Anybody who has ever been involved in an accident with a semi-tractor trailer knows that the car driver and passenger do not stand much of a chance. Our Charleston SC truck accident lawyers understand the sheer weight and size of the big 18-wheelers make them difficult to maneuver and stop under emergency conditions. Too often, an untrained truck driver or improper truck maintenance or loading make tractor trailers the most dangerous vehicles on the road.
Whether you are traveling in a motor vehicle or driving a truck, being involved in a truck accident carries larger consequences for everyone involved. Negligent drivers might lose their job, injuries are typically more severe, more property damages is involved, and sometimes a truck’s size leads to multi-vehicle accidents after the initial collision. The responsible parties for these accidents need to be held accountable, and compensation needs to be awarded to those affected.
If you have been injured in a truck accident, you need a skilled attorney who has experience with the extra challenges that come with these cases. A Hughey Law Firm truck accident lawyer will fight for what is rightfully yours if you were injured due to trucking negligence. Call one of the experienced truck accident lawyers in Charleston at Hughey Law Firm at (843) 881-8644 to learn about how we can help you after a truck accident.
Hughey Law Firm’s Results in Truck Accident Cases
The legal team at Hughey Law Firm has years of experience negotiating, settling, and litigating cases for clients who were injured in truck accidents. Recent case results include settlements that range from $750,000 to more than $5,000,000 depending on the situation. One client was injured driving a truck because of highway defect, a motorcyclist was injured when a truck hit his bike, and a motorist in a pickup truck became paralyzed after a truck accident. These past examples can’t guarantee a particular outcome for your case, but the skilled and compassionate lawyers at Hughey Law Firm will work to obtain the best outcome for your situation.
Contact a Skilled Truck Accident Lawyer in Charleston Today
If you or someone in your family has been involved in an 18-wheeler crash in South Carolina, get experienced legal help. The personal injury lawyers at Hughey Law Firm in Charleston, SC, have just that. You will be filing your claim against the largest insurance companies and corporate interests in the country. Fighting for your rights will mean using every resource to investigate and prepare your case. At the Hughey Law Firm, you have experience and resources on your side when working with our personal injury attorneys in Charleston.
We understand the physical, mental, and financial struggles that a severe truck accident injury might bring to victims and their families, so we offer free consultations to discuss your case; in addition, we handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis. This means we only recover attorney fees from any compensation that we secure for you, whether a settlement or verdict in your favor.
A truck accident might require ample time for healing. During this difficult time, let an experienced attorney advocate for you and get the full and fair compensation that you deserve for your injuries, while you focus on rehabilitation and returning to everyday life. Your attorney can handle the details of the case, investigate your accident, gather relevant documents and records, and contact potential witnesses. If you have been injured in a truck accident in Charleston, contact the skilled truck accident lawyers at Hughey Law Firm in Charleston online or call at (843) 881-8644 for a free consultation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
About Truck AccidentsTruck drivers, trucking companies, insurance carriers, or any other party named as a defendant in a truck accident injury suit will often go the extra mile to avoid paying damages. Insurance companies will deny claims on technicalities, downplay injuries, or claim that victims didn’t sustain their injuries in the truck accident. South Carolina applies a comparative negligence rule to personal injury cases, including those that involve truck accident. Comparative negligence, sometimes calledcomparative fault, is the notion of shared liability; if the court determines that the defendant was negligent, they assess the extent to which the plaintiff might have been at fault for the accident and their injuries by assigning a percentage blame to each party in the suit. The court reduces the plaintiff’s award by that percentage.
For example, you sue a famous cartoon coyote’s Acme Trucking Company for $500,000. The court finds that speeding in a truck carrying large amounts of TNT explosives is not only violating the law, but negligent too. Yet, you had a couple of cocktails at happy hour that caused you to hit the legal limit for a DUI. This might cause the court to rule that you were 50 percent at fault for the accident, so they will reduce the award to $250,000. A seasoned truck accident attorney can defend against counterclaims from the defense and seek the best outcome for your case.
For example, we are not content simply gathering existing medical records, negotiating with applicable insurers and settling your case. We track down witnesses, obtain security tapes and police records, depose law enforcement officials, and work with investigators and other professionals to recreate accident scenes and locate involved parties. This is the level of dedication and detail you can expect and deserve when working with Hughey Law Firm and our personal injury attorneys. We can also help uninsured clients locate health care providers who will provide ongoing treatment and defer payment until the legal case is resolved.
If you have been injured in a truck accident, you have most likely experienced different types of loss on a grand scale. South Carolina law gives you the right to recover these damages in civil court. Specific damages vary based on circumstances, but these are some of the most common damages awarded by the court:
- Medical costs including ambulance and emergency services, surgery, radiology, follow-up visits, medication, and more;
- Future medical costs for severe injuries that require extensive recovery, multiple surgeries, and/or lifelong health care because of a permanent disability;
- Recovery and rehabilitation costs including physical therapy and assistive devices such as wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, canes, and more;
- Lost wages for missing work due to injury;
- Future lost wages when a truck accident injury prevents a victim from returning to work;
- Modifications that a victim must make to make their home more accessible such as ramps, handrails, and more; and
- Non-economic losses including pain and suffering, loss of consortium, scarring and disfigurement, and any other loss that might apply to your situation.
Our personal injury lawyers in Charleston, South Carolina, represent clients in all types of truck accident injury and wrongful death claims, including:
- Drunk truck driver and DUI accidents
- Speeding or reckless driving
- Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act (FMCSA) violations
- Untrained, unlicensed truck drivers
- Improper truck maintenance
- Unsafe loads
- Jackknife accidents
Truck accident injuries don’t differ greatly from injuries that one might sustain in any other type of motor vehicle accident, except for their severity. The heavy weight and massive size of tractor trailers often result in catastrophic and severe injuries that are usually worse than car accident injuries. Truck accident injuries are also more likely to lead to death. The most common types of truck accident injuries include:
- Fractured, broken, and crushed bones
- Deep lacerations and cuts that might leave permanent scars
- Road rash if drivers or passengers are thrown from a motor vehicle
- Neck, back, and spinal cord injuries that might lead to temporary or permanent paralysis
- Head injuries which might include blunt force trauma or sudden jarring that leads to traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Organ damage and severe internal bleeding, often caused by broken ribs or vehicle parts that puncture an organ
- Amputations
- Severe burns if a fire or explosion occurs
- Death
The most recent data from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) estimates that trucks were involved in more than 5,000 collisions in 2017, including more than 60 fatalities and almost 1,200 crashes resulting in injury. SCDPS includes semis, petroleum tankers, flatbed trucks, and auto-transport trucks in the truck tractor category. Truck drivers contributed to the collisions about half of the time.
