After a crash on the water, you may be dealing with injuries, property damage, and uncertainty about what to do next. Knowing what to do after a boating accident in Myrtle Beach starts with protecting your health by checking for injuries and seeking medical attention as soon as possible, even if you feel fine. Some injuries, including concussions and internal injuries, may not show symptoms right away.
Once your immediate medical needs are addressed, reporting the accident and preserving evidence can help protect your claim. Insurance companies will use South Carolina’s modified comparative negligence law to shift blame and reduce or deny your claim. If they can prove you were 51% or more at fault, you cannot recover compensation.
A boating accident lawyer in Myrtle Beach can step in early to protect your claim by gathering evidence, challenging insurer blame-shifting tactics, and handling communications with the insurance company on your behalf.
How Your Actions After a Boating Accident in Myrtle Beach Can Impact Your Claim
What you do, or fail to do, after a boating accident in Myrtle Beach affects your ability to recover compensation. Insurance companies will use your actions against you to reduce or deny your claim, especially under South Carolina’s “modified comparative negligence” law.
For instance, failing to take certain actions can negatively affect both your health and your right to recover compensation. Myrtle Beach personal injury lawyers advise against:
- Delaying medical attention: Insurers will argue that your injuries were pre-existing or weren’t severe enough to justify compensation if you don’t seek treatment immediately. They will also argue that you contributed to your losses the longer you delay seeking medical care.
- Failing to report the collision: Boating operators have a legal responsibility to report certain boating accidents, such as those involving injuries or significant property damage, to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), per S.C. Code Ann. § 50-21-130. Insurers will use a lack of reporting to question the legitimacy of your claim.
- Not preserving evidence: Insurers will shift blame by arguing you operated the boat recklessly, ignored safety standards, or contributed to the accident due to some other negligent behavior. Without photos of the damage, witness statements, or other evidence, it becomes easier for them to make these claims.
Insurers representing boat rental companies or private operators will look for any way to assign you partial fault and reduce the value of your claim under South Carolina’s modified comparative negligence rule.
Even small oversights can cost you. Taking informed action after the accident is how you can help your boating accident attorney counter blame-shifting tactics, preserve evidence, and protect your right to fair compensation.
Why Hiring a Myrtle Beach Boating Accident Attorney Early Is Important
What happens after a boating accident can shape the outcome of your claim. Insurers get to work finding ways to shift blame and reduce their liability, so acting early helps build a stronger case.
It allows your boating accident attorney in Myrtle Beach to secure evidence, preserve records, and take legal steps, such as sending demand letters or subpoenas, before delays or deadlines become a problem.
The Statute of Limitations and Insurer Tactics
Per S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530, South Carolina generally gives you three years to file a personal injury lawsuit. Although three years may seem like plenty of time, insurers often use delays to pressure injured people into accepting less than their claims are worth or risk missing important deadlines. They may:
- Drag out investigations, requesting redundant or unnecessary documentation.
- Stretch out settlement discussions, pretending to negotiate in good faith.
- Use delays to leave you scrambling to file before the deadline, potentially weakening your case.
While the statutory clock counts down, taking legal action sooner keeps you on track, helping to avoid these tactics. An attorney tracks your deadline from the start of your case to avoid last-minute rushes that hurt your claim. Insurers play the long game, but early action gives you the time to focus on building a strong case instead of fighting deadlines.
Avoid Giving Statements to Insurance Adjusters After a Boating Accident in Myrtle Beach
Insurance adjusters will request a statement from you after a boating accident, asking for details about what happened. They will look for statements that they can later use to shift blame onto you.
Adjusters ask carefully worded questions, and even innocent or offhand comments like “I didn’t notice the other boat right away” or “I’m fine” can be twisted to argue that you bear more fault or that your injuries are not as severe as they truly are. Every word you say has the potential to weaken your claim if an insurer takes it out of context.
Allowing a boating accident attorney to handle communication with the insurer prevents these issues entirely. Skilled attorneys provide the insurance company with only the details needed to advance your claim, based on evidence, not verbal traps.
Call Us for Help With Your Boating Accident Claim in Myrtle Beach
Dealing with boating accident injuries is stressful enough without the added pressure of gathering evidence, handling insurers, and trying to protect your rights. At Auger & Auger Accident and Injury Lawyers, we’ve been standing up for accident victims in South Carolina since 1995, recovering over $100 million for our clients with a 99.5% success rate in applicable cases.
Insurance companies will shift blame to reduce or outright deny your claim, leaving you struggling to recover your losses. Our Myrtle Beach boating collision lawyers handle all communications with insurers and protect your claim from the very start.
As a family-run law firm, we take a client-first approach to every case, offering accessibility and support when you need it most. With our A&A Zero Fee Guarantee™, you pay nothing upfront, and there are no attorney fees unless we win compensation for you. Let us handle the legal process while you focus on your recovery. Call today for a free consultation.
