Drunk Driving Accident Lawyer in Charleston County

Representing Charleston County Injury Victims Since 1984

A drunk driving crash isn’t just a car accident. The at-fault driver made a deliberate choice to get behind the wheel while impaired, and South Carolina law reflects that distinction in how these cases can be pursued. At Bluestein Johnson & Burke, LLC, our three trial attorneys have represented injured people throughout Charleston County since 1984, with over 40 years of combined courtroom experience. We handle personal injury claims and wrongful death cases arising from collisions caused by intoxicated drivers.

If you or someone you love was hurt by a drunk driver in Charleston County, call us at (843) 418-0750 to schedule a consultation. We offer evening and weekend appointments to fit your schedule.

More Than One Party May Be Liable

Most people focus on the drunk driver when they consider who to hold accountable after a crash. That’s the right starting point, but it isn’t always the end of the analysis. South Carolina courts have allowed negligence claims against bars, restaurants, and other alcohol-serving establishments that served a visibly intoxicated person or someone under 21 who then caused a collision. Sometimes called dram shop liability, this area of South Carolina law was historically rooted in common-law negligence and was codified into a specific statute, S.C. Code § 15-3-710, which took effect on January 1, 2026.

South Carolina law prohibits any business holding an alcohol permit from serving a visibly intoxicated patron or a minor. Businesses with that permit are generally required to carry at least $1 million in liquor liability insurance, though recent updates allow that amount to be reduced to as low as $300,000 for establishments that adopt approved risk-mitigation measures, such as certified alcohol server training. When an establishment ignores those obligations and a crash follows, a separate civil claim against that vendor may be available. Pursuing the driver’s insurer and a negligent alcohol vendor aren’t mutually exclusive.

Evidence matters early. Police reports, breath or blood test results, and witness accounts of the driver’s behavior before the crash all help establish how the liability picture fits together. Drunk driving can also support a claim for punitive damages, which require clear and convincing evidence that the harm resulted from willful, wanton, or reckless conduct. Compensatory damages address your actual losses; punitive damages hold a defendant accountable for the decision itself.

Insurance Coverage in a Charleston County DUI Crash

South Carolina requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured motorist coverage at the same minimums is mandatory and can’t be waived. When a drunk driver carries only minimum limits and your injuries exceed them, your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage becomes critical.

South Carolina permits UM/UIM stacking, meaning you may be able to combine coverage across multiple policies when one policy’s limits fall short. Whether stacking applies and how to maximize available coverage depends on the specific policies in play. This is one of several areas where having all three of our attorneys review your situation, rather than a single lawyer working alone, can surface options that might otherwise be missed.

Filing Deadlines for South Carolina Drunk Driving Claims

South Carolina’s statute of limitations for a personal injury claim is three years from the date of the accident under S.C. Code § 15-3-530. A negligence claim against an alcohol-serving establishment generally carries the same three-year deadline. If a crash results in a fatality, a wrongful death claim must be filed within three years of the date of death, which may differ from the crash date. Missing any of these deadlines typically bars recovery, regardless of how strong the underlying claim is.

Where Charleston County Injury Lawsuits Are Filed

Charleston County falls within South Carolina’s Ninth Judicial Circuit. Personal injury lawsuits filed here proceed through the Court of Common Pleas at the Charleston County Courthouse. Contested civil cases typically go through mandatory mediation before reaching the trial roster, and the path from filing a complaint to a verdict generally runs 18 to 30 months. That timeline matters for planning, but it doesn’t change the urgency of moving quickly to preserve evidence and meet deadlines.

Three Attorneys on Every Case, Not One

Our firm is deliberately small. When you bring a drunk driving injury claim to Bluestein Johnson & Burke, LLC, all three of our attorneys engage with your case. Partners handle client contact directly rather than routing communication through case managers. We consult with each other regularly on strategy, so the perspective shaping your case isn’t limited to one attorney’s view. Drunk driving claims can involve parallel tracks against the driver, an insurer, and potentially an alcohol vendor. That kind of layered case benefits from coordinated thinking across the full team.

We don’t apply a standard playbook to every client. Your situation has its own facts, and we build our approach around those facts.

Reach Out to Our Charleston County Drunk Driving Accident Attorneys

The window to act after a drunk driving crash is finite, and the evidence that supports your claim doesn’t keep indefinitely. Call Bluestein Johnson & Burke, LLC at (843) 418-0750 or use our contact form to schedule a consultation. We’re available evenings and weekends to make that first conversation as easy as possible.