Large commercial motor vehicles are common on South Carolina roads, but unfortunately, their size means that these vehicles create unique risks for other cars on the road. Override and underride accidents are two of the most serious of these risks.
Override accidents happen when a truck runs over one or more passenger cars, while underride accidents happen when a passenger car slides underneath a large rig. Unsurprisingly, since occupants of the vehicle end up underneath a large truck in both of these crash types, these accidents can be very serious and are often fatal.
If you or someone you love is involved in this type of collision with a truck, a South Carolina truck accident lawyer can help you. At the Marc Brown Law Firm, our committed and experienced legal team can work with you to understand how the crash happened, who is to blame, and how to pursue justice.
Give us a call today to find out more about how we can help you. Our firm offers free consultations to clients in and around the following areas in South Carolina who have been affected by an underride or override crash.
- Allendale
- Bamberg
- Bishopville
- Charleston
- Columbia
- Hampton
- Hardeeville
- Greenville
- Kingstree
- Marion
- Orangeburg
- Ridgeland
- Sumter
- Winnsboro
How do underride and override truck accidents happen?
Override and underride accidents have different causes, although both types of accidents are similar tragedies. Some of the most common reasons for override accidents include:
- Truck drivers tailgating other drivers
- Failure to yield
- Brake failure
- Unsafe lane changes
- Foggy weather
- Tire blowouts
Unfortunately, negligence is at the root of many of these issues. For example, if a driver’s brakes or tires fail, this could be because the trucker or trucking company failed to properly maintain the tires and inspect them for issues before operating the vehicle.
Underride accidents have different causes, but many of these ultimately involve negligent behavior as well. Some of the most common causes of underride accidents include:
- Truck drivers are stopping suddenly
- Trucks without underride guards
- Trucks parking on the road without proper lighting
- Cars tailgating trucks
It’s important to understand if any safety violations occurred that led to the accident, or if the trucker or trucking company was unreasonably negligent compared to a hypothetical average person or company.
How can a South Carolina override or underride accident lawyer help you?
At Marc Brown Law Firm, our experienced accident lawyers in South Carolina are ready to represent clients injured by both override and underride accidents. Our firm:
- Will help you to determine the cause of the crash. We can bring in experts, get black box data from the truck’s onboard recorder, send our own investigators and experts to counter the trucking company’s, gather police reports, interview witnesses, and subpoena truck maintenance logs and driver logs to identify violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations.
- Will assist in pursuing legal action. We’ll help you determine if the driver, the trucking company, or both are to blame and will help to pursue a claim against the appropriate parties, either in or out of court.
Contact the Marc Brown Law Firm today
If you or someone you love was hurt in an override or underride accident, our legal team is ready to bring our experience to your case. Your consultation is free, and we only charge legal fees if we recover compensation in your claim*. Give us a call or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation with a South Carolina override or underride accident lawyer to learn more.
*Fees computed before deducting expenses from recovery. “No Fees Unless We Win*” or similar language refers only to fees charged by the attorney. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client. Contingent attorneys’ fees refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Contingent fees are not permitted in all types of cases.