What Is the Average Settlement for a Pedestrian Hit by a Car in SC?

An "average settlement" statistic actually tells you nothing. Imagine one pedestrian walks away with a sprained ankle and a $25,000 settlement, while another survives a near-fatal crash requiring years of surgeries and receives $1 million. But the average of these two cases is $512,500, which is a figure that describes neither person's actual case. That's the problem with relying on an average for pedestrian accident settlements: it flattens two completely different outcomes into a number that's meaningless for predicting your own.

In this article, we present typical case ranges by severity. This gives a far more honest picture of what drives compensation than any single "average" ever could. If you or a loved one has been hurt, our skilled pedestrian accident lawyers can use our advanced knowledge and experience to put real numbers to your specific case.

How These Ranges Were Calculated

Personal injury cases are generally valued using economic damages (medical bills and lost wages) plus a multiplier for pain and suffering, typically scaling from about 1.5x for minor, fully recoverable injuries to 4x or 5x for severe, permanent, or life-altering harm. We combined that standard valuation approach with real economic cost research on traffic injuries, including the U.S. Department of Transportation's per-injury cost data by severity level (2024 dollars) and published medical cost data for common pedestrian injuries, to build the ranges below.

These are planning ranges, not guarantees. Your actual settlement depends on your specific medical bills, the available insurance coverage, and the facts of your crash.

Minor Injuries: Roughly $5,000 to $75,000

This category covers sprains, minor lacerations, mild whiplash, and injuries that resolve with a few weeks of conservative treatment. Medical costs for these injuries typically run $2,000 to $25,000, including an emergency room visit (averaging around $3,300) and any follow-up physical therapy.

Applying a modest 1.5x to 3x multiplier for pain and suffering produces a range of roughly $5,000 to $75,000, which lines up closely with federal research placing the comprehensive cost of a "minor" (MAIS 1) traffic injury at approximately $65,000.

Moderate Injuries: Roughly $50,000 to $400,000

This tier includes fractures requiring casting or minor surgery, moderate concussions, and injuries requiring a hospital stay without ICU care. Medical costs typically fall between $25,000 and $100,000, as a single inpatient hospitalization alone averages around $57,000, and a fractured leg or broken femur commonly runs $7,500 to $15,000 before surgical costs.

A 2x to 4x multiplier for pain and suffering brings this tier to roughly $50,000 to $400,000, consistent with federal cost research placing "moderate" (MAIS 2) traffic injuries at approximately $478,000 on the higher end.

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Severe Injuries: Roughly $300,000 to $2 Million

This category covers multiple fractures, injuries requiring major surgery or an ICU stay, and moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injuries. Medical costs commonly range from $100,000 to $400,000 once surgery, extended hospitalization, and rehabilitation are factored in.

With a 3x to 5x multiplier reflecting the lasting impact on daily life, this tier lands between roughly $300,000 and $2 million, closely tracking federal research valuing "serious" (MAIS 3) traffic injuries at approximately $2.05 million.

Catastrophic Injuries: $1 Million and Up

Paralysis, severe traumatic brain injury, amputation, and other permanently disabling injuries fall into this category. These cases are typically valued using a formal life care plan created by an expert in this field. A life care plan is a detailed projection of decades of future medical care, home modifications, and lost earning capacity. This is required to calculate the true cost of the injuries, rather than using a simple multiplier, since the future costs alone can easily exceed $1 million.

Federal cost research places "severe" (MAIS 4) and "critical" (MAIS 5) traffic injuries at approximately $3.6 million and higher, underscoring how significantly compensation scales once an injury becomes permanent.

Wrongful Death Cases

When a pedestrian is killed, compensation is calculated differently than in an injury case. In these cases, compensation reflects lost income and support the deceased would have provided, the survivors' loss of companionship, and funeral expenses, rather than a multiplier of medical bills. These cases vary enormously based on the victim's age, income, and number of dependents, but federal research values the comprehensive societal cost of a traffic fatality at approximately $16 million, reflecting just how significant these losses are.

If you've lost a loved one, our dedicated wrongful death lawyers can walk you through how compensation is calculated in your family's specific case.

The Practical Ceiling: South Carolina's Insurance Minimums

Every one of these ranges assumes there's enough insurance available to pay it. In South Carolina, drivers are only required to carry $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage under S.C. Code § 38-77-140. If the driver who hit you carries only the state minimum, that $25,000 may be the entire amount available from their policy, regardless of which range above your injury actually falls into.

This is exactly why uninsured and underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage matters so much for pedestrians. South Carolina requires UM coverage matching the same 25/50/25 minimums under S.C. Code § 38-77-150, which can help close the gap between what your case is actually worth and what the at-fault driver's policy alone can pay.

Comparative Negligence Can Shift Your Range

South Carolina follows a modified comparative negligence rule. A pedestrian can still recover compensation even if they were partially at fault for the crash (for example, crossing outside a marked crosswalk) as long as their share of fault is 50 percent or less. If you're found partially responsible, your total award is reduced by your percentage of fault, which can move your case toward the lower end of its range or below it.

Dedicated Legal Support at Elliott Frazier Injury Law

At Elliott Frazier Injury Law, we proudly serve pedestrian accident victims throughout Greenville and Upstate South Carolina. We know how to build a case around your specific medical records, lost wages, and available insurance coverage, so you know exactly where your case stands rather than guessing from a generic range. If you were hit by a car as a pedestrian, contact us today for a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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How do I know which range applies to my case?

Your treating physician's diagnosis is the starting point. Once your injuries stabilize, an attorney can review your full medical record, lost wages, and the available insurance coverage to place your case within a specific range and identify where negotiation should realistically start.

What if my injury doesn't fit neatly into one category?

Many injuries involve elements of more than one tier, such as a fracture that heals well but leaves lingering nerve pain. An attorney accounts for the full picture, including how your recovery is actually progressing, rather than relying on the injury label alone.

Can I recover more than the at-fault driver's insurance policy limit?

Only if another source of compensation exists, such as your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, a commercial vehicle's higher policy limits, or a separately liable party. Otherwise, the at-fault driver's policy limit typically caps what their insurance alone will pay.

Does a pending medical bill count toward my settlement value?

Yes. Both paid and outstanding medical bills, along with reasonably anticipated future treatment, are factored into the economic damages portion of your case.

Should I accept an early settlement offer?

Be cautious about any offer made before your injuries are fully understood and have stabilized. Once you sign a release, you cannot go back and ask for more money if your condition worsens or requires additional treatment later. The insurance adjuster’s main job is to convince you to accept as little money as possible to get you to sign a settlement release, regardless of how serious your injuries are. Making this decision without advice from our knowledgeable, experienced attorneys can cost you dearly.

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