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Summerville Truck Accident Lawyers
Holding truck drivers and companies accountable for injuries and deaths
Summerville is part of three South Carolina counties – Dorchester, Charleston, and Berkeley. Every day, semis, tractor-trailers, rigs, flatbeds, large delivery trucks, and other trucks travel on Interstate 26, US Route 17A, and other major roads. Every day, local delivery trucks, construction trucks, and other trucks drive on Nexton Parkway, Jedberg Road, and College Park Road – and on local community roads.
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC has the experience and resources to hold the drivers of these trucks and the trucking companies that are responsible for the shipments accountable for the accidents they cause. Our Summerville truck accident lawyers file personal injury claims and wrongful death claims. We demand full compensation for your medical bills, pain and suffering, income loss, and property damage. Our team is ready to fight for your future. Call us now to discuss your truck accident claim.
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How Can We Help?
- Why choose McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC?
- How dangerous are truck accidents?
- What are the leading causes of truck accidents in Summerville?
- What types of truck accidents do your Summerville lawyers handle?
- What types of personal injuries do you handle?
- Who do you file claims against when truck accidents happen in South Carolina?
- When should I file my truck accident claim?
- What is the value of my truck accident claim?
- Do you have a Summerville truck accident lawyer near me?
Why choose McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC?
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC has been fighting for injured drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and bicycle riders – and the families of loved ones who die in vehicle accidents – for 25 years. We work aggressively to hold those responsible for your injuries or tragic loss fully accountable.
Some of the ways our attorneys fight for you include the following:
- Consultation. At the initial consultation, we can answer your questions and explain how the claims process works.
- Investigation of the cause of the accident and who is responsible. We can investigate your truck accident by reviewing the police reports, examining the accident site, speaking with eyewitnesses, reviewing any black boxes or electronic logging devices, questioning every defendant and every person with knowledge of the accident or your injuries, and taking other steps to determine the cause of the accident and who is responsible.
- Damage valuation. Our lawyers will work with your physicians to understand the full scope and severity of your injuries. We’ll review your income losses with your employer, financial experts, and life planners. Our team will also review all your other damages, including the cost to repair or replace your vehicle, the cost of plastic surgery, and all your personal damages.
- Negotiation. We can negotiate with all the insurance companies for the responsible defendants. This negotiation includes an initial demand and various discussions to help you obtain the recovery you deserve.
- Trial. If your case does not settle, we will persuasively argue your case before a local judge and jury.
There are no upfront costs. We handle your Summerville truck accident claim on a contingency fee basis. This means that we only receive compensation if your case is successful.
How dangerous are truck accidents?
Truck accidents generally cause more serious injuries, including catastrophic injuries, than car accidents.
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in 2021, more than 5,900 large truck and bus accidents caused the death of a vehicle occupant or someone outside the vehicle.
Pedestrians, motorcycles, cars, and even many small trucks and vans are simply no match for the size and weight of a large tractor-trailer. Some fully loaded commercial trucks can weigh as much as 80,000 pounds.
According to the South Carolina Department of Public Safety, in 2022, tractor-truck accidents caused 87 deaths and 1,221 injuries.
What are the leading causes of truck accidents in Summerville?
At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, we have the experience and working relationships to determine the cause of any type of truck accident involving any type of truck. Some of the causes are the actions of the driver. Other causes are due to the actions of the different trucking companies involved in the shipment.
One cause that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has regulations to avoid is driver fatigue. The FMCSA has Hours of Service rules that regulate how often truck drivers can operate their trucks before they need to take a rest. Truck drivers and trucking companies need to keep electronic logs that record how long and when a truck is in operation.
Other causes of truck accidents include the following:
Driver causes:
- Speeding
- Reckless driving, improper merging, and driving too closely
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
- Driving too fast for weather conditions
- Driving too fast for traffic conditions
- Driving while distracted by cell phones, texting, eating, drinking, looking at a GPS, and other distractions
- Failing to obey instructions at construction sites
Trucking company causes:
- Failing to vet the drivers
Failing to educate the drivers - Failing to monitor the drivers
- Not inspecting or repairing their trucks on a regular basis
Additionally, trucks may not work correctly if the brakes, tires, coupling devices, hydraulic systems, electrical systems, or parts of the truck are defective.
What types of truck accidents do your Summerville lawyers handle?
There are many different types of trucks that travel through Summerville. Some of these trucks are tractor-trailers, semis, flatbeds, and other large trucks that are usually traveling through Summerville at high speeds to get to other parts of South Carolina or other states. Other trucks, such as construction trucks and delivery trucks, work on roadways and make deliveries to local residences and businesses.
Our Summerville truck accident lawyers are ready to handle your truck accident claim however the accident happens. At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, we handle all types of truck accidents, including:
- Jackknife accidents. Tractor-trailers and other trucks with coupling devices may jackknife if the tractor and trailer travel at different speeds or in different directions. When a jackknife occurs, the trailer and tractor close in on each other at acute angles like the blades of a jackknife. Common causes include skidding and speeding.
- Truck rollover accidents. Trucks that take a turn too fast may roll over. Trucks may roll over if the driver cannot control the truck when the cargo moves in the truck or spills out of the truck. Trucks generally have a different center of gravity than cars, which makes them more prone to rollover accidents than cars.
- Truck underride and override accidents. Underride accidents occur when a small car slides under the truck – usually due to an accident. Trucks should have rear underride guards to prevent this type of catastrophic and deadly slide from occurring. Trucks can also ride over a smaller vehicle, crushing the occupants inside.
- Blind spot accidents. Most commercial trucks do not have rear windows or windows along the side of the truck (with the exception of the door). This makes it very hard for drivers to see behind them or to the sides of the truck. Even seeing directly in front of the truck can be difficult. Trucks should have the latest blind spot camera and video technology. Drivers must exercise extreme caution when changing lanes or turning.
- Tire blowouts. No matter how many tires a truck has, just one tire blowout (due to low tire pressure, running over a sharp object, or other causes) can cause a driver to lose control of their truck.
- Wide-turn truck accidents. Our Summerville truck accident lawyers understand how to show long and/or wide trucks veered into other lanes of travel or failed to see nearby drivers – crushing any cars nearby. Trucking companies should ensure their drivers understand the dangers of making wide turns.
- Cargo spills and shifts. Some trucking companies and loading companies load the trucks with too much cargo (usually to make more profits) or fail to load the truck cargo securely – in violation of federal laws, state laws, or trucking industry standards.
- Multi-vehicle collisions. At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, many truck accidents involve collisions with multiple vehicles. The truck may strike several vehicles, or other vehicles may strike each other in an attempt to avoid a truck that jackknifes, rolls over, or spills its cargo.
Generally, tractor-trailers weigh about 35,000 pounds unloaded and up to 80,000 pounds fully loaded. It is considered illegal for a fully loaded truck to weigh more than 80,000 pounds in most cases.
What types of personal injuries do you handle?
Any car, motorcycle, bicycle rider, or pedestrian that collides with a semi, rig, tractor-trailer, flatbed, delivery truck, or any other type of truck is likely to suffer serious injuries. Many of the clients we represent spend time in a hospital and/or with rehabilitative therapists. Most of our clients have injuries that take months or years to heal, while many of our other clients live with a lifetime of pain.
At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, our personal injury lawyers work with your physicians and our network of doctors to verify your injuries, review the medical care you will need, and understand everything you cannot do that you could do before your truck accident.
Our Summerville truck accident lawyers handle the following types of injuries, among others:
- Traumatic brain injuries, concussions, and other types of head and facial injuries
- Paralysis, disk herniation, and other types of spinal cord injuries
- Loss of any part (or all) of an arm or leg/traumatic amputation
- Third-degree burn injuries
- Kidney, lung, spleen, and other types of organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Nerve, muscle, and tissue damage
- Ligament and tendon damage
- Neck, shoulder, and back pain
- Hearing loss
- Vision loss
- Emotional trauma
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Death
Who do you file claims against when truck accidents happen in South Carolina?
If a truck crashes into your vehicle or a pedestrian, it’s likely that one or more companies involved in the shipment or other defendants are also responsible. At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, we work with investigators, the police, and traffic reconstruction experts (if necessary) to determine the cause of the accident and who is responsible. We also review the shipping arrangements from the time of the shipment request to the loading of the cargo to the accident.
Our Summerville truck accident lawyers file claims against every person and every company responsible for your accident. The defendants may include:
- Truck drivers
- Employers
- Truck owners – if different than the driver or employer
- Truck brokers who arrange the shipment
- Cargo loading companies
- The businesses that request the shipment and fill the order for goods
- Shippers
- Manufacturers of defective hydraulic systems, brakes, tires, and other truck parts
- Maintenance contractors
- Vendors of alcohol to a driver who is visibly intoxicated and later causes an accident
- Construction companies that fail to monitor driving near the construction site
If the state of South Carolina, the South Carolina Department of Transportation, the city of Summerville, or Dorchester County fails to properly design or maintain their roads, they may be liable through the South Carolina Tort Claims Act. McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC understand how to file claims through this Act.
When should I file my truck accident claim?
Generally, you have up to three years from the date of the accident to start your claim. Waiting that long can hurt your case. At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, we recommend that you contact us as soon as possible.
Our Summerville truck accident lawyers work from the start to investigate the accident site, speak with witnesses, review your medical needs and records, and determine who is liable and why the liable parties are accountable for your damages. The sooner we review your claim, the stronger your case will be.
What is the value of my truck accident claim?
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC seeks to maximize your benefits so you can maximize your recovery. Our lawyers work with your doctors, employers, life planners (if you have a catastrophic injury), and others to determine your economic damages and help show how difficult your life is because of your Summerville truck accident.
We demand that the defendants responsible for your accident pay all your current (damages so far) and future damages, including:
- Your physical pain and emotional suffering. This includes all your physical discomfort as well as emotional pain, such as anxiety and depression.
- Your medical expenses. These costs include ambulances, emergency room care, hospitalizations, surgeries, doctor exams and visits, rehabilitative therapy, medications, and assistive devices/technologies.
- Your income loss. This amount includes lost wages, salary, benefits, business income, and the inability to earn a living.
- Any property damage. A common example is the cost to fix or replace your vehicle.
- Other damages. These include disfigurement (including scarring), loss of life’s pleasures, and loss of bodily function.
We demand that the defendants pay wrongful death damages if they are responsible for the death of your loved one. These damages include the following:
- The costs of your loved one’s funeral and burial
- Compensation for any suffering of your loved one
- Payment of any of your loved one’s medical bills due to the accident
- The loss of financial support/income your loved one would have provided
- The loss of personal guidance, comfort, education, and love your loved one would have provided
- The personal suffering of the family members
Do you have a Summerville truck accident lawyer near me?
McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC has offices throughout South Carolina. We also consult with accident victims and families by phone and through online video platforms such as Zoom and FaceTime. If your injuries prevent you from traveling, our lawyers can meet you at your home or a healthcare facility.
We understand your anxiety. Our team will prepare you for each stage of your claim.
Talk with our Summerville truck accident lawyers to assert your rights after an accident.
The trucking companies and their insurance companies will have high-priced lawyers on your side who will try to deny your claim or limit your compensation. You need personal injury and wrongful death lawyers on your side who can thoroughly prepare your case, anticipate the arguments of the defendants, and persuasively argue your case in court.
At McGowan, Hood, Felder & Phillips, LLC, we’ve helped numerous accident victims obtain strong recoveries. To schedule a free consultation, call us or use our contact form to schedule a free consultation. We handle truck accident claims on a contingency fee basis. This means we only receive compensation if you receive compensation.