Personal Injury Lawyer Help in Myrtle Beach, SC

Injury claims in Myrtle Beach: what to know first

Personal injury claims in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina follow state law, but local details matter: cases from Horry County are filed in the Horry County Circuit Court, local police and sheriff's reports document crashes, and the insurers that write policies in South Carolina know its modified comparative negligence (51% bar) rule well. This guide gives residents of Myrtle Beach and surrounding Horry County communities a clear picture of their rights after an accident.

Ask Legal Matters is a personal injury lead-generation service that collects free case review requests from injured people in the United States and shares them with independent attorneys and law firms. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Requests from Myrtle Beach may be shared with independent attorneys and legal services partners who handle car, truck, motorcycle and pedestrian accidents, slip and fall injuries, workplace injuries and workers' compensation, medical malpractice and wrongful death matters in South Carolina. There is no charge to submit a request and no obligation to hire anyone; partner availability and case acceptance depend on the facts.

Injury claims in Myrtle Beach: key facts

Injury lawsuit deadline: three years from the injury date (S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530)
Medical malpractice deadline: three years
Fault rule: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)
Auto insurance system: At-fault (liability insurance pays)
Minimum auto liability: 25/50/25 (thousands: per person / per accident / property)
Where lawsuits are filed: Horry County Circuit Court
Tell your employer: Within 90 days
Workers' comp claim: two years — South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission
Fatal crashes, 2020-2024: 38 in Myrtle Beach, 45 people killed (NHTSA FARS)
Attorney fees: Injury attorneys commonly work on contingency; confirm fee terms before hiring

Which roads in Myrtle Beach have the most fatal crashes?

From 2020 through 2024, federal crash records list 38 fatal crashes inside Myrtle Beach, in which 45 people died. The roads with the most were US-17 (street name not recorded) with 11 fatal crashes, Kings Hwy (US-17) with 4 and Hwy 17 Business (US-17) with 3.

Roads with the most fatal crashes in Myrtle Beach, 2020-2024
Road	Fatal crashes, 2020-2024	Deaths	Latest year
US-17 (street name not recorded)	11	12	2023
Kings Hwy (US-17)	4	4	2024
Hwy 17 Business (US-17)	3	3	2022
Hwy 17 Byp (US-17)	2	3	2022
Farrow Pkwy	2	2	2022

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020-2023 Final File and 2024 Annual Report File (ARF), national data files downloaded from NHTSA on November 3, 2026. A crash counts for a road under the trafficway the reporting agency recorded; the same street with and without a route number is one row, and a route recorded without a street name keeps its own row; roads with fewer than two fatal crashes are not listed. The 2024 figures are NHTSA's first release for that year and may change in its Final File.

How to cite these figures: Ask Legal Matters, "Fatal crashes in Myrtle Beach, SC, 2020-2024," compiled from NHTSA FARS (2020-2023 Final File and 2024 Annual Report File (ARF)), https://asklegalmatters.com/injury-guides/south-carolina/myrtle-beach/, checked November 3, 2026. Downloads and method: https://asklegalmatters.com/injury-guides/data/.

The yearly count was 5 in 2020, 12 in 2021, 10 in 2022, 7 in 2023 and 4 in 2024; 61% of the crashes happened after dark. 13 involved a pedestrian, cyclist or other person outside a vehicle, and 20 happened at or near an intersection.

Across Horry County, the same records show 328 fatal crashes and 347 people killed over those five years.

A high share of the fatal crashes in Myrtle Beach involve pedestrians or cyclists. Those claims often turn on where the person was crossing or riding, the lighting and whether the driver should have seen them, so photos taken at the same time of day and any nearby camera footage matter.

Reporting the crash in South Carolina

In South Carolina, the driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone must notify the police immediately by the quickest means (S.C. Code § 56-5-1260). If no officer investigated a crash with injury, death or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more, the driver or owner must send SCDMV a written report (Form FR-309) with verification of liability insurance within 15 days (§ 56-5-1270).

Who must report: Police notice: the driver in a crash that injures or kills anyone. Written report: the driver or owner in a crash with injury, death or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more that no officer investigated
Report to: The local police inside a city or town, otherwise the county sheriff or the nearest Highway Patrol office; the written report goes to SCDMV
Deadline: Police: immediately. SCDMV report: within 15 days of the crash
Driver's form: Traffic Collision Report (Not Investigated by Law Enforcement) (FR-309)
Copy of the crash report: SCDMV: collision reports (request online, at a branch or by mail)
Step by step: How do I get a car accident report in South Carolina?

Sources: S.C. Code, Title 56 Chapter 5; SCDMV: Traffic Collision Report (FR-309); SCDMV: collision reports. Checked November 3, 2026. General information, not legal advice; local rules and police practice can add steps.

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Types of injury claims in Myrtle Beach

Different attorneys handle different claims, so identify the type of accident early. Myrtle Beach shares its court and its South Carolina rules with the rest of Horry County; the detailed guides below, apply equally to accidents in Myrtle Beach.

South Carolina's three years statute of limitations

South Carolina generally gives an injured person three years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit (S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530); medical malpractice is different (three years). Wrongful death claims follow their own deadline, which can differ from the one above. Claims against a city, county, school district or state agency follow separate and often much shorter deadlines. Once the deadline passes, the Horry County Circuit Court will dismiss the case regardless of how clear the fault was, so the practical rule in Myrtle Beach is to get legal advice early.

How fault works: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)

South Carolina follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar), a rule set by the courts in Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co. (1991) rather than by statute. In plain terms, you can recover as long as you were not more than 50% at fault, and your award is reduced by your share of fault. Insurance adjusters apply this rule from the first phone call, which is why the way an accident is described and documented in the days after it happens in Horry County has a direct effect on what a claim is worth.

Auto insurance in South Carolina: an at-fault system

After a crash in Myrtle Beach, the at-fault driver's liability insurance is the primary source of compensation. South Carolina requires drivers to carry only 25/50/25 in coverage (thousands of dollars for bodily injury per person, per accident, and property damage), which serious injuries quickly exhaust. Underinsured motorist coverage on your own policy and claims against additional responsible parties often make the difference in Horry County cases.

Where Myrtle Beach injury cases are filed

Lawsuits arising from accidents in Myrtle Beach are typically filed in the Horry County Circuit Court, the trial court of general jurisdiction for Horry County, although cases can sometimes be filed where the defendant resides or does business, and claims against out-of-state trucking companies or manufacturers may end up in federal court. Most claims settle before trial, but the credible ability to try a case in Horry County is what moves insurers to pay fair value.

Workplace injuries: South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission

Employees injured on the job in Myrtle Beach are generally covered by South Carolina workers' compensation, administered through the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission. Report the injury to your employer within 90 days — a late report can delay or put the claim at risk, and the exceptions vary by state — then file the formal claim within two years. Workers' compensation does not pay for pain and suffering, so when a third party such as a subcontractor, driver or equipment manufacturer caused the injury, a separate personal injury claim is often worth pursuing alongside it.

Frequently asked questions

Is there 2025 fatal crash data for Myrtle Beach?

Not yet from the federal census of fatal crashes. The newest national file is NHTSA's 2024 Annual Report File, the first release for 2024, used here with the 2020-2023 Final Files; NHTSA had not published 2025 FARS data when this page was updated on November 3, 2026. FARS counts every crash on a public road in which someone died within 30 days, and a crash counts for Myrtle Beach when the reporting agency coded it there. Some cities and states post newer counts on their own crash dashboards, which use their own definitions.

How long do I have to file a personal injury claim in Myrtle Beach, SC?

Generally three years from the date of injury under South Carolina law (S.C. Code Ann. § 15-3-530). Medical malpractice is different: generally three years. Exceptions apply, so confirm your deadline with an attorney.

What is my Myrtle Beach injury case worth?

Value depends on medical expenses, lost income, the severity and permanence of injuries, how clearly fault can be proven under South Carolina's modified comparative negligence (51% bar) rule, and the insurance available. A free case review request is a no-cost first step toward a realistic assessment from a participating attorney.

Do I need a lawyer for a minor accident in Horry County?

Not always, but getting a case reviewed costs nothing, and injured people who are represented often recover more net of fees than those who are not, especially once injuries require ongoing treatment.

Is Ask Legal Matters a law firm?

No. Ask Legal Matters is a personal injury lead-generation service that collects free case review requests from injured people in the United States and shares them with independent attorneys and law firms. It is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. Requests may be shared with independent attorneys and legal services partners who handle inquiries in South Carolina, and submitting a request does not hire an attorney.

Where would my case be filed?

Most injury lawsuits from Myrtle Beach are filed in the Horry County Circuit Court; some cases belong in other venues or federal court. An attorney will determine the right court.

Common questions after a crash in Myrtle Beach

After a crash in Myrtle Beach, most people ask the same questions first. These guides answer them in plain English; the South Carolina rules that change the answers are explained on this page.