Charleston Truck
Accident Attorney Near Me
Why Accident Victims Need A Good South Carolina Trucking Attorney?
Being involved in an accident with truck is a terrifying experience, and one very different from a classic car crash. Standard cars that South Carolina drivers operate typically run around 4,500 to 7,500 pounds. By comparison, a fully loaded tractor trailer, log truck, cement mixer, or dump truck can run to 60,000 pounds, meaning collisions are more severe and can cause devastating injuries. Undoubtedly, you may need an experienced South Carolina trucking accident lawyer.
Likewise, lawsuits concerning tractor trailers are different from those involving basic automobile accidents. In a legal claim for a truck accident, state and federal law imposes hundreds of regulations on big rigs that do not apply to drivers of passenger vehicles. Understanding these regulations is critical for an accident injury claim to be successful. Ben Traywick has this knowledge, having defended trucking companies in dozens of lawsuits early in his career, and having spent hundreds of hours counseling and advising transportation industry drivers, safety staff, and company executives on safety issues and litigation management.
Our Charleston law firm of South Carolina trucking accident attorneys are ready to protect you after your accident injury. Ben Traywick Law Firm delivers expert legal advice and legal representation to fight for your personal injury claim after a truck accident.
Charleston Truck Accident Attorney Near Me | Trucking Attorney Near Me
INVESTIGATING SOUTH CAROLINA TRUCKING ACCIDENTS
Surely, prompt collection of evidence is important in every case, but there is an added urgency in trucking cases for several reasons. First, the unfortunate fact is that an accident injury in these cases tend to be more severe than they are in a garden variety rear-ender on a suburban street.
Secondly, the auto wreck reconstruction experts who Ben Traywick Law works with often rely on accident scene evidence which vanishes or degrades over time: skid marks on the roadway, gouging in the roadway, vehicle debris flung onto the roadway and the shoulder by the collision’s force. Simply put, the sooner a truck accident victim engages an experienced trucking attorney, the better the chances are that all relevant facts can be collected, and the truth of the situation can be proven.
Undoubtedly, parties who are or may be responsible for a tractor trailer or other commercial vehicle wreck include:
- Actual truck driver
- The trucking company that employs the driver,
- The trucking company who does not own the truck or directly employ the driver but under whose lawful operating authority the driver is hauling loads at the time of the collision
- Occasionally, the shipper whose goods are being hauled or the freight handlers who loaded the trailer, and the owner of the trailer itself.
Thus, the number of potentially liable parties illustrates the complexity of these personal injury claims, and signals the importance of retaining a trucking attorney who has experience investigating and prosecuting truck accident claims.
What Are the Most Common Causes of South Carolina Trucking Accidents
A chronic shortage of qualified, experienced commercial truck drivers puts pressure on trucking companies to entrust tractor trailers and other big trucks to inexperienced or minimally qualified drivers.
Many motor carriers have excellent safety programs, administered by a staff of safety professionals who truly care about public safety. Unfortunately, there is another class of trucking companies that employs a very poor safety program or no safety program at all, little or no training or monitoring of drivers, no effort to incentivize safe driving by their operators, and no effort to professionalize the safety team.
Just as a poor safety program can lead to accidents, so can a poor fleet maintenance program. A poorly maintained truck can result in a driver losing control or poorly maintained wheels and other equipment flying off during operation.
The largest category of truck accident causation is plain old operator error. A trucking company is only as safe and responsible as its drivers. Imagine these scenarios: A distracted driver loses concentration, or a careless driver fails to take his responsibility as a commercial operator seriously, or an irresponsible driver operates after consuming alcohol or drugs or while acutely fatigued, etc. All of these situations, and countless others, can lead to a catastrophic collision on the highway.
Trucking Accidents
Frequently Asked Questions
For trucking accident, truck drivers are subject to a unique set of state and federal laws, introducing an extra layer of complexity to truck accident cases. These types of cases also typically involve various parties in addition to the driver, such as the trucking company, freight loaders and truck owner. For these reasons, truck accident cases are often a much more involved legal claim than typical car crash cases.
Follow these steps after your accident:
- Call the police and report the accident.
- Seek medical treatment or a medical evaluation for accident injury.
- Document the crash scene by taking photos and exchanging information with witnesses and all parties involved.
- Contact an experienced South Carolina trucking accident attorney.
- Refer the insurance company to your trucking attorney.
Here at Ben Traywick Law Firm, our experienced trucking attorneys will work to determine who is responsible for your crash. Trucking attorneys at our Charleston law firm use accident reconstructions, black box data, witness statements, driver logs and more to understand the circumstances surrounding the accident. Liable parties may include drivers, trucking companies, freight loaders, truck owners or the shippers of the goods being hauled.
You may still be eligible for damages, even if you are partly responsible for your trucking accident. In South Carolina, you can recover damages if you are deemed to be 50% or less at fault. Schedule a free consultation to learn more about determining liability in a trucking accident case.
While every case is different, the trucking company’s insurance company often foots the bill for vehicle repairs once the case is concluded.
No. Once you have retained legal counsel, refer the insurance company to your trucking attorney. They will handle all communication with insurance representatives, ensuring nothing you say is used against you.
After a truck accident, you may be eligible for compensation for the following:
- Medical bills
- Ongoing care (physical therapy, medication, etc)
- Lost wages
- Vehicle damage
- Pain and suffering/other non-economic damages
Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me
Let's Discuss
Your Case.
You can contact Ben Traywick Law Firm to discuss your legal claim with our expert South Carolina trucking accident lawyers, free of charge.
Our trucking attorneys offer experienced legal advice and legal representation, so take our us now to get the compensation you deserve.
Trucking attorneys at our Charleston law firm have extensive experience handling legal claims and lawsuits just like yours, and will work tirelessly to get you the damages you are entitled.
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