TRUCK ACCIDENT LAWYER LOCATED IN ROCK HILL SOUTH CAROLINA

Rock Hill Truck Accident Attorney

Did you suffer serious injuries or was your loved one killed in a tractor-trailer accident in the Rock Hill area? Do not think that you are on your own in trying to recover compensation for your injuries.

Stewart Law Offices accident attorneys have a Rock Hill personal injury law office in, South Carolina. We’re here to help those in our community who have been hurt in tractor-trailer accidents get the justice they are owed. Call us or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a knowledgeable member of our team.

Types and Causes of Tractor-Trailer Accidents in Rock Hill, South Carolina

Some of the most frequent kinds of tractor-trailer crashes include:

Some cases may involve multiple causes. In such cases, multiple parties could be liable. One party may attempt to dodge liability by assigning more blame to another negligent party. An attorney can work to ensure that all are held accountable.

Truck Crash Statistics

The Traffic Collision Fact Book from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety reported that there were 76 fatalities resulting from collisions involving truck tractors and 30 involving other trucks in one recent year. According to the Fact Book, truck tractors were involved in 1,179 injury collisions and 3,874 property damage only (PDO) collisions, while other trucks were involved in 541 injury collisions and 1,894 PDO collisions.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Highway Data Loss Institute (IIHS HDLI), 3,986 people were killed in large truck crashes nationwide in a single recent year, including 2,642 passenger vehicle occupants, 660 large tuck occupants, and 637 motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. IIHS HDLI reported that 1,277 deaths occurred on interstates and freeways, 2,373 occurred on other major roads, 281 occurred on minor roads, and 55 were unknown.

Differences Between Passenger Vehicle Accidents and Tractor-Trailer Accidents

People should never assume that a commercial truck accident is the same as any other accident. These crashes often involve unique elements, and some of these factors directly impact your possible recovery.

For example, multiple parties could be liable for your injuries in a crash involving a tractor-trailer or other heavy truck. You may have claims against more than one party.

While truck drivers are often at fault for tractor-trailer crashes, they typically do not have the insurance coverage and personal wealth or assets that give them the ability to pay a tractor-trailer crash judgment.

Fortunately, several other parties involved with a commercial truck could bear liability in some cases. Other possible defendants could include:

• Trucking company that employed the driver
• Maintenance company
• Shipping agency
• Cargo loading company
• Governmental entity
• Truck part manufacturer
• Another motorist
• Truck owner

The biggest difference between tractor-trailer accidents and traditional car crashes is simply the nature of the injuries that victims suffer. In most cases, commercial truck accidents result in injuries that leave victims permanently affected. This means that the potential damages are higher. When high-limit commercial insurance policies are in play, the stakes can also be much higher. You can count on insurance companies and defendants to hotly contest claims with so much money on the line.

Steps to Take After a Tractor-Trailer Accident in Rock Hill

The first thing that you should do after a commercial truck crash is getting medical attention. Always visit a hospital, urgent care center or other medical providers for a thorough examination, even if you do not think at first that you were hurt. People who experience symptoms later often regret not acting sooner.

Make sure that you contact authorities. A police report will be valuable later, and the officer may also issue a citation to a negligent truck driver that could also be helpful to your case.

Use your cell phone or an actual camera to take pictures of the crash scene. Try to get pictures of the vehicles and people involved, as well as any other circumstances that you think contributed to or were important to the accident.

When there are witnesses to your accident, try to see if they will provide their names and phone numbers. These eyewitnesses may be able to offer a very valuable independent perspective.

Some trucking companies or their insurers will send representatives to the scenes of accidents to speak with victims and conduct an immediate investigation. These agents may ask you to sign the paperwork, but you should refuse to sign anything until you can have it reviewed by an attorney.

Building a Case for Compensation for Losses in a Rock Hill Truck Crash

Stewart Law Offices is prepared to conduct that independent investigation as soon as you contact us. We will not wait to get started on your case, and we will act quickly to collect all of the evidence relating to your case so we can help you pursue all of the compensation you are entitled to. Certain records, such as hours of service and driver logs, can be very important to your case.

If a tractor-trailer accident results in a lawsuit, the victim will have to prove the four elements of a negligence claim by a preponderance of the evidence:

• Duty of Care — The defendant had a duty to a victim to behave in a safe and lawful manner.
• Breach of Duty — The defendant breached that duty of care by not behaving in a safe and lawful manner.
• Causation — The defendant’s breach of duty caused the victim’s injuries.
• Damages — The victim’s injuries resulted in damages.

When a case goes to trial and the victim is successful, the victim could be awarded compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are usually a combination of economic damages and non-economic damages.

Economic damages are tangible costs that can be more easily calculated, while non-economic damages are more subjective. Common kinds of economic damages include:

• Medical bills
• Lost income
• Property damage

Non-economic damages often include:

• Pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Emotional distress

In a rare number of cases, punitive damages (also referred to as exemplary damages) can also be awarded. Punitive damages are usually limited to cases in which the court wants to punish a defendant for especially egregious misconduct.