If you have ever felt a sense of uneasiness when driving on South Carolina roads near a large truck, you are not alone. With the extreme size and weight of trucks, any time one of these vehicles strikes a passenger-style car, significant injuries can occur to those involved.
Because of this potential, truck drivers and truck owners in the state must follow a series of laws and rules related to safe operation of the truck. Should the driver or owner be found in violation of any of these rules after causing a crash with injuries to other people, those parties could be found negligent in a personal injury lawsuit.
For a free review of your case, contact Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, at (864) 582-1310 as soon as possible. Once you choose to hire a Spartanburg truck accident lawyer from our team to represent you, we will be ready to begin working on your case immediately.
Damages That May Be Recoverable in a Truck Crash Case
Because each case is different, we cannot guarantee that you will receive a certain amount of money after suffering injuries in an accident where a truck driver or owner was at fault. However, there are quite a few items for which you may be able to recover financial awards after the crash, including:
- Hospital bills
- Medical costs
- Surgery costs
- Costs for physical therapy
- Wages lost during your recovery period
- Estimated wages that will be lost in the future because you cannot work like you did before the crash
- Awards for physical and mental disabilities that appear after the crash
- Awards for temporary or permanent disfigurement
- Awards for pain and suffering
- Awards for reduction in quality of life
How an Attorney May Help with Your Case
Determining the exact amount that would be fair to request in a settlement after a truck accident with injuries requires you and your attorney to determine the facts in the case. Your attorney will study police reports and medical reports related to the accident, determining how the crash resulted in your exact injuries.
The team at Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, may interview eyewitnesses to the accident, may obtain video of the accident scene, and may hire an accident recreation expert to build the strongest possible case on your behalf, ensuring you receive the compensation that you deserve.
Call us at (864) 582-1310 today for a free consultation. You can rest assured that a Spartanburg truck accident lawyer on our team will work tirelessly on your behalf, representing your interests in negotiations with the insurance company and in a court trial, should the case reach that point.
For a legal consultation with a truck accidents lawyer serving Spartanburg, call 828.286.3866
Truck Driving Rules in South Carolina
All truck drivers must hold a commercial driver’s license (CDL) to operate a truck legally in South Carolina. According to the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV), the truck driver must be willing to submit specimens for drug and alcohol testing to stay in compliance with CDL requirements.
Should the driver commit a violation regarding drug and alcohol testing, either through a positive test or through a refusal to take a test, the driver could receive a suspension of his or her license.
If a driver is not holding a valid CDL at the time he or she causes an injury accident, this is a key piece of evidence showing negligence on the part of the truck driver, allowing the injured party to have a better chance of recovering damages.
Responsibility of Truck Owners
Should a truck owner or trucking company allow a driver who does not have a valid CDL to drive a truck, the employer could receive a fine up to $2,000, according to the SCDMV.
If the driver who struck your car was operating without a valid license, and the employer should have known or did know about this, the trucking company or truck owner also could be found liable in a personal injury lawsuit.
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Dangers of Accidents Involving Trucks
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), trucks operating in South Carolina cannot exceed 80,000 pounds of gross weight when operating on interstate highways.
If a truck is overweight, the driver may receive a traffic ticket from law enforcement. If the overweight truck struck your vehicle, causing injuries to you and/or passengers, this traffic violation can help you prove that the driver or the truck owner behaved in a negligent manner.
Number of Truck Accidents in South Carolina
According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, in 2017 alone, accidents involving semi-trucks resulted in 65 fatalities and 1,637 injuries.
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Factors That Could Cause a Truck Accident
Truck drivers can end up causing accidents for a variety of reasons, including:
- Distracted driving: where the truck driver is talking on a smartphone, texting, or trying to eat in the truck, removing his or her focus from the road.
- Drunk driving: where the driver took drugs or drank alcohol before driving, resulting in unsafe operation of the truck.
- Fatigued driving: where the driver was on the road for too many hours, leaving him or her unable to drive the truck safely.
- Malfunctioning equipment: where an improper truck repair could lead to faulty brakes or another mechanical error, leading to a crash.
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Let Us Help You Potentially Receive the Compensation You Deserve
After a crash with a truck in which another party was responsible for your injuries, you have the right to seek compensation for your medical bills. Additionally, you could receive awards for emotional trauma or for a reduction in your quality of life.
Count on a Spartanburg truck accident lawyer to protect your rights in a personal injury case. At Farmer & Morris Law, PLLC, our team knows that insurance companies in truck accident cases do not always treat the victim fairly. We are ready to counteract the techniques the insurer uses, helping you move toward the fairest possible settlement in your case.
Call us at (864) 582-1310 today. We are ready to review your case for free. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means that we do not accept payment upfront for our services. Instead, our fees come from the final settlement in the case.
Call or text 828.286.3866 or complete a Case Evaluation form