$0 is what the insurer has to pay quickly just because a claim was opened.

A realistic Greenville example: a single parent is driving on I-85 near Greer during fall deer-migration season, brakes for a deer, and gets hit by a commercial truck headed from the BMW plant corridor toward the ports. The truck insurer opens a claim the same week. An adjuster asks for a recorded statement, medical authorization, car photos, wage details, and says things will "move faster" if everything is provided immediately.

That does not mean a recorded statement is required for the other driver's insurer to process the claim. South Carolina is an at-fault state. The insurer investigates because it wants to decide fault, value, and leverage before paying.

What usually happens behind the scenes is more predictable than people think:

• The insurer gathers the collision report from the responding agency, often the South Carolina Highway Patrol or Greenville Police, plus vehicle damage photos and witness information.
• If a commercial vehicle is involved, it may also seek the driver's logs, dispatch records, onboard data, and employer reporting documents.
• It reviews medical records and wage loss proof to see whether injuries caused missed work or reduced earning ability.
• It evaluates fault under South Carolina's modified comparative negligence rule. If you are more than 50% at fault, you recover nothing.

For a regular wreck in South Carolina, you must report it to the S.C. DMV if there was injury, death, or $1,000 or more in property damage. The claim itself is separate from that report.

Settlement usually comes only after treatment is clearer, because the insurer wants a number for medical bills, lost wages, and future limits. If negotiations fail, the lawsuit deadline is generally 3 years under S.C. Code § 15-3-530. If a government vehicle is involved, notice and timing rules can be different under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act.