Murrells Inlet sits along the Lowcountry coast in Horry County, just south of Myrtle Beach, where Highway 17 cuts through some of the most heavily traveled roads in South Carolina. The area draws millions of visitors every year, and that traffic comes with a serious cost. When a crash leaves you injured on Business 17, Inlet Square Drive, or any road in the community, you need a legal team that understands South Carolina law and knows how to fight for full compensation. Steinberg Law Firm is here for you. Call us today at 843-720-2800 for a free consultation with a personal injury lawyer who will put your recovery first.

Table of Contents

• Why Murrells Inlet Roads See So Many Serious Crashes
• What South Carolina Law Says About Fault After a Crash
• Steps to Take After a Car Crash in Murrells Inlet
• How Long You Have to File a Claim in South Carolina
• Damages You Can Recover After a Murrells Inlet Car Crash
• Steinberg Law Firm’s Car Accident Case Results in South Carolina
• Why Injured Murrells Inlet Residents Choose Steinberg Law Firm
• FAQs About Murrells Inlet Car Accident Lawyers

Why Murrells Inlet Roads See So Many Serious Crashes

Horry County consistently ranks among the most dangerous counties in South Carolina for traffic fatalities. According to a recent report from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Horry County led all of the state’s 46 counties in traffic deaths through late March of a recent year. Murrells Inlet sits at the heart of that problem.

The corridor along Highway 17 through Murrells Inlet is one of the busiest stretches of road in the region. Tourists unfamiliar with local traffic patterns mix with commercial trucks, motorcycles, and residents going about their daily lives. That combination creates conditions where crashes happen fast and injuries are severe. One tragic example involved a family of three killed in a two-vehicle crash on the Highway 17 Bypass in the Murrells Inlet area. (Steinberg Law Firm was not involved in that case, but it illustrates the real danger on these roads.)

The problem is not limited to Highway 17. Inlet Square Drive, Business 17, and the roads connecting Murrells Inlet to Garden City and Pawleys Island all see high volumes of traffic. Seasonal surges from tourism push already-busy roads past their limits. Distracted driving, speeding, and impaired drivers make every trip a risk.

Under South Carolina Code Section 56-5-1520, all drivers must operate at a speed that is reasonable and prudent for the conditions. That standard applies whether traffic is light at dawn or backed up during peak summer hours. When a driver ignores that rule and crashes into you, South Carolina law gives you the right to hold them accountable. A car accident lawyer from Steinberg Law Firm can help you understand exactly what your claim is worth and how to pursue it.

What South Carolina Law Says About Fault After a Crash

South Carolina uses a modified comparative negligence system. Unlike states that follow a contributory negligence rule, where even slight fault on the plaintiff’s part can bar recovery, South Carolina applies a modified comparative negligence standard, codified in Section 15-38-15 of the South Carolina Code of Laws.

Here is what that means for you. South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar. You can recover compensation as long as you are less than 51% at fault for your own injuries, but your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. If you are 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing.

Say a jury awards you $200,000, but finds you were 20% at fault for the crash. Your recovery drops to $160,000. That one percentage point at 51% is the line between recovering something and recovering nothing. Insurance adjusters know this, and they will work hard to push your fault percentage as high as possible to reduce what they pay out.

Insurance companies use comparative negligence as a tool to shrink or deny payouts. Even though the rule technically governs what a court awards, adjusters apply it to settlement offers from the first phone call. If the insurer believes you share fault, it will not offer full value, and it may argue you were distracted, speeding, or following too closely, even when the crash was primarily someone else’s doing.

Do not speak to any insurance company, including your own, before talking with an attorney. Everything you say can be used to inflate your fault percentage. Call Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800 before you give any statement. A car accident attorney on our team will protect your rights from the start.

Steps to Take After a Car Crash in Murrells Inlet

The actions you take in the hours and days after a crash directly affect the strength of your case. South Carolina law sets clear reporting requirements. Under South Carolina Code Section 56-5-1270, the driver of a vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury or death must immediately notify the local police department if the crash occurs within a municipality, or the county sheriff’s office or the nearest South Carolina Highway Patrol office if it occurs outside a municipality. In Murrells Inlet, that means contacting the Horry County Sheriff’s Office or SCHP Troop 5.

The same statute requires that if the crash is not investigated by a law enforcement officer, the owner or operator must file a written report with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles within 15 days when there is injury, death, or property damage of $1,000 or more. Missing that deadline can create serious problems for your claim.

After calling 911, take photographs of the scene, the vehicles, your injuries, and any road conditions that may have contributed to the wreck. Collect names and contact information from witnesses. The Murrells Inlet area has businesses and restaurants along the marsh walk and Business 17 that may have surveillance cameras capturing the crash.

Physical evidence from crash scenes deteriorates quickly. Surveillance footage is typically overwritten within 30 to 90 days. Witnesses move, forget details, or become harder to locate. Waiting to contact an attorney means losing evidence you cannot get back. Our team at Steinberg Law Firm moves quickly to preserve everything that supports your claim.

Seek medical attention immediately, even if you feel fine at first. Injuries like soft tissue damage, concussions, and back pain sometimes do not become fully apparent until days or weeks after a crash. A documented medical record ties your injuries directly to the wreck, which is essential when calculating your damages.

How Long You Have to File a Claim in South Carolina

South Carolina law sets a firm deadline for filing a personal injury lawsuit after a car crash. The statute of limitations for most car crash claims is three years from the date of the crash, according to South Carolina Code Section 15-3-530. Miss that deadline, and the court will dismiss your case regardless of how strong your evidence is.

Three years sounds like plenty of time, but it disappears faster than most people expect. Investigating the crash, gathering medical records, working with accident reconstruction professionals, and building a demand package all take time. Filing a claim with an insurance company is not the same as filing a lawsuit. Even if you are negotiating with an adjuster or waiting for medical treatment to conclude, the statute of limitations continues to run.

There are limited exceptions to the three-year rule. Any subdivision of the State of South Carolina is subject to the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, which changes not only the statute of limitations but also places limits on how much money an injured person can recover in court. The South Carolina Tort Claims Act can be found in SC Code Section 15-78-10 et al seq. Claims against a government entity, such as a county vehicle or a municipality, carry a shorter two-year deadline under that Act.

Under certain circumstances, the time period to bring an automobile injury claim may be tolled or delayed. This could occur if the person injured in the crash was a minor at the time. The statute of limitations will not begin to run until the child turns 18 years old in most circumstances.

Do not assume an exception applies to your case without confirming it with an attorney. The safest approach is to act immediately. Contact Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800 as soon as possible after your crash in Murrells Inlet. Our car accident lawyers in Charleston are ready to review your case at no cost to you.

Damages You Can Recover After a Murrells Inlet Car Crash

South Carolina personal injury law allows crash victims to pursue compensation for both economic and non-economic losses. Economic damages are the measurable financial costs tied directly to the wreck. Non-economic damages cover the human toll, including pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Economic damages in a car crash case typically include past and future medical expenses, lost wages from time missed at work, and loss of future earning capacity if your injuries affect your ability to work long-term. Medical costs can be substantial, especially when a crash causes spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries, or broken bones that require surgery, rehabilitation, or long-term care.

Non-economic damages are just as real, even if they are harder to quantify. Physical pain, emotional distress, and the loss of activities you once enjoyed all have value under South Carolina law. In cases where a loved one is killed, surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim. When a person dies due to another party’s negligence, their surviving family members may bring a wrongful death claim. The statute of limitations for wrongful death is found in S.C. Code Section 15-3-530(6) and is also three years. The clock begins on the date of death, not necessarily the date of the crash or negligent act.

In a wrongful death case, recoverable damages include mental anguish, loss of the deceased person’s companionship, and the financial support the family depended on. These claims are among the most serious our firm handles, and we approach them with the care and commitment every family deserves.

When your injuries are caused by a commercial truck, an 18-wheeler, or a company vehicle, additional layers of liability may apply. The trucking company, the vehicle owner, and even the shipper can all be responsible parties under federal and state regulations. Our team at Steinberg Law Firm investigates every angle to identify all liable parties. Reach us at 843-720-2800, or connect with our car accident lawyers serving the greater Lowcountry area to discuss your options.

Steinberg Law Firm’s Car Accident Case Results in South Carolina

Steinberg Law Firm has recovered millions of dollars for people seriously injured in car crashes across South Carolina. Our car accident results reflect decades of fighting for injured clients throughout the state, from the Lowcountry coast to the Midlands and beyond. The following are representative car accident case results from our work in South Carolina.

• $10,000,000 in a fatal large vehicle accident case
• $3,150,000 in a large vehicle accident case involving an 18-wheeler
• $2,500,000 in a commercial vehicle crash on Highway 52
• $2,000,000 in a large vehicle accident case caused by an improperly trained driver
• $1,600,000 rear-ended by a pickup on Hwy. 61
• $1,500,000 in a large vehicle accident
• $1,450,000 in a fatal automobile collision
• $1,300,000 in a car crash case caused by a drunk driver overserved at a restaurant
• $1,200,000 in a collision between two large vehicles
• $1,150,000 in an I-26 commercial large vehicle accident case
• $1,000,000 in a commercial large vehicle accident on I-26 where our client was initially cited at-fault
• $1,000,000 in a case where a pedestrian was run over by an 18-wheeler
• $1,000,000 in a pedestrian hit by a large vehicle accident
• $925,000 in a motorcycle t-bone collision
• $835,000 settlement for a rear-end car accident during work

Past results do not guarantee a future outcome. Every case is different, and the value of your claim depends on the specific facts, injuries, and evidence involved. What these results do show is that Steinberg Law Firm takes car accident cases seriously and fights hard for every client. Call us at 843-720-2800 to talk about what your case may be worth.

Why Injured Murrells Inlet Residents Choose Steinberg Law Firm

For nearly 100 years, Steinberg Law Firm has stood beside South Carolina families after some of the worst moments of their lives. We have handled car crash cases across the state, from the Grand Strand and the Lowcountry to the Midlands and Upstate. Our deep roots in South Carolina mean we understand the courts, the roads, and the challenges our clients face.

When you are hurt in a crash near Murrells Inlet, you are dealing with Horry County courts and local law enforcement. The Fifteenth Judicial Circuit, which covers Horry County, handles civil litigation for crash victims in this area. We know how these courts operate and how to build cases that hold up under scrutiny.

Our firm works on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. There are no upfront costs and no hourly bills. Your settlement proceeds are how attorney fees are paid, so you can focus on healing while we focus on your case.

We also know that Murrells Inlet crash victims face unique pressures. The area’s economy depends on tourism, and crashes involving out-of-state drivers, rental vehicles, and commercial operators add layers of complexity to liability. Our team has handled cases involving all of these situations. We investigate thoroughly, gather evidence quickly, and build the strongest possible case on your behalf.

Steinberg Law Firm has earned more than 1,000 Google reviews from clients across South Carolina who trusted us with their most difficult legal challenges. We are proud of that trust, and we work every day to deserve it. If you were hurt in Murrells Inlet or anywhere in the Lowcountry, call 843-720-2800 now for your free consultation. Attorney advertising. This content is the responsibility of Steinberg Law Firm.

FAQs About Murrells Inlet Car Accident Lawyers

How much does it cost to hire a Murrells Inlet car accident lawyer at Steinberg Law Firm?

There is no upfront cost to hire Steinberg Law Firm for a car crash case. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means our fee comes from the settlement proceeds only if we recover money for you. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing. Call 843-720-2800 to get started with a free case review.

Should I talk to the insurance company after my crash in Murrells Inlet?

No. Do not speak to any insurance company, including your own, before you have spoken with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are trained to gather information that can be used to reduce or deny your claim. A recorded statement made before you understand your rights can seriously damage your case. Contact Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800 first, and let us handle all communications with the insurer on your behalf.

What if I was partly at fault for the crash?

You may still be able to recover compensation. South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule under S.C. Code Section 15-38-15. As long as you are found to be 50% or less at fault for the crash, you can recover damages, though your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Only if your fault reaches 51% or more are you barred from recovering anything. Insurance companies often try to inflate your fault percentage, which is why having an attorney in your corner matters from day one.

How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in South Carolina?

Under South Carolina Code Section 15-3-530, you generally have three years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. If the at-fault party is a government entity, the deadline is shorter, typically two years under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act. Missing the deadline means losing your right to sue, no matter how strong your case is. Do not wait. Contact Steinberg Law Firm as soon as possible after your crash to protect your rights.

What damages can I recover after a serious car crash in Murrells Inlet?

South Carolina law allows crash victims to pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include medical bills, lost wages, and loss of future earning capacity. Non-economic damages cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life. In fatal crash cases, surviving family members can bring a wrongful death claim to recover compensation for mental anguish, loss of companionship, and financial support. The specific damages available in your case depend on the facts and the severity of your injuries. Call Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800 for a free case evaluation.

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