Lawsuit Information Center
This post looks at South Carolina personal injury settlements and jury award payouts. This post has old settlement and jury award statistics but sample settlement amounts and jury awards as recent as January 2022.
South Carolina Statistics
Median jury awards in motor vehicle tort trials in South Carolina dropped to $17,000 in 2005 from $41,000 in 1992. This underscores to me that auto accident verdicts are not driving car insurance rates.
The picture is different in medical malpractice and product liability lawsuits. Product liability trials had median awards at least five times higher in 2005 than in 1992. Medical malpractice trials median awards more than doubled to $682,000 in 2005 from $280,000 in 1992.
I realize these statistics are a bit dated – 2005, my goodness, 17 years now, – but that is how we typically get personal injury statistics… a little dated. But these settlement amounts and verdicts are more recent.
South Carolina Injury Verdicts and Settlements
Below are settlement amounts and jury payouts in South Carolina malpractice, car accident, and other personal injury lawsuits. Example settlement compensation amounts and jury payouts in these rather typical cases cannot calculate an average settlement payout in your personal injury or wrongful death claim. But it can give you some real insight on the potential range values of values in your case, particularly when used in conjunction without other verdict and settlement statistics and resources.
YEAR / STATE
CASE / INJURY SUMMARY
RESULT
2022 – South Carolina
Six people were struck by a drunk driver in a four-vehicle collision at night. Two of them suffered the most severe injuries, including a chest wall contusion, abdominal wall bleeding, and broken vertebra, sternum, and ribs. The six alleged negligence against the at-fault driver and the three bars that served him that evening. They claimed the bars negligently served him. This case settled for $2,500,000.
$2,500,000 – Settlement
2022 – South Carolina
A non-verbal autistic 30-something man regularly took Thorazine for schizophrenia. He suffered constipation for several days. The man’s mother brought him to the hospital. He received a laxative. It failed to work. Hours later, the man was found unresponsive with blue lips. He died after being brought to the emergency room. The man’s family alleged negligence against the hospital. They claimed its staff failed to appreciate Thorazine’s side effects, perform physical exams, and appreciate the situation’s severity. The family received $100,000.
$100,000 – Verdict
2021 – South Carolina
A 55-year-old woman dined with her husband at an Outback Steakhouse. She ordered a grilled chicken dish. The woman brought the uneaten portion home. The following day, she took a bite into the leftovers. The woman felt sharp throat pain. She presented to the emergency room. An X-ray revealed a metal object in the woman’s esophagus. She was brought to another hospital. The woman had the metal object surgically removed. She sustained emotional distress. The woman now avoided eating grilled chicken. She and her husband alleged negligence against Outback Steakhouse. They claimed it failed to properly train its employees and remove foreign objects from meals. The couple received a $315,000 verdict.
$315,000 – Verdict
2021 – South Carolina
A 70-year-old man walked down a pedestrian ramp at a state park. He slipped and fell. The man fractured his right tibia. He underwent an open reduction internal fixation. The man spent 12 days in the hospital. He subsequently underwent physical therapy for five months. The man used a wheelchair and a walker for 15 weeks. He could no longer enjoy running. The jury awarded $350,000.
$350,000 – Verdict
2021 – South Carolina
A 51-year-old woman was rear-ended. She suffered cervical bulges and tingling with radiculopathy. The woman underwent six months of physical therapy. She also took pain medications. The woman continued to experience residual cervical and lumbar pain. She and her husband alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. They claimed he failed to safely operate his vehicle. The jury awarded $250,000.
$250,000 – Verdict
2021 – South Carolina
A 19-year-old man was a passenger in an SUV with four other occupants. The driver lost control. As a result, the vehicle flipped over. The other four occupants died from their injuries. The man survived. However, he suffered a traumatic brain injury and a fractured left clavicle. The man underwent an open reduction internal fixation. He required lifelong neurological care. The man’s cognitive deficits precluded him from gainful employment. He also suffered from mood swings and a sleeping disorder. The man alleged negligence against the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the companies that repaired the roadway. He claimed they created dangerous conditions and failed to repair them. The jury awarded $13,100,559.
$13,500,000 – Verdict
2021 – South Carolina
A 37-year-old motorcyclist was struck. She suffered a concussion, three ribs fractures, and leg bruises and abrasions. The woman was hospitalized for four days. Three months later, the woman returned. She was diagnosed with residual headaches, intracranial hypertension, eye pain, vision impairments, and leg bruises and abrasions. The woman alleged negligence against the at-fault driver. She claimed she failed to maintain an appropriate lookout and yield the right-of-way. The jury awarded $150,000.
$150,000 – Verdict
2020 – South Carolina
A 29-year-old man was fatally struck while riding his moped. His mother alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused his death. The defense denied liability. This case settled for $97,810.
$97,810 – Settlement
2020 – South Carolina
A man was struck in Aiken County. He died from his injuries. The man’s family alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused his death. This case settled for $90,000.
$90,000 – Settlement
2020 – South Carolina
A woman was rear-ended. She injured her neck, back, and shoulder. The woman alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused her injuries. She claimed she failed to avoid a collision, properly brake, and drive cautiously. The at-fault driver denied liability, arguing comparative negligence. A Richland County jury ruled in the woman’s favor. They awarded her $150,000.
$150,000 – Verdict
2020 – South Carolina
A woman was T-boned. She suffered severe injuries. The woman alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused them. She claimed he ran a red light and drove while intoxicated. The at-fault driver denied liability, arguing comparative negligence. A Charleston County jury ruled in the woman’s favor. They awarded her $1,800,000.
$1,800,000 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A woman was T-boned. She suffered severe injuries. The woman alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused them. She claimed she failed to control her vehicle, yield the right-of-way, and timely brake her vehicle. The defense denied liability. A Beaufort County jury ruled in the woman’s favor. They awarded her $550,000.
$550,000 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A special needs man underwent a thyroidectomy. Following the procedure, the man’s symptoms failed to resolve. He underwent a second surgery. The surgeon found that the initial surgeon did not completely remove the thyroid. After three hours, he completely removed it. The man’s mother alleged that the initial surgeon’s failure to remove the thyroid caused his symptoms to continue. This case settled for $200,000.
$200,000 – Settlement
2019 – South Carolina
A man was T-boned by a truck. He suffered severe injuries. The man alleged that the truck driver’s negligence caused them. He claimed he excessively sped, ran a red light, failed to maintain a proper lookout, and failed to timely brake. The man also made vicarious liability and negligent entrustment claims against the truck driver’s employer. A Charleston County jury awarded $1,930,000.
$1,930,000 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A woman was rear-ended by an unknown driver on I-77. She injured her neck, back, and chest. The woman alleged that the unknown driver’s negligence caused her injuries. She claimed they failed to control their vehicle, properly observe traffic conditions, and timely brake. A York County jury awarded the woman $250,000.
$250,000 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A woman was sideswiped. She injured her neck and shoulders. The woman alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused these injuries. She claimed she made a negligent lane change, excessively sped, and failed to timely brake. A Lexington County jury awarded $60,000.
$60,000 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A woman was T-boned. She and her three children suffered personal injuries. The woman alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused her and her children’s injuries. She claimed she ran a red light, excessively sped, and failed to timely brake. One of her children was dismissed with prejudice. An Edgefield County jury awarded the family $225,000.
$225,000 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A woman was sideswiped on SEC-30 in Seneca. She suffered severe injuries. The woman and her husband alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused them. They claimed he failed to timely brake, maintain a proper lookout, and yield the right-of-way. An Oconee County jury awarded the couple $1,100,000.
$1,100,000 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A man stopped at a stop sign. He was struck by a left-turning vehicle. The man suffered personal injuries. He alleged that the at-fault driver’s inattentiveness caused them. The Charleston County jury awarded $225,000.
$225,000 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A man was sideswiped in Myrtle Beach. He injured his left hand and middle finger. The man alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused his injuries. He claimed he ran a stop sign, excessively sped, and failed to control his vehicle. The man also claimed vicarious liability against the at-fault driver’s employer. Following a bench trial, the man received $809,395.
$809,395 – Bench Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A 4-year-old house guest tripped on a tree stump. She suffered severe injuries, including a leg fracture. The girl’s mother alleged that the homeowner’s negligence caused her injuries. She claimed she failed to warn of the hazardous condition, maintain her yard, and protect houseguests from harm. The homeowner denied liability. This case settled for $1,100,000.
$1,100,000 – Settlement
2019 – South Carolina
A woman slipped and fell on the freshly waxed floor of the office building she worked at. She suffered personal injuries. The woman alleged that the building maintenance’s negligence caused her injuries. She claimed they failed to properly maintain the floors and warn of the dangerous condition. A Charleston County jury found both parties 50 percent negligent. They awarded the woman $170,629.
$170,629 – Verdict
2019 – South Carolina
A woman was rear-ended on Highway 278. She injured her neck and back. The woman alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused these injuries. She claimed he failed to timely brake, maintain a proper lookout, and yield the right-of-of-way. This case settled for $50,000.
$50,000 – Settlement
2019 – South Carolina
A married couple was T-boned. Their vehicle flipped over into a water ditch. The wife became submerged in the ditch. She suffered multiple injuries, including severe bleeding. The husband suffered unspecified physical injuries. He also suffered emotional distress from witnessing his wife submerged in the ditch, bleeding. The couple alleged that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused permanent injuries. They claimed he ran a stop sign and drove while intoxicated. The Orangeburg County jury awarded $795,000.
$795,000 – Verdict