Lexington Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer

Legally Reviewed by Stephen Vicari: July 01, 2026

Few accidents are more frustrating and frightening than a hit‑and‑run. When a driver flees the scene, victims are left with injuries, damaged vehicles, and unanswered questions about who will pay for their losses. These cases are complex, but South Carolina law protects victims through uninsured motorist coverage and civil claims.

A Lexington hit and run accident lawyer at Stewart Law Offices can help you understand those options, deal with insurance companies, and push for the financial recovery you need. Our legal team includes Stephen Vicari, a licensed attorney with the South Carolina Bar with more than 10 years of experience representing injured clients in Lexington County. We treat every client like family, guiding you through your options and fighting to secure the compensation you need, whether it’s for vehicle repairs, medical bills, or the harder‑to‑measure costs of pain and time lost. 

Your case is handled carefully and personally, and from your first visit, you will feel welcomed, supported, and at home, knowing your legal team is fully invested in your recovery. You don’t pay anything unless we win.

Hit-and-Run Crashes in South Carolina

Hit-and-run collisions are more common than many people realize. NHTSA’s 2023 crash overview reports that there were 2,872 fatalities in crashes involving hit-and-run drivers in the United States in 2023, a 3.4 percent decrease from the year before, but still representing thousands of lives lost. The same report shows that of the 7,314 pedestrian deaths, 1,818, about 25 percent, involved hit and run drivers, and 23 percent of pedalcyclist fatalities occurred in hit and run crashes.

South Carolina consistently ranks among the states with the highest rates of hit-and-run crashes in the country, a distinction that reflects the combination of high traffic volumes, major highway corridors, and the daily stream of commuter and through traffic that passes through Lexington County. South Carolina Traffic Collision Fact Book 2023 has documented this pattern for years, and the national data backs it up.

In South Carolina, the broader traffic‑safety picture is serious. Many crashes involve drivers who flee because they lack insurance, are impaired, or fear other consequences. Recent data shows there were 14 fatal hit-and-run collisions, 31 serious injury hit-and-run collisions, 693 other injury hit-and-run collisions, and 4,305 property damage only (PDO) hit-and-run collisions, totaling 5,043 hit-and-run collisions in 2023. In Lexington County, there were 46 fatal collisions in 2023, ranking 7th in the state.

Why Drivers Flee the Scene of a Crash in Lexington

Understanding why a driver runs matters, both for building the case against them if they are later identified and for explaining to a jury or insurance adjuster why the flight itself is evidence of wrongdoing rather than a neutral fact.

The most common reasons our Lexington hit-and-run accident attorneys encounter when drivers flee include:

• No valid driver’s license: A driver who is suspended, revoked, or never licensed knows that staying at the scene means exposure to criminal charges beyond the crash itself.
• No insurance: Drivers operating without the legally required minimum insurance often flee because they know they cannot satisfy a claim and fear criminal liability for driving uninsured.
• Outstanding warrants: Any contact with law enforcement at the crash scene risks arrest on existing warrants, making flight an impulsive act of self-preservation.
• Alcohol or drug impairment: An impaired driver who stays at the scene will almost certainly be tested and charged. Fleeing creates a window during which their BAC may fall below the legal limit before they are found.
• Immigration status concerns: Drivers without legal status may fear contact with law enforcement for reasons unrelated to the crash.
• Panic: Some drivers flee in the immediate shock and fear of the moment, without any calculated plan, and may later regret the decision or even turn themselves in.

Whatever the reason, the act of leaving itself violates South Carolina law and shapes every aspect of how the victim’s legal claim is pursued.

Hit-and-Run as a Criminal Offense in South Carolina

Leaving the scene of an accident in South Carolina carries serious criminal consequences that escalate with the severity of the crash:

• Property Damage Only: Leaving the scene of an accident involving only property damage is a misdemeanor under South Carolina law. Upon conviction, the driver faces up to 1 year in jail, a fine of $100 to $5,000, or both, under S.C. Code § 56-5-1220.
• Injury: When a crash injures a person, and the driver flees, the offense is more serious. If the injury does not involve great bodily injury, it is a misdemeanor punishable by 30 days to one year in prison and fines up to $5,000. If great bodily injury occurs, it becomes a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, S.C. Code § 56-5-1210.
• Death: When a fatality results and the driver leaves the scene, the penalties are even more severe. This is a felony that can result in significant prison time (up to 25 years in some circumstances) and substantial fines.

The criminal case against a hit-and-run driver and the civil personal injury case are separate proceedings. A criminal conviction or guilty plea does not automatically resolve the civil claim, but it creates powerful evidence that can be used in your injury case and significantly strengthens negotiations or litigation against the driver or their insurer. Our Lexington hit-and-run accident lawyers monitor the criminal proceedings in every case where a driver is later identified and use that evidence strategically.

Common Injuries in Lexington Hit-and-Run Accidents

Because hit-and-run drivers often flee instead of checking on the people they injured, victims sometimes go longer without help than they should. The injuries themselves are similar to those in other serious crashes. A Lexington hit and run accident lawyer commonly sees:

• Neck and back injuries, including whiplash and disc damage.
• Head injuries and traumatic brain injuries.
• Broken bones in the arms, legs, ribs, and pelvis.
• Internal injuries and organ damage.
• Cuts, bruises, and soft‑tissue damage.
• Spinal injuries and, in severe cases, partial paralysis.
• Psychological injuries such as anxiety, depression, and post‑traumatic stress.

Many of these serious injuries occur when drivers fail to slow, swerve, or take other reasonable steps to avoid collisions, and some involve drivers who choose to flee afterward. 

Who Is Most Vulnerable to Hit‑and‑Run Accidents in Lexington

While no road user is immune to hit-and-run accidents, specific groups in Lexington County are particularly susceptible to these dangerous incidents:

• Pedestrians: This group is the most vulnerable. In urban Lexington County, pedestrians often travel through high-traffic areas such as US-1, Augusta Road, and Sunset Boulevard, where a lack of crossing infrastructure increases the risk of being struck and left without aid.
• Cyclists: Bicyclists are involved in hit-and-run crashes at a rate disproportionate to their presence in traffic; notably, hit-and-run drivers are involved in 23% of cyclist fatalities.
• Motorcyclists: Like pedestrians and cyclists, motorcycle riders are physically exposed. If a driver flees after a collision, a rider may be left with life-threatening injuries and no one to call for emergency services.
• Occupants of Other Vehicles: Drivers and passengers can be victims of “minor” hit-and-runs, such as rear-end collisions or sideswipes, where the offending driver flees, hoping to avoid reporting the damage.
• Owners of Parked Cars: This frequently overlooked category involves people who return to their unoccupied vehicles only to find damage and no identifying information from the responsible party.

Damages You May Recover After a Hit and Run Accident

If you are injured in a hit and run, a Lexington hit and run accident lawyer may help you pursue compensation for:

• Emergency care, hospital stays, and follow‑up medical treatment.
• Rehabilitation, physical therapy, and long‑term medical care.
• Prescription medications and medical equipment.
• Lost wages and loss of future income if your injuries limit your work.
• Physical pain and ongoing discomfort.
• Emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life.
• Scarring, disfigurement, or permanent disability.
• Vehicle repair or replacement and damage to other property.

Some of these losses are straightforward to tally (like medical bills); others, such as pain and emotional harm, require detailed explanation and sometimes expert support. A Lexington car accident lawyer will work with you and your doctors to fully document the impact of the crash on your life.

Steps to Take After a Hit-and-Run Crash in Lexington

What you do immediately after a hit-and-run directly affects your ability to recover compensation. Here is what matters most:

• Call 911 immediately. A police report is essential. Tell the officer exactly what happened, that the other driver fled. Describe the vehicle (make, model, color, any portion of the plate you saw, direction of travel, and any distinctive features) as specifically as possible. The report serves as the official record of your UM claim.
• Stay at the scene. Do not chase the fleeing vehicle. Note your surroundings and focus on gathering information.
• Photograph everything. Your vehicle damage, the road, any debris from the fleeing vehicle, paint transfer marks, skid marks, and your visible injuries. A cell phone video walkthrough of the scene captures details that static photos miss.
• Look for witnesses. Bystanders, drivers of nearby vehicles, pedestrians, and business patrons in the area may have seen the crash or noted the fleeing vehicle’s license plate or appearance. Get their contact information before they leave.
• Do not move your vehicle until photographed. The position of your vehicle, the impact point, and any contact evidence tell the story of how the crash happened.
• Seek medical attention immediately. Go directly to a nearby medical center or, for major trauma, to a trauma hospital. Adrenaline masks pain; injuries that seem minor at the scene can be serious. Medical documentation from immediately after the crash is the foundation of your injury claim.
• Report the hit-and-run to your own insurance company. Your policy likely requires prompt reporting of a UM claim. Do this, but do so carefully, tell them what happened factually, without speculation about what your coverage covers. Do not give a recorded statement without first consulting an attorney.
• Contact a Lexington hit-and-run accident lawyer as soon as possible. Evidence disappears. Camera footage is overwritten. Witnesses forget. The sooner we are involved, the more of this critical material we can preserve.

How Insurance Companies Handle Hit-and-Run UM Claims

Your own insurance company is not your adversary, but it is also not your advocate. When you file an uninsured motorist (UM) claim after a hit-and-run accident, the insurer will evaluate your claim with the same cost-containment approach it uses for every other claim. Common tactics include:

• Disputing Physical Contact: In South Carolina, a hit-and-run driver must have made physical contact with your vehicle (or you) for UM coverage to apply in most cases. Insurers frequently challenge whether contact actually occurred when there are no independent witnesses or physical evidence.
• Arguing Pre-Existing Injuries: Insurers often assert that your injuries were pre-existing or unrelated to the crash, especially if there is any gap in medical treatment or prior medical history involving the same body parts.
• Making Low Early Settlement Offers: Insurance companies may extend early settlement offers before the full extent of your injuries and future medical needs are known.
• Delaying Payment: Insurers sometimes delay processing UM claims while waiting for police investigations or additional documentation.
• Requesting Recorded Statements: Adjusters may ask for recorded statements designed to elicit answers that can later be used to minimize or deny the claim.

Having an experienced attorney manage all communications with your insurer from the outset is one of the most effective ways to counter these tactics. A qualified South Carolina UM attorney knows these strategies, anticipates them, and responds appropriately to protect the value of your claim.

How a Lexington Hit and Run Accident Lawyer Can Help

Handling a hit-and-run case involves more than just filing a claim. A Lexington hit and run accident lawyer at Stewart Law Offices can:

• Listen to how the crash occurred and how it has affected you and your family.
• Obtain the police report and follow up with investigators about any leads.
• Check nearby businesses or traffic cameras for potential video evidence when feasible.
• Review your auto policy (and household policies) to identify all available UM/UIM coverage.
• Help you track medical treatment, lost wages, and other losses.
• Prepare and submit a comprehensive UM claim package.
• Negotiate with your own insurer and, if the at‑fault driver is identified, their insurer as well.
• File suit and litigate in Lexington County if your insurer refuses to treat you fairly.

Throughout the process, your Lexington hit and run accident lawyer provides regular updates, answers your questions, and helps you evaluate settlement offers so you can make informed decisions.

Why Choose Stewart Law Offices for Your Lexington Hit-and-Run Case

Our Lexington hit-and-run accident attorneys bring more than ten years of focused experience representing seriously injured clients in Lexington County and the surrounding area. We know the roads where these crashes occur, the coverage issues affecting claims in South Carolina, and the investigative resources available in this community.

We work on a contingency fee basis, with no upfront costs, no hourly charges, nothing unless we recover compensation for you. And when you contact us, you work directly with an attorney, not a case manager, from day one through the resolution of your case.

Visit Our Lexington Hit and Run Accident Lawyers in Lexington, SC

Get Help After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Lexington County

If you or someone you love was hurt in a hit‑and‑run accident in Lexington or anywhere in Lexington County, you do not have to face the insurance company alone. A Lexington hit‑and‑run accident lawyer at Stewart Law Offices is ready to review your case, answer your questions, and explain your options.

FAQs About Lexington Hit and Run Accident Claims