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Charleston Truck Accident Lawyers
Serving injured clients throughout South Carolina for more than 20 years
In a collision between a large truck and a passenger vehicle, there is usually no contest. When a commercial truck weighs more than 20 times the weight of a passenger vehicle, the smaller vehicle almost always withstands the worst of the damage and the occupants are vulnerable to serious, life-threatening injuries.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) reports that in 2018, there were 2,786 deaths of passenger vehicle occupants and 678 large truck occupants in traffic crashes. About 96 percent of vehicle occupants killed in two-vehicle crashes involving a passenger vehicle and a large truck in 2018 were the occupants of passenger vehicles.
The knowledgeable Charleston truck accident lawyers at the law firm of McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC know how to take on the high-powered attorneys employed by the insurance companies of the large, commercial trucking companies. We have experience guiding our clients through the complex maze of insurance claims and litigation. We have a commitment to obtaining justice on behalf of our clients by helping them to pursue the compensation they need when they have been injured in a trucking accident.
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What are some common types of commercial truck accidents?
The size and weight of a tractor-trailer almost always makes a truck accident far more serious for the other vehicle involved. And, the type of accident in which you’re involved can a make a difference in the severity of your injuries. Some of the common kinds of truck and 18-wheeler accidents include:
- Backup/backover accidents
- Jackknifes
- Rollovers
- Tire blowouts
- Underride accidents
Our Charleston personal injury attorneys will investigate the circumstances of your accident and find out who is accountable.
Who is liable for my Charleston, SC truck accident injuries?
An accident involving an 18-wheeler and a passenger vehicle is also handled quite differently from an accident between two passenger vehicles. A commercial vehicle is almost always owned by a large corporation, which makes filing a lawsuit more complicated and requires experienced legal representation.
When you make a claim or file a lawsuit to pursue compensation, you may name several different parties as defendants in the legal action. Some of the parties that might have some liability include:
- The truck driver, who can be held responsible in a truck accident that was caused by negligent actions such as drunk or drowsy driving, speeding or aggressive driving.
- The owner of the trucking company, whether it is a shipping company, a retailer, a construction company or any other kind of commercial business. The owner is responsible for the actions of the employees when they are operating within the scope of their employment.
- The company that owns the freight, which might be held liable if its employees are also the ones who loaded the truck, and the unbalanced load led to the crash.
- A maintenance company, because if defective maintenance contributed to the cause of the crash, the company that is responsible for maintaining the truck might be held liable
- The manufacturer of the truck or any of its parts. If a faulty brake system, or steering system caused the crash, the company responsible for making those parts might be named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Truck accident scene investigation
In the same way that airplane accident investigations center around a "black box," so do truck accidents. Large, commercial trucks contain black boxes that contain data that is collected before, during and immediately after the crash. This box much be retrieved so that the data can be analyzed along with photos and video of the accident scene, interviews with witnesses and passengers, truck maintenance logs, driver's logs and countless other data points so that your truck accident attorney can develop a thorough case on your behalf.
What kinds of compensation can you expect in a truck accident claim?
If you have suffered a serious injury in a truck accident, you may be entitled to financial compensation for your losses. Here are some examples of the different types of compensation our Charleston truck accident attorneys may help you recover in a claim or lawsuit:
- All medical expenses related to the accident (current and future costs)
- Lost wages (current and future wage loss and diminished earning capacity)
- Pain and suffering
- Disability
- Impairment
- Disfigurement
Whether the cause of the truck accident can be traced back to driver fatigue, maintenance failure or driver inexperience, the knowledgeable Charleston truck accident attorneys at McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC are here to represent your interests and make sure that the at-fault party is held accountable and that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Explore your options with a trusted South Carolina truck accident law firm today
When you have suffered an injury in a trucking accident, you may begin to feel confused and wonder what to do next as your medical bills pile up while you are out of work because of your injuries. An experienced Charleston truck accident attorney from our firm has answers to these and many other questions you might ask about trucking accidents and getting compensation. You are encouraged to contact McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, and schedule a free consultation at 803-327-7800 or fill out our contact form today to find out more.