What Happens If You Get in an Accident Out-of-State?

You’ve planned a trip to Asheville, North Carolina, to explore Blue Ridge Parkway, or maybe you’ve planned a vacation to Georgetown, South Carolina, to enjoy some time on the beach. You’re driving down the interstate, minding your own business and obeying all traffic laws, when suddenly another car rear-ends you. The force of the impact causes your vehicle to veer off the road and into a ditch.

Your first thought is probably, “What do I do now?” You’re in a state you’re not familiar with, and you’re injured. Car accidents are stressful enough, but they can be even more confusing and overwhelming when you’re in a state you don’t live in.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, we understand how complicated and stressful out-of-state accidents can be. We have experience handling these cases and can help you navigate the process.

Whether you’ve been in an accident in the mountains of North Carolina or near the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach, we’ve got you covered. We’ll work with you to get the compensation you deserve and ensure the process is as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Contact us today for a free consultation. We have offices in:

What to Do After an Out-Of-State Car Accident

If possible, you should move your car to the side of the road. If you can’t move your car, turn on your hazard lights and wait for help. Once you’re in a safe location, you should call the police. The police will create a report of the accident, which can be helpful later on. Then you should:

  1. Get Medical Attention – Your priority should be your health and well-being. If you’re able, seek medical attention right away. If you cannot do so, don’t worry – we can help you get the medical treatment you need.
  1. Gather Information – Then, you should exchange information with the other driver. You’ll need to get their name, contact information, insurance information, and license plate number. If there are any witnesses to the accident, you should also get their contact information.
  2. Contact Your Insurance Company – Once you have all this information, you should call your insurance company. They will help you figure out what to do next. When you speak with your insurer, alert them that you are in a different state. If your car is damaged, your insurance may cover additional expenses, such as a tow truck. They may also help you find a repair shop and answer any questions about your policy.
  3. Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer – Finally, contact a trusted personal injury attorney specializing in car accidents. Auto accidents are already confusing, but once you’re in an unfamiliar place, you want to ensure you have an expert on your side. When you discuss your case with a lawyer at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, P.C., we can help you understand your legal options and work to get you the best possible outcome.

Don’t let an accident ruin your vacation or trip. If you’ve been involved in a car accident out-of-state, follow these steps and contact our office today. We’re here to help you through this difficult time.

Your Auto Insurance Policy Covers You No Matter Where You Are

If you have an accident while you’re out of state, your insurance will still cover you. Auto insurance policies cover residents anywhere in the United States. So, if you’re involved in an accident in North or South Carolina, don’t worry – your insurance will still provide coverage.

Of course, it’s always a good idea to review your insurance policy before you travel. You want to make sure you have the right coverage for your needs. And, if you’re planning on renting a car, you should check with your insurer to see if your policy covers rental cars.

Your Insurance Policy Limits May Change If You’re in Out-of-State Accident

Out-of-state accidents may feel like a once-in-a-lifetime experience, but they happen all the time, especially during high tourism. If you are in an accident outside of your state, your coverage limits will adjust to meet whatever is required in the state where the crash occurred.

For instance, if your home state is Georgia, your policy requires minimum liability coverage limits of 25/50/25 for bodily injury and property damage liability. If you have an accident in North Carolina, where the requirements are 30/60/25, your policy limits for bodily injury will automatically increase to meet the North Carolina minimum.

If you’re driving in a state that requires minimum liability limits lower than your home state, such as if you’re a Texan resident where the insurance limits are 30/60/25, and you get in an accident in South Carolina where the limits are 25/50/25, your policy will not decrease to meet South Carolina state minimum. Instead, it will provide the maximum coverage on your policy even if it is more than what the state you’re visiting requires.

At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, we have experience with car insurance companies in both states. When you contact us for a free consultation, we’ll help you figure out how your current auto insurance policy works in the current state.

Car Accidents in South Carolina vs. North Carolina

Even if you have insurance, an accident can still be a hassle – especially if it’s in a state other than yours. Each state has different laws and requirements when it comes to car accidents.

In South Carolina, for example, the at-fault driver is responsible for all damages caused by the accident. This includes damage to your car, medical bills, and lost wages.

In North Carolina, on the other hand, there is a law called pure contributory negligence. This means that if you are even partially at fault for an accident, you cannot recover damages from the other driver.

For example, let’s say you’re driving in Asheville and rear-ended another car. The other driver sues you, and the court finds that you’re 50% at fault and the other driver is 50% at fault. In North Carolina, you would not be able to recover any damages from the other driver because of pure contributory negligence.

However, in South Carolina, where a comparative negligence policy is followed, as long as the other driver is more than 50% at fault, you would be able to recover damages from them.

If you’ve been in an accident out-of-state, it’s important to speak with an experienced auto accident attorney who knows the laws of both states. At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, we have experience handling South and North Carolina accidents. We can help you understand your rights and options, and we’ll fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

What If I Need to File a Lawsuit?

Filing a lawsuit for a car accident is where it gets tricky because jurisdiction comes into play. As a rule, you can sue in the state where the accident occurred or the state where the at-fault driver resides. So, you can sue in that state if your accident occurred in South Carolina. However, if the accident occurred in South Carolina, but the driver lives in North Carolina, you can also choose to file there.

For the most part, you cannot sue in your state unless the at-fault driver also lives there.

If the at-fault party is a business, such as a trucking company, you can sue in the state where the accident occurred or where the business resides. If the company does a significant amount of business in another state, you can usually sue in that state. However, small businesses are only under the jurisdiction of the state where they do business.

Discuss Your Case with a Car Accident Attorney at The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor

Determining where to file a lawsuit can be complicated, and getting it right the first time is important. At The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor, P.C., our team of experienced car accident lawyers will help you determine the best course of action for your case.

We’ll review the facts of your accident and advise you on the best way to proceed. Contact us today for a free consultation. We serve accident victims throughout North and South Carolina.

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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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