By Alex Stalvey
When former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez was hospitalized after being stabbed during an altercation in downtown Indianapolis, the story quickly spread across national headlines. Reports suggest the incident began near a parked vehicle and escalated rapidly from a street confrontation to a violent encounter involving a car.
While Sanchez’s case is unfolding in another state, it raises an important question for South Carolinians: What happens when a fight breaks out in or around a vehicle and one person claims self-defense?
That question sits squarely within South Carolina’s Stand Your Ground law, one of the most misunderstood but consequential self-defense doctrines in our country.
What “Stand Your Ground” Actually Means
South Carolina’s Protection of Persons and Property Act gives individuals the right to defend themselves when faced with an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury. Unlike some states, South Carolina does not require a person to retreat before using lawful force.
If a court determines that the use of force was justified, the person is not only protected from criminal prosecution, but they may also be immune from civil lawsuits. That means an attacker, or the attacker’s family, cannot pursue a wrongful-death or personal-injury claim if the act was found to be lawful self-defense.
This civil immunity is significant. Without it, even someone cleared of wrongdoing could still face years of litigation and reputational damage.
Why the Sanchez Case Is Relevant
The Sanchez incident matters because it highlights a scenario many people overlook: when a vehicle becomes part of the confrontation.
Witnesses say the altercation began near cars parked along the street, and part of the struggle reportedly involved one of those vehicles. That single detail —the presence of a vehicle —changes the entire legal framework for how the case might be viewed.
South Carolina law treats an occupied vehicle as an extension of the home. That means if someone attempts to force entry into your car or threatens you while you’re inside, you have the legal right to defend yourself, without the duty to flee. If that defense is found to be reasonable, Stand Your Ground protection can bar both criminal charges and civil lawsuits stemming from the event.
When Wealth Becomes a Target — and a Risk
Now, imagine a different scenario. One that happens more often than people think.
An individual of wealth, real or perceived, is attacked, defends themselves, and survives. But afterward, the attacker’s family files a wrongful-death lawsuit claiming excessive force. Even if prosecutors decline to press charges, the civil case can drag on for years, costing millions in legal fees and damaging reputations along the way.
That’s exactly where Stand Your Ground becomes critical. When a court determines that a person acted lawfully in self-defense, South Carolina law grants immunity not only from criminal prosecution but also from civil litigation. In other words, the wrongful-death case cannot move forward. In fact, it is barred entirely.
This distinction is important because civil lawsuits often focus on assets, rather than justice. High-net-worth individuals and professionals can become easy targets for claims designed to pressure quick settlements. Stand Your Ground exists, in part, to prevent that. It ensures that someone who lawfully defends their life isn’t punished again in civil court simply because of their financial position.
Why This Case Will Be One to Watch
This case will be an interesting one for lawyers across the country to follow, especially as investigators piece together what happened and how self-defense laws might apply. The fact that it unfolded in a busy public area, with potential camera footage and multiple witnesses, means there will likely be a clearer record than in most cases. Those details often decide whether a situation meets the legal definition of reasonable self-defense or crosses the line into excessive force.
For attorneys, this case illustrates how quickly a confrontation can escalate into a complex blend of criminal law, civil liability, and public scrutiny. And for anyone watching from home, it’s a reminder that self-defense cases are rarely simple.
The law may protect you from criminal charges, but without the proper guidance, the civil side can still upend your life. That’s where I focus my work. As a South Carolina personal injury attorney, I help clients navigate the aftermath of these high-stakes situations, from understanding how self-defense laws interact with liability to protecting their financial and emotional well-being in the event of the unexpected.
Every case is unique, but the goal is always the same: to protect your rights, restore your peace of mind, and make sure one moment doesn’t define the rest of your life.
