Who is At-Fault in a Rear-End Collision in Rock Hill, SC?

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Who is At-Fault in a Rear-End Collision in Rock Hill, SC?

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If you are involved in a rear-end collision, it can be difficult to know who is at fault. Many people assume that the rear-ended driver is automatically at fault, but this isn’t always the case.

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. If you have questions about who is at fault in a rear-end crash, contact us for a free case evaluation.

Frequency of Rear-End Collisions in Rock Hill, S.C.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that rear-end collisions account for around 29% of car accidents that involve severe injuries or fatalities. While there is no data specifically for rear-end car crashes in Rock Hill, according to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, over 2,000 car accidents occurred in Rock Hill in 2019.

Common Causes of Rear-End Accidents

Several factors can lead to a rear-end collision. Some of the most common causes include:

  • Distracted Driving – When distracted drivers don’t pay attention to the road, they may fail to see that the car in front of them has stopped. This can lead to them hitting the vehicle in front of them if they are not braking in time.
  • Speeding – When a driver is going too fast, they may not have time to stop if the car in front of them suddenly brakes. This can lead to a rear-end collision.
  • Failing to Yield the Right of Way – If a driver does not yield to the car in front of them, they may run into the back of that car if it is stopped.
  • Drunk Driving – Impaired drivers often have slower reaction times, leading to them hitting the car in front of them if they are not braking in time.
  • Tailgating – If a driver follows too closely, they may not have time to stop if the car suddenly brakes. This can lead to a rear-end collision.
  • Poor Weather Conditions – Bad weather can make it difficult for drivers to see and stop in time. This can lead to a rear-end crash.
a rear-end car accident

What to Do After a Rear-End Car Accident in Rock Hill, SC

If you are involved in a rear-end collision, it is important to stay calm and take the following steps:

  1. Check for injuries – If you or any of your passengers are injured, call 911 immediately.
  2. Move your car out of the way if possible – If your vehicle is blocking traffic, move it to the side of the road, but take pictures of the vehicles’ position in the roadway first if safe to do so.
  3. Write down the other driver’s information – If the other driver is willing to exchange information, write down their name, phone number, and insurance information.
  4. Call a Rock Hill Car Accident Lawyer – If you are injured, or the other driver is not willing to exchange information, call The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor. We will help you get the compensation you deserve.

Common Rear-End Collision Injuries

If you are involved in a rear-end collision, you may suffer from several injuries, including:

  • Whiplash – Whiplash is one of the most common injuries suffered in car accidents. It occurs when the head and neck are whipped forward and then back again. This can lead to pain, stiffness, and headaches.
  • Back and neck injuries – Back and neck injuries can be very serious and may require surgery. They can lead to pain, stiffness, and a limited range of motion.
  • Brain injuries – A brain injury can be a life-altering event. It can lead to cognitive problems, paralysis, and even death.

Determining Fault in Rear-End Collision Cases

In most cases, the driver who rear-ends the car in front is at fault for the collision. This is because they usually didn’t have enough time to stop and hit the car in front of them. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule.

To determine who is at fault, your Rock Hill car accident lawyer will look at the following factors:

  • The distance between the cars
  • The speed of the cars
  • The condition of the road
  • The weather conditions
  • Whether either driver was distracted or not

If you are involved in a rear-end collision, it is important to contact The Law Offices of Jason E. Taylor. We will help you get the compensation you deserve.

a person reaching for their phone in a car

When is the Lead Driver At-Fault in a Rear-End Collision?

There are a few instances when the driver in front may be at fault for a rear-end collision. These include:

  • Failing to brake in time – If the car in front of you is not braking in time, you may hit them if you are going too fast or following too closely as you may not be able to adequately appreciate the traffic in front of you due to obscured vision.
  • Distracted driving – If the driver in front is distracted and not paying attention to the road, they may not brake in time, and you may hit them.
  • Illegal passing – If the driver in front is trying to pass another car and they don’t yield to the cars behind them, they may run into the back of that car if it is stopped or try to squeeze into an insufficient space.
  • Drunk driving – If the driver in front is impaired, either to alcohol or drugs, they may not be able to brake in time, and you may hit them.

South Carolina’s Modified Comparative Negligence Law

Comparative negligence is a legal doctrine that assigns blame for an accident to both parties involved. If the driver who hit you from behind or you hit someone from behind and the other driver is determined to be 50% or more at fault, you can still recover damages.

However, if you are found to be 51% at fault, the other driver will likely not be held liable for your damages.

This is why it is important to contact a car accident lawyer as soon as possible after a rear-end collision. They will be able to help you determine who is at fault and help you get the compensation you deserve.

a rear-end car accident with two people discussing in the background

How to Prove Fault in a Rear-End Collision in Rock Hill

If you are involved in a rear-end collision, it can be difficult to prove who is at fault. This is why it is important to contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible. They will be able to help you gather evidence and build a case against the other driver.

If you are at fault in a rear-end collision, you may be liable for the other driver’s injuries and damages.

Recover Compensation in a Rear-End Accident Claim

If you are injured in a rear-end collision, you may be able to recover compensation for your injuries and damages. This can include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and property damage.

Statute of Limitations for Rear-End Car Accidents in Rock Hill, South Carolina?

The statute of limitations for a personal injury claim in South Carolina is generally three years. This means that you have three years from the date of the accident to either settle your claim or file a lawsuit against the responsible parties to preserve the statute. If you miss this deadline, you may lose your right to sue. That is why it’s imperative to talk to your attorney about the statute of limitations in your particular case early on. 

What are Some Tips for Avoiding Rear-End Collisions in Rock Hill?

There are a few things that you can do to help avoid getting into a rear-end collision:

  • Leave plenty of space between your car and the car in front of you
  • Be aware of your surroundings and pay attention to the vehicles around you
  • Don’t text or use your phone while driving
  • Don’t drive too fast
  • Yield to other drivers when appropriate

Contact a Rock Hill Car Accident Attorney Today

If you have been injured in a rear-end accident due to someone else’s negligence or recklessness, you deserve fair compensation.

Our auto accident attorneys have experience with all personal injury cases, including rear-end 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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Rock Hill, SC 29732

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

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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.

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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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