732

Phone: (803) 980-5300
Toll Free: (800) 351-3008

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Rock Hill Injury Lawyers & Attorneys at Law

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Notice of Data Security Event
Updated March 28, 2025

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor is providing notice of an event that may affect certain individuals’ information. Although we have no indication of identity theft or fraud in relation to this event, we are providing information about the event, our response, and additional measures individuals can take to help protect their information, should they feel it appropriate to do so.

What Happened? On October 28, 2024, The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor identified suspicious activity related to our email system. We quickly took steps to investigate and determined that an unknown actor may have accessed certain emails within our email system between August 7 and November 7, 2024. We then conducted a comprehensive review of the potentially affected emails and attachments to determine what information was contained therein and to whom the information related, which was completed on February 25, 2025. Unfortunately, we were unable to verify the addresses of certain affected individuals, so we are providing this notice to ensure potentially affected individuals receive information about the event.

What Information Was Involved? The information affected may include individuals’ Social Security number, driver’s license and state ID information, financial account number, and health information.

What We Are Doing. We are notifying individuals about this matter and providing guidance about free resources that are available to assist with monitoring relevant accounts, credit reports, and how to place a fraud alert or security freeze on one’s credit file. Further, as with our typical security practices, we will continue to evaluate our policies, procedures, staff training, and technical security measures to reduce the likelihood of an event like this reoccurring.

What Individuals Can Do. We encourage you to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft and fraud by reviewing your account statements and monitoring your free credit reports for suspicious activity and to detect errors. We also recommend you review the below “Steps Individuals Can Take To Help Protect Personal Information”.

For More Information. If individuals have questions about this matter, we have a dedicated assistance line with agents ready to answer their questions. Please contact our toll-free dedicated assistance line at 1-800-939-4170, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 9 p.m., excluding holidays. You may also write to us at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, Attn: Compliance, P.O. Box 2688, Hickory, NC 28603.

Sincerely,

The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

Monitor Your Accounts

Under U.S. law, a consumer is entitled to one free credit report annually from each of the three major credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. To order a free credit report, visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call, toll-free, 1-877-322-8228. Consumers may also directly contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below to request a free copy of their credit report.

Consumers have the right to place an initial or extended “fraud alert” on a credit file at no cost. An initial fraud alert is a 1-year alert that is placed on a consumer’s credit file. Upon seeing a fraud alert display on a consumer’s credit file, a business is required to take steps to verify the consumer’s identity before extending new credit. If consumers are the victim of identity theft, they are entitled to an extended fraud alert, which is a fraud alert lasting seven years. Should consumers wish to place a fraud alert, please contact any of the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below.

As an alternative to a fraud alert, consumers have the right to place a “credit freeze” on a credit report, which will prohibit a credit bureau from releasing information in the credit report without the consumer’s express authorization. The credit freeze is designed to prevent credit, loans, and services from being approved in a consumer’s name without consent. However, consumers should be aware that using a credit freeze to take control over who gets access to the personal and financial information in their credit report may delay, interfere with, or prohibit the timely approval of any subsequent request or application they make regarding a new loan, credit, mortgage, or any other account involving the extension of credit. Pursuant to federal law, consumers cannot be charged to place or lift a credit freeze on their credit report. To request a credit freeze, individuals may need to provide some or all of the following information:

1. Full name (including middle initial as well as Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.);
2. Social Security number;
3. Date of birth;
4. Addresses for the prior two to five years;
5. Proof of current address, such as a current utility bill or telephone bill;
6. A legible photocopy of a government-issued identification card (state driver’s license or ID card, etc.); and
7. A copy of either the police report, investigative report, or complaint to a law enforcement agency concerning identity theft if they are a victim of identity theft.

Should consumers wish to place a credit freeze or fraud alert, please contact the three major credit reporting bureaus listed below:

Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/credit-report-services/ https://www.experian.com/help/

https://www.transunion.com/credit-help
1-888-298-0045 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
Equifax Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 105069 Atlanta, GA 30348-5069 Experian Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Fraud Alert, P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19016
Equifax Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 105788 Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 Experian Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 9554, Allen, TX 75013 TransUnion Credit Freeze, P.O. Box 160, Woodlyn, PA 19094

Additional Information

Consumers may further educate themselves regarding identity theft, fraud alerts, credit freezes, and the steps they can take to protect their personal information by contacting the consumer reporting bureaus, the Federal Trade Commission, or their state attorney general. The Federal Trade Commission may be reached at: 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580; www.identitytheft.gov; 1-877-ID-THEFT (1-877-438-4338); and TTY: 1-866-653-4261. The Federal Trade Commission also encourages those who discover that their information has been misused to file a complaint with them. Consumers can obtain further information on how to file such a complaint by way of the contact information listed above. Consumers have the right to file a police report if they ever experience identity theft or fraud. Please note that in order to file a report with law enforcement for identity theft, consumers will likely need to provide some proof that they have been a victim. Instances of known or suspected identity theft should also be reported to law enforcement and the relevant state attorney general. This notice has not been delayed by law enforcement.

For District of Columbia residents, the District of Columbia Attorney General may be contacted at: 400 6th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001; 1-202-442-9828; and oag.dc.gov.

For Maryland residents, the Maryland Attorney General may be contacted at: 200 St. Paul Place, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202; 1-410-576-6300 or 1-888-743-0023; and https://www.marylandattorneygeneral.gov/.

For New Mexico residents, consumers have rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, such as the right to be told if information in their credit file has been used against them, the right to know what is in their credit file, the right to ask for their credit score, and the right to dispute incomplete or inaccurate information. Further, pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the consumer reporting bureaus must correct or delete inaccurate, incomplete, or unverifiable information; consumer reporting agencies may not report outdated negative information; access to consumers’ files is limited; consumers must give consent for credit reports to be provided to employers; consumers may limit “prescreened” offers of credit and insurance based on information in their credit report; and consumers may seek damages from violators. Consumers may have additional rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act not summarized here. Identity theft victims and active-duty military personnel have specific additional rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act. We encourage consumers to review their rights pursuant to the Fair Credit Reporting Act by visiting www.consumerfinance.gov/f/201504_cfpb_summary_your-rights-under-fcra.pdf, or by writing Consumer Response Center, Room 130-A, Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20580.

For New York residents, the New York Attorney General may be contacted at: Office of the Attorney General, The Capitol, Albany, NY 12224-0341; 1-800-771-7755; or https://ag.ny.gov.

For North Carolina residents, the North Carolina Attorney General may be contacted at: 9001 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-9001; 1-877-566-7226 or 1-919-716-6000; and www.ncdoj.gov.

For Rhode Island residents, the Rhode Island Attorney General may be reached at: 150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903; 1-401-274-4400; and www.riag.ri.gov. Under Rhode Island law, individuals have the right to obtain any police report filed in regard to this event.
STEPS INDIVIDUALS CAN TAKE TO HELP PROTECT A MINOR DEPENDENT’S PERSONAL INFORMATION

Typically, credit reporting agencies do not have a credit report in a minor’s name. To find out if a minor has a credit report or to request a manual search for a minor’s Social Security number each credit bureau has its own process. To learn more about these processes or request these services, consumers may contact the credit bureaus by phone, writing, or online:
Equifax Experian TransUnion
https://www.equifax.com/personal/help/article-list/-/h/a/request-child-credit-report/
https://www.experian.com/help/minor-request.html
https://www.transunion.com/fraud-victim-resources/child-identity-theft

1-800-685-1111 1-888-397-3742 1-800-916-8800
P.O. Box 105788
Atlanta, GA 30348-5788 P.O. Box 9554
Allen, TX 75013 P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016

To request information about the existence of a credit file in a minor’s name, search for a minor’s Social Security number, place a security freeze or fraud alert on a minor’s credit report (if one exists), or request a copy of a minor’s credit report consumers may be required to provide the following information:
● A copy of their driver’s license or another government issued identification card, such as a state identification card, etc.;
● Proof of address, such as a copy of a bank statement, utility bill, insurance statement, etc.;
● A copy of the minor’s birth certificate;
● A copy of the minor’s Social Security card;
● The minor’s full name, including middle initial and generation, such as JR, SR, II, III, etc.;
● The minor’s date of birth; and
● The minor’s previous addresses for the past two years.

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