South Carolina Injuries Glossary

Legal and insurance terms explained plainly

Losing part of a yard, driveway, access road, or vacant lot can mean losing real money, and a property dispute like that can also change who is legally responsible when someone...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-02

black box data

With newer vehicles now storing far more electronic crash information than they did even a few years ago, "black box data" is not a hidden camera or a recording of everything...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

cancer cluster

People often mix up a cancer cluster with an outbreak. An outbreak is a spike in an infectious disease, like food poisoning or flu, usually tied to a germ that spreads. A...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

deed in lieu of foreclosure

Picture handing back a car you can no longer afford before the tow truck shows up. A deed in lieu of foreclosure works in a similar way: a property owner voluntarily transfers...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-24

easement

Not ownership of someone else's land, and not the same as having full control over it. An easement is a legal right to use part of another person's property for a limited...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-02

easement by necessity

The part that confuses people most is that no one has to write it down for it to exist. An easement by necessity can arise by law when a parcel is split and one part is left...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

eminent domain

Insurance companies or defense lawyers may bring up eminent domain to suggest that a road project, utility expansion, or other government work was lawful and therefore not...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-30

encumbrance

Money can change hands, a sale can stall, or a lawsuit recovery can shrink because someone else has a legal claim against property. An encumbrance is any right, interest, or...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

foreclosure process

You just got a letter that says the mortgage is in default and the lender may start court action if the missed payments are not cured. That usually means the foreclosure...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

homestead exemption

People often mix up a homestead exemption with a property tax exemption. They are related, but not the same. A homestead exemption usually means a legal protection tied to a...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-29

judicial vs non-judicial foreclosure

One happens through a court case; the other happens without one. A judicial foreclosure requires the lender to sue the borrower, prove the default, and get a court order before...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

just compensation

Think of having a tool, truck, or piece of land taken for a public project and being handed enough money to replace only part of what was lost. Fair payment is supposed to make...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-02

latency period

The delay between an exposure or injury-causing event and the first signs of harm. "Delay" matters because people often assume a claim starts the day a chemical spill,...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

lien priority

It is not simply a contest over who asks for payment first or who is owed the most money. The hard truth is that lien priority is the legal ranking system that decides which...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-04

PFAS contamination

Contamination by PFAS means water, soil, air, food, or a workplace has been polluted with a group of man-made "forever chemicals" that do not break down easily and can build up...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-23

prescriptive easement

The biggest point people get wrong is thinking long-time use lets someone take ownership of land. It usually does not. A prescriptive easement is a legal right to keep using...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03

punitive damages cap

After recent South Carolina court fights over large jury awards, the practical risk is this: a seriously injured person may assume a headline-sized verdict will all be...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-21

restrictive covenant

Insurance companies and defense lawyers may point to a property's private rules and argue that an injured person should have known better: the area was not meant for parking,...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-30

short sale

People often confuse a short sale with a foreclosure, but they are not the same. A short sale happens when a property is sold for less than the amount still owed on the...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-26

title insurance

Not the same as homeowners insurance, and not a policy that pays for future injuries or storm damage. Title insurance protects against hidden problems with a property's legal...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-25

title search

Miss this step and you can pay for someone else's mess. A bad deed, an old lien, unpaid property taxes, a boundary fight, or a forgotten easement can wreck a sale, kill...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-27

toxic tort

You'll usually see it buried in a lawsuit, denial letter, or lawyer call: "potential toxic tort claim," "toxic tort litigation," or "injury arising from chemical exposure."...

GLOSSARY 2026-03-22

warranty deed vs quitclaim deed

Miss this difference, and you can pay for a house, land, or family property only to learn later that the title is a mess, someone else may have a claim, or the person who...

GLOSSARY 2026-04-03