South Carolina Auto Insurance & Crash Law

VictimsGuide’s South Carolina library organizes the rules that can control a serious motor-vehicle claim: required liability insurance, mandatory uninsured-motorist coverage, optional underinsured-motorist coverage, stacking, optional-coverage offer forms, claims handling, employer and commercial coverage, government claims, comparative negligence, damages, reimbursement, settlement and controlling case authority.

South Carolina rules to identify early

• Minimum liability: South Carolina requires at least $25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage.
• UM/UIM: uninsured-motorist coverage is mandatory, while underinsured-motorist coverage is optional and turns heavily on the statutory offer process and policy election forms.
• Stacking: available UM/UIM limits can depend on whether the claimant is a Class I or Class II insured and on the number of covered vehicles and policies.
• Comparative negligence: South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence; recovery is barred only when the claimant’s fault exceeds 50%.
• Failure to settle: South Carolina’s Tyger River doctrine is a central authority in excess-exposure claims against liability insurers.

Preserve the complete policy, declarations, endorsements, optional-coverage offer forms, crash report, photographs, video and electronic evidence, and investigate household, employer, commercial, umbrella and excess coverage before signing a release.

Current-law review: September 17, 2026. Verify current South Carolina statutes, regulations, appellate authority and the policy actually issued before relying on this educational guide.