Hilton Head’s picturesque streets and coastal roads paint a vibrant picture of island life, yet truck accidents can abruptly disrupt this tranquility. The aftermath of such incidents not only brings physical pain but also emotional and legal turmoil.
If you find yourself a victim of a truck accident in Hilton Head, you don’t have to walk through this challenging time alone. At the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm, our dedicated truck accident lawyers in Hilton Head, SC, are ready to guide you. We’re committed to helping you handle the complications of your legal matters and supporting the settlement you deserve.
Reach out to today. Let our experienced team stand by you as we steer you towards recovery and justice, ensuring a return to brighter days ahead.
Why You Can Trust Our Hilton Head Truck Accident Attorneys For Legal Issues
Our firm stands out by genuinely investing in our clients. When you choose a Hilton Head truck accident attorney from our team, you will experience a commitment to your long-term recovery, both financially and physically.
Here’s what you can expect when you hire us:
Comprehensive Investigation and Evidence Collection:
We recognize that the strength of a truck accident claim lies in a careful and thorough investigation. Our dedicated team starts by analyzing every incident detail to build a robust case.
We focus on gathering critical evidence, including driver logs, to check for violations of hours-of-service regulations, which may indicate driver fatigue. We also examine truck maintenance records to uncover any lapses in vehicle upkeep, such as defective brakes or worn-out tires, that could have contributed to the crash.
Our evidence collection doesn’t stop there. We gather high-quality accident scene photographs, secure witness statements, and retrieve traffic camera footage to accurately reconstruct the events leading up to the collision.
Additionally, we obtain and analyze black box data from the truck, which provides essential information on the vehicle’s speed, braking patterns, and other operational metrics during the accident. This comprehensive investigative approach leaves no detail overlooked, ensuring that we build the strongest possible case for our clients.
Strategic Use of Expert Testimony:
To further support your claim, we collaborate with a team of expert witnesses who bring specialized insights and credibility to your case. Our network includes accident reconstruction experts who can meticulously recreate the crash scene, helping to demonstrate how the accident occurred and identifying the responsible parties.
We also work closely with medical professionals who can provide detailed testimony about your injuries, including their severity and long-term impact on your life, which is important in justifying the need for significant compensation.
In addition, we may consult industry experts familiar with trucking regulations and safety standards to emphasize any negligence from the trucking company or driver. This multidisciplinary approach, supported by authoritative and persuasive testimony, strengthens your case and enhances your chances of a favorable outcome.
Negotiating with Insurance Companies:
Guiding negotiations with insurance companies can be challenging, especially when they attempt to downplay your claim or deny responsibility. Our expert attorneys are adept at countering these tactics.
We build your case on solid evidence and present compelling legal arguments to push for fair compensation.
We handle all interactions with the insurance adjusters, advocating fiercely on your behalf. We aim to secure a settlement that accurately reflects the full extent of your losses, including medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, and any future costs related to your injuries.
We strive to achieve a settlement that truly compensates you for your ordeal.
Litigation and Court Representation:
While many truck accident cases are resolved through negotiation, some may require going to trial to achieve justice. If your case proceeds to court, our legal team is fully prepared to represent you.
With extensive courtroom experience and a proven track record in truck accident litigation, we deliver strong and persuasive representation.
We passionately prepare for trial, gathering all necessary evidence, crafting a compelling legal strategy, and anticipating the defense’s counterarguments. Our commitment is to defend your rights with determination and to secure the best possible outcome, whether through a favorable settlement or a court verdict.
Pursuing Maximum Compensation:
Our primary objective is to ensure you receive the full compensation you deserve for all your losses. This includes covering medical expenses, both current and future, as serious truck accidents often result in significant and ongoing medical needs.
We also fight for compensation for lost wages if your injuries have affected your ability to work, and we consider any long-term or permanent impact on your earning capacity.
Beyond the financial aspects, we understand the profound emotional and psychological effects of a truck accident. We seek damages for pain and suffering, emotional distress, and loss of enjoyment of life, ensuring that every aspect of your suffering is accounted for in your compensation.
When you trust us, we are committed to supporting you every step of the way. Regardless of your case’s challenges, you can count on us to prioritize your best interests.
How Does Our Hilton Head Truck Accident Law Firm Support Your Injury Claims?
The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm stands out for our exceptional track record in securing fair compensation for clients involved in commercial truck accidents. Our team of experienced truck accident lawyers has achieved several cases demonstrating our capability and dedication.
When you choose us, you benefit from our extensive experience in advancing truck accident lawsuits, supported by a diligent staff that helps investigate, gather evidence, and prepare your claim.
We operate on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you won’t be charged any fees unless we recover compensation for you. Our clear legal strategy is designed to maximize your recovery while minimizing stress, allowing you to focus on healing.
We offer a strong community of support and dedicated legal representation at every stage, ensuring your rights are protected. Additionally, we handle all communications with insurance adjusters, tirelessly working to secure a fair settlement on your behalf.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
If you were involved in an accident with a tractor-trailer, determining the cause can be complicated. Our truck accident lawyers can investigate and identify if any of the following common causes contributed to the crash:
Drowsy Driving
Truck drivers often work long hours and may need to sleep during the day, which can be challenging. This increases the risk of falling asleep at the wheel. Despite the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s mandates for rest breaks and maximum work hours, some drivers and trucking companies violate these rules to expedite shipments.
Distracted Driving
Truck drivers who engage in distracted driving fail to give their full attention to the road. Distracted driving may include:
- Talking on a cell phone
- Sending text messages
- Watching videos
- Using in-vehicle controls and GPS units
- Eating or drinking
- Grooming
Drunk or Impaired Driving
Some truck drivers use drugs or alcohol. Driving under the influence is hazardous for any driver, but it is especially dangerous when the driver is operating a large commercial truck.
Speeding
Speeding increases the likelihood of a crash because drivers are likelier to lose control of their vehicle or lack sufficient time to stop. This risk is heightened for truckers because commercial trucks are more challenging to operate.
Unbalanced Loads
Federal regulations mandate that cargo be loaded and secured properly to prevent unbalanced loads or cargo falling off during transit. Unbalanced loads significantly increase the risk of a truck accident.
Defective Vehicle Parts
Mechanical failures caused by defective vehicle parts can lead to serious truck accidents. Parts can also wear out and fail if not properly maintained.
If you were injured in an 18-wheeler accident in South Carolina, contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm to speak with a dedicated lawyer who will fight for your rights.
What to Do After a Truck Accident in Hilton Head?
Suppose you’re involved in an accident with another car, a tractor-trailer, an 18-wheeler, or another commercial motor vehicle, whether as a driver or passenger. There are essential steps to follow.
We understand that you might not be able to do everything listed here due to injury or shock, and we never judge our clients for doing what they need to after a crash.
Steps to Take After a Collision
- Call 911 or Local Police: Law enforcement and emergency responders must arrive quickly to provide medical care and manage traffic to prevent further accidents and injuries.
- Seek Medical Care: You might be taken to a local hospital or emergency room by ambulance. If not, have a friend or family member take you to the ER or a trusted physician for a thorough examination as soon as possible. Injuries from truck accidents are not always immediately visible.
- Exchange Insurance Information: Try to get the other driver’s name, contact information, insurance company, and policy number. If you cannot exchange this information, don’t worry—there are other ways to obtain it later.
- Collect Evidence: If you can, gather evidence at the scene. Use your phone to take pictures and videos of the crash and surrounding property damage. Also, names and contact information should be collected from any witnesses.
- Keep a Journal: Maintain a journal or daily log to record your feelings and activities after the accident. Note any difficulties with work, household chores, or recreational activities. This can help refresh your memory about how the accident impacted you.
- Contact a Carolina Truck Accident Attorney: To protect your rights and ensure you receive proper compensation, contact an experienced truck accident lawyer.
Legal Consequences of Negligence in Truck Collisions
In the context of a truck collision, the person at fault is the one whose negligence caused the crash. Negligence is defined as the failure to act as a reasonably prudent person would under similar circumstances.
A reasonable truck driver would typically drive carefully, obey traffic laws, and stay vigilant to avoid accidents and distractions. When a truck driver is negligent, they act carelessly, increasing the crash risk.
Liability and Compensation
A negligent truck driver may be held liable for your injuries. You can seek compensation for your physical, psychological, and financial injuries by pursuing a third-party insurance claim against their auto insurance policy or by filing a personal injury lawsuit.
Another party may also be liable for your injuries because they contributed to the crash or due to South Carolina’s liability laws.
For example, the trucking company employing the driver may be liable for its employee’s actions under vicarious liability. Moreover, the truck driver’s employer may be liable for its actions or wrongdoings.
This could include failing to enforce certain trucking regulations, negligently hiring the truck driver, or requiring the driver to work excessive hours. There are numerous reasons why the truck driver and their employer may be responsible for the damages you suffered due to their negligence.
Evidence in South Carolina Truck Accident Claims
Proving fault after a truck accident can be challenging. Hiring an attorney who can collect the evidence necessary to build a persuasive case on your behalf is vital.
Key pieces of evidence that can strengthen your truck accident case include:
- Damage to Your Vehicle: The visible signs of damage to your vehicle are often some of the most compelling evidence in any truck accident case.
- Driving Logs: Truck drivers are required to keep a logbook of hours driven. Falsifying a logbook is a criminal offense, and it can result in federal penalties, including six months in jail. The driver’s log could be vital evidence, especially when driver fatigue is questioned.
- Inspection Reports: Commercial vehicles must be inspected to ensure they are in safe, operable condition. The trucking company could be considered negligent if the vehicle fails an inspection.
- Maintenance Logs: Vehicles must undergo routine maintenance before making trips. If proper maintenance is not performed, the truck could be unfit for the road, making the company liable for accidents.
- Cargo Logs: The weight of the cargo and how it was loaded could be crucial evidence in your case. Overweight trailers can cause serious issues with steering and braking and could be the cause of your crash.
- Electronic Monitoring Data: Data from the vehicle’s “black box” could show that the driver was speeding, failing to brake, or driving over the legally permitted hours. This information is automatically recorded, and accessing it is often valuable.
- Substance Abuse Test Results: Trucking companies may have records of drug and alcohol tests administered to their drivers. If a driver was inebriated or had a history of failed tests, that evidence could be significant in your claim.
- Other Employer Records: Records including background checks, hiring, training, discipline, and company policies could be crucial evidence for your injury claim.
Typical Injuries Sustained in Truck Accidents
Due to their massive size and weight, truck accidents can cause significantly more severe injuries than typical car accidents. Additionally, these accidents often result in multi-vehicle collisions, impacting more people.
Here are some of the common injuries sustained in truck crashes:
- Brain Injuries: Brain injuries are a frequent consequence of truck crashes. Despite advancements in vehicle safety features, such as improved airbags, the risk of brain injury remains high in collisions involving trucks.
- Back Injuries: Spinal and back injuries are prevalent in various vehicle accidents. However, the sheer size and force of tractor-trailers make accidents involving 18-wheelers particularly violent, leading to more severe spinal cord injuries.
- Loss of Limbs (Amputations): In collisions where a speeding truck strikes a smaller vehicle, the smaller vehicle often flips into the air. This can result in occupants being ejected from the vehicle, leading to severe injuries, including the loss of limbs.
- Burns and Death by Fire: While most car accidents do not result in fires, the impact of a collision with an 18-wheeler can ignite the gas tank or fuel lines, causing vehicles to catch fire and resulting in severe burns or fatalities.
- Fatal Truck Crashes: Due to trucks’ size and speed, accidents involving these vehicles have a higher fatality rate. The significant force exerted in such crashes often leads to deadly outcomes.
In recent years, truck crashes accounted for 67 of the 1,030 vehicles involved in fatal auto crashes in Hilton Head, making up 6.5 percent of fatal accidents in the state. These truck accidents claimed the lives of 49 occupants of other vehicles, 10 truckers, and six pedestrians.
Compensation for Hilton Head Truck Accident Claims
Truck accidents often lead to severe, sometimes fatal injuries, and involve significant financial and emotional hardships. These incidents can lead to exorbitant medical costs, extensive hospital stays, and substantial property damage or loss.
Additionally, because truck safety and cargo loading responsibilities are spread across multiple parties, liability in these cases can span multiple states.
A proficient law firm specializing in truck accidents in Hilton Head can be instrumental in securing maximum compensation for affected parties. This compensation may cover economic damages such as medical expenses, costs for long-term rehabilitation, lost wages due to work absence, and diminished future earning potential.
It can also cover the repair or replacement costs for damaged property, as well as funeral and burial costs in tragic cases.
Beyond economic damages, our Hilton Head truck accident law firm vigorously pursues non-economic damages to address the emotional and physical toll of the accident. This includes compensation for pain and suffering, mental distress, decreased quality of life, and physical challenges such as impairment or disfigurement.
Furthermore, in cases of particularly egregious conduct, punitive damages may also be pursued to penalize reckless or malicious actions and deter future negligence.
Who Is Responsible for 18-Wheeler Crashes?
The trucking industry involves many moving parts, and any of the following parties may be responsible for an 18-wheeler crash:
- Truck Driver: The truck driver is often one of the first parties considered to be liable. If the accident was due to the driver’s negligence, such as speeding, driving while fatigued, or engaging in careless behavior, the driver may be to blame.
- Trucking Company: The trucking company may be responsible if the accident resulted from its own negligence, such as negligent hiring practices. The company is also liable for its employees’ actions, so if a driver’s negligence causes an accident, the company may ultimately be held accountable.
- Maintenance Company: If a third party maintains the fleet and a mechanical failure leads to an accident, the maintenance company may be responsible.
- Cargo-Loading Company: An accident caused by an unbalanced load may be due to the cargo-loading company failing to properly load or secure the cargo.
- Truck Manufacturer or Parts Manufacturer: The truck or parts manufacturer may be held responsible if defective vehicle parts contributed to the accident.
Determining liability in an 18-wheeler crash often requires thorough investigation and understanding of various potential contributing factors.
How to Prove the Trucking Company Is Responsible?
A Hilton Head personal injury lawyer specializing in truck accidents can thoroughly investigate a truck accident to determine the responsible parties by:
- Reviewing the Accident Scene and Police Report
- Examining pictures and videos of the accident
- Assessing damage to vehicles
- Analyzing physical evidence like skid marks
- Interviewing Witnesses
- Gathering statements from those who saw the accident
- Hiring Accident Reconstruction Experts
- Using data to theorize how the truck crash occurred
- Reviewing Records from the Trucking Company
- Inspecting employment records
- Checking inspection records
- Analyzing driver logs
- Examining the truck driver’s driving record
- Reviewing vehicle maintenance records
- Assessing safety records
- Demanding Evidence from the Truck Company
- Obtaining key data points before the accident, such as black box data.
How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Injury Claim?
The statute of limitations for filing a truck accident claim varies by state. In South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Code of Laws 15-3-530, accident victims must file an injury claim within three years from the date of the accident.
Unless a narrow exception applies, the court will not hear claims filed after this period.
Due to the extensive investigation required in truck accident claims, including collecting and preserving evidence and evaluating the different parties’ actions, it is essential to hire an attorney as soon as possible.
Our experienced attorneys can conduct a thorough investigation, gather and preserve essential evidence, evaluate the actions of all involved parties, negotiate with insurance companies to achieve a fair settlement, and file a lawsuit if necessary to ensure it is within the state’s required time limit. Acting promptly can significantly impact the success of your case and the compensation you receive.
How Is Liability Determined in a Truck Accident?
Liability in a truck accident refers to who is legally responsible for the damage and injuries resulting from the collision. Determining liability involves examining various factors and legal considerations.
Key factors include:
- Duty of Care: Every driver is legally responsible for operating their vehicle safely and according to laws to avoid harming others.
- Breach of Duty: Liability is established when a driver fails to fulfill their duty of care, such as speeding, running a red light, or driving distracted.
- Causation: It must be proven that the breach of duty directly caused the accident.
- Contributory Negligence: In some cases, both drivers may share fault. In South Carolina, a victim’s degree of fault can reduce their recovery, making it essential to address disputes over alleged negligence.
- Evidence: Various types of evidence, such as police reports, witness statements, traffic surveillance footage, photos of the accident scene, and vehicle damage reports, are used to determine liability. Attorneys may also conduct their investigations and work with accident reconstruction experts or other specialists when needed.
In truck accident cases, attorneys representing plaintiffs (victims) focus on positioning their clients favorably and employing strategies to secure the maximum compensation possible. They scrupulously ensure that at-fault parties are fully liable for their clients’ damages.
Call Our Hilton Head Truck Accident Lawyers Today!
We aim to provide victims and families across Hilton Head with exceptional support following preventable truck accidents. We understand that this can be one of the most challenging times in your life, and we are committed to alleviating your burden so you can focus on what matters most – your healing and recovery.
If you have questions about your case, our truck accident attorneys are here to help. We offer FREE consultations and serve clients throughout the region. Contact our Hilton Head Truck Accident Lawyers at (864) 664-3865 or schedule your complimentary consultation, and we’ll help you explore your legal options.