No - future medical care can still be part of your claim, but the clock to preserve that claim may already be running hard.

If you were hit near East Main Street in Spartanburg months ago - maybe getting out of a taxi or working a school crossing post - and you kept hearing "wait until you're fully healed," that advice is often wrong. In South Carolina, the usual deadline for a crash injury lawsuit is 3 years from the wreck date. That is the general rule under S.C. Code 15-3-530.

Before you know that, people on a fixed income often do the same thing: keep paying copays, let Medicare cover appointments, and assume future treatment can be added later. Then tax season hits, the medical debt shows up, and they realize a settlement has to account for future doctor visits, injections, surgery, home help, and lost earning ability if the injury affects part-time work or daily function.

After you know the rule, your situation changes. You stop thinking only about today's bills and start proving what this injury will cost next year and five years from now. That usually means getting records that show:

• ongoing treatment
• a doctor's opinion about future care
• permanent restrictions or impairment
• how the injury affects work, walking, driving, or caregiving

Two deadlines can be shorter than the normal 3 years. If a city, county, school district, or other government vehicle was involved, the South Carolina Tort Claims Act can cut the deadline to 2 years, or 3 years only if a proper verified claim is filed. If you were a crossing guard on duty, workers' compensation may also apply: report it within 90 days and file with the South Carolina Workers' Compensation Commission within 2 years.

Another myth: "Medicare paid, so I'm fine." Not necessarily. Medicare can seek reimbursement from a settlement for accident-related payments, which matters a lot when you live on Social Security and have no cushion.