Victims of truck collisions can pursue financial compensation by filing a personal injury claim with the at-fault party’s insurance company. Because trucking companies carry large insurance policies, there is a likely possibility that all of your damages can be compensated for fairly. These include medical bills, lost wages and earning ability, property damage, pain and suffering, and much more, depending on the severity of your injuries. In the event of a fatal accident, our wrongful death lawyers in South Carolina can help work towards financial compensation. Marc Brown has handled all types of truck crashes, from brake failures and overloading incidents to aggressive, distracted, drowsy, and drunk driving.
Why Choose Marc Brown Law Firm?
We are proud to serve all of South Carolina through our offices based in Columbia and Sumter. At Marc Brown Law Firm, you can trust us to provide expert local legal representation for your South Carolina trucking accident case. Here’s why we’re the right choice for you:
- Comprehensive Claim Management: Semi-truck accident cases can involve complex legal and medical issues. With years of experience, Marc Brown and his team are well-equipped to handle these challenges. If you’re dealing with injuries after a trucking accident in Richland County, reach out to our Columbia semi-truck accident lawyers for the skilled assistance you deserve.
- No-Cost Consultations: Our truck accident attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you only pay if we win your case. Our truck accident attorneys in Sumter will evaluate your situation, review your case, and guide you toward fair compensation.
- Clear and Objective Advice: An experienced truck accident attorney from our firm can provide an unbiased perspective on your injury case, helping you make well-informed decisions that serve your best interests.
Most Common Causes Of South Carolina Car Accidents
Distracted Truck Driver
Truck operators, like passenger vehicle drivers, are prone to distracting themselves while they drive. Long hours on the road are likely to make anyone bored, though this is never an excuse for watching TV, texting, or engaging in other distractions while operating a 20,000 to 80,000-pound vehicle.
Drowsy Driving
Drowsy driving and falling asleep at the wheel can be avoided by one simple measure—pulling off the road and resting. However, with deadlines to make and their wages tied to covering large distances quickly, some truck drivers routinely violate federal rest regulations. No amount of coffee, caffeine pills, or narcotic stimulants can make up for sleep, however.
Aggressive Driving
Common examples of aggressive driving include speeding, tailgating, brake checking, refusing to allow another vehicle to merge or change lanes (such as speeding up or matching another vehicle’s speed to block it), merging regardless of the presence of another vehicle, making rapid lane changes, unnecessary use of the horn, and buzzing cyclists or pedestrians on the side of the road. These actions can cause serious wrecks when done by passenger vehicles; when the culprit is a truck driver, the results are often catastrophic.
Overloaded Truck Accident
An overloading or improperly loaded truck crash happens when 1) the truck is loaded with too much weight, or 2) when the distribution of the load is dangerous or the restraint/straps holding down the load are faulty. This type of negligence can cause shifting within the truck, cause objects to fall off the back of the truck, cause the driver to lose control, or cause a rollover.
Worn-Out or Defective Truck Parts
Because of the immense size and weight of trucks, as well as the incredible number of miles put on them, trucks are more likely to crash due to catastrophic failure of brakes, tires, lighting systems, hitches, and other parts. Whether the crash was caused by negligent maintenance, or a manufacturer’s negligent design or build, South Carolina car accident injury victims can take action against the liable party.
What Should You Do at the Scene of a Semi Truck Accident?
Few accident scenes are as chaotic as the aftermath of a truck accident, where spilled cargo, hazardous materials, and often multiple involved vehicles combine to create a terrifying experience due to the large obstruction a truck crash causes on multi-lane highways. In many cases, a truck accident victim in South Carolina is too badly injured or unconscious to take any action at the scene. Still, if a truck accident victim can use a cell phone safely, they can begin to protect themselves physically and financially by doing the following:
- First, call 911 to report the accident if others haven’t called
- Apply any immediately necessary first aid
- Then, use your cell phone camera to take photos of the truck and any other damaged vehicles; you can do this without moving from your spot if you have serious injuries
- If possible, take photos of the accident scene before emergency services move the vehicles, including anything relevant to the cause of the accident, like an intersection, traffic signs, signals, and skid marks on the road
- Add the contact information of the truck driver and anyone else involved if it was a multi-vehicle accident
- Add the contact information of any eyewitnesses to the accident; eyewitnesses can be crucial when accidents occur in places without traffic cameras or nearby security cameras
It’s important to go directly to a hospital after a truck accident, preferably in an ambulance. This ensures that you receive critical emergency care and documents evidence that your injuries occurred in the accident. Then, ask for a full examination to ensure that the doctor diagnoses any injuries with delayed symptoms. Be sure to obtain a copy of your medical report and carefully follow your doctor’s treatment recommendations.
Understanding Truck Accident Liability
In fault-based accident states like South Carolina, an injury victim seeking compensation for their damages must show evidence of the at-fault party’s negligence to prove liability. The involved insurance companies assign adjusters to the case to investigate the accident. When a truck accident victim hires an experienced attorney, their lawyer conducts an independent investigation. It’s important to note that the insurance company’s goal is to protect the company’s profits, which they do at the injury victim’s expense, often by assigning them an undue portion of fault for the accident. This allows the insurer to reduce the amount they pay out on the claim by the injury victim’s percentage of fault.
When a South Carolina truck accident attorney investigates the case, they prioritize your best interests by determining the negligence that caused the accident and compiling evidence to prove liability. The evidence must demonstrate the following liability standards:
- The at-fault party owed a duty of care to the injury victim and others on the road
- They breached their duty of care through negligence
- The breach of duty directly caused the accident and injuries
- The injury victim suffered damages from their injuries
Common damages include medical expenses, lost wages, future income loss or reduced earning ability, and compensation for pain and suffering.
Who May Be Liable In a Semi Truck Accident?
The trucking industry requires many separate entities to ensure that a truck is well-maintained, securely loaded, and driven by a qualified, well-rested driver. When one of these entities cuts corners, fails to adhere to federal standards, or doesn’t take the legally required duty of reasonable care, the results can be deadly. Common liable parties in South Carolina truck accidents include the following:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- A negligent freight-loading company
- A negligent truck maintenance company
- The manufacturer of a defective truck part
Less commonly, other entities unrelated to the trucking industry may be found liable for causing or contributing to a truck accident. For instance, if a negligent road maintenance agency fails to repair a hazardous road condition or a road planning agency designs an intersection with obstructed views, the government entity or contractor may be held liable for damages or for contributing to the cause or severity of the accident. An experienced truck accident attorney pursues compensation from all available sources.
Call South Carolina Truck Accident Attorney Marc Brown
There is rarely a “minor” collision involving large trucks. The passenger vehicle occupant or other, smaller, road user almost always suffers serious to extreme injuries, ranging from whiplash and facial injuries to fractured bones and traumatic brain injuries. You deserve fair compensation for the substantial damages you have suffered. Call South Carolina truck accident attorney Marc Brown today at (803) 848-0008 to schedule a consultation at no cost.